Category Archives: Daily Sketch

Daily Sketch, Support A Business Sketch

Tigers in Morningside

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New opportunities in Morningside as Paper Tiger stretches out a paw southwards.

There is a new bright and colourful addition to Morningside Road on the corner of Springvalley Gardens. Gift shop and Edinburgh destination Paper Tiger has been selling beautifully designed, unique and quirky gifts and stationary from the West End since 1981, and has now opened its third store in Morningside’s busy shopping district.

I remember visiting their West End shop, spending ages looking around the basement full of wonder and creativity. And I was so glad to become a stockist there when EdinburghSketcher took over my full time work almost ten years ago.

Now I am equally excited to have my gift cards and other printed items in Morningside. It is great news to see a local business doing well and I look forward to sketching more scenes of the Southside for the new shop.

https://www.papertiger.co.uk/

Daily Sketch

Solemn scene in the rain

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I have often looked over the wall when walking into the Modern One gallery and thought what a beautiful scene. The statue rising above the grave stones is perfectly framed by various foliage of the encroaching trees that surround Dean Cemetery.

I finally found time to sketch the view and use it in my WhereArtI Quiz. I thought it would be an easy one but didn’t have many correct answers, it just shows you know what you know and can easily think everyone knows your views of Edinburgh.

Be sure to look left next time you visit the modern art gallery and I will be seeking out new views, there must be many such as this I have yet to discover in this beautiful city.

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-gallery-modern-art

Daily Sketch

Blossom from Cammo

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Birdsong, springtime nature coming to life and time spent with family. All good for the soul and thankfully available not far away.

I enjoyed a weekend walk through Cammo Estate yesterday, my first time to this lovely oasis of nature just off Queensferry Road.

I am trying to remember to take more videos of my work and make them into wee reels to show a little of the process in my work so below is a few highlights of our walk and the resulting sketch made at home.

And thanks for the interesting and informative signs from the Friends of Cammo group, they told of some of the history of the land and what plant life we should be looking for.

https://www.friendsofcammo.org

Daily Sketch

Watercolour skyline

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Layering washes of watercolour can be tricky at first, but results in faded, hazy views of a skyline

I do love to create a watercolour only painting, layering the washes of faint colours on top of each other and slowly seeing the view in front of me emerge from the paper.

Below are photos of the process as I sat sketching on Arthur’s Seat recently, looking at the magnificent Edinburgh skyline.

Have a go layering colour but wait a few minutes between each layer to make sure the paper has dried. By the time I had taken these photos and posted them on social media the paper was ready for another wash!

Like a foggy memory of the scene this resulting piece will remind me of a windy, rainy and at times dull view of the city I love.

Daily Sketch

A Sunny Hawthornvale

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A bright and sunny sketch of one of my favourite streets.

Hawthornvale, which runs down from Newhaven Road to Lindsay Road and the fab little cafe, the Haven which sits opposite the Chancellot Mill.

We nearly bought a flat here once, they have wonderful views especially the ones that have windows on both sides. I did draw a nice commission once of the view from one of the flats. I will see if I can find it and post it below.

I noticed today the street has had double yellow lines painted down the right hand side, which now means as you can see there are no cars parked along the pavement.

There is also a strange pavement/road thing at the top which I didn’t quite understand and to me looks a little dangerous for pedestrians.

Daily Sketch

Help kickstart 100 Cats book

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Some of the 100 Cats sketches

100 Cats in 100 Days: A Journey. A picture book of my 100 cat sketches drawn one a day as a form of creative therapy after our family cat ‘Mocha’ passed away after 21 years. 

I am now raising funds through a Kickstarter in the hope to have a picture book of all the cats along with a little description about each one and how they helped my family and I through a tough time.

Follow the link below, have a read about why I drew the cats and if you would like a signed copy of the book you can pledge an amount so I can have them printed. 

There are exclusive rewards for pledging too, from a poster of the 100 cats to an original ink and watercolour sketch of your own feline friend, and even a mention within the book as a special thank you.  

At the end of March if I have made the amount needed I will be able to print and send out this lovely collection of sketches, made at a very emotional time for my family and I. Thanks, and paws crossed!

The original sketches sold for £5 with all money raised going to the Lothian Cat Rescue charity, hopefully £500 when all are sold (Currently 23 left and available at the Art & Craft Collective gallery in Causewayside, Edinburgh. If I make the total needed to print the book then 5% from each will go to the Edinburgh Cat & Dog Home, which would be another £500. 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edinburghsketcher/100-cats-in-100-days-a-journey

Daily Sketch

Spring has sprung

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Pops of colour which mean spring, and then summer are on their way.

A clear sign It was a beautiful march morning here in Edinburgh today. Sun shining and a blue sky but bitterly cold. There was a feel of spring being just around the corner though, and that lifted my spirits.

Daffodils are springing up all over and their strong yellow colour is also a happy sign for me. This one I picked and sketched quickly before putting it in a vase of water.

The line work can make my drawings a little dark which is why I maybe over did the saturated colours. I might try again before the season is over.

Daily Sketch

A Cold Quartermile

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I sat outside a Nero to sketch this view of Lister Square, part of the old Royal Infirmary.

I took the bus into town as I had a meeting in Quartermile and after all the talking I needed to sketch something. I sat in the cold as the view was more appealing and sketched until my hands went purple 🤣

I don’t pass by Middle Meadow Walk and the old Royal Infirmary buildings as much as I used to, but I do like sketching there as the mixture of old and new architecture is most appealing. I particularly liked the bright sandstone and dark shadows in this view.

Drawn with my new Staedtler pigment finer 0.4, which I bought from the fabulous Edinburgh Art Shop. I also bought some small blocks of metallic paint which I look forward to experimenting with soon.

Daily Sketch

Old Town Angles

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This view from Upper Bow through the railings and on to The Hub caught my eye this week.

A big part of making a sketch is picking the right perspective and angle of a scene. Something I maybe picked up while at art college studying photography.#

And maybe come to think of it that is why I like double yellow lines so much! The way they can lead the viewers eye into a photo, or drawing. It helps tell a story or create more interest in the scene if your eye is led around.

Earlier this week I took a walk through the city to capture some photos of scenes like this, noticing new angles and views through streets I have walked along so many times.

Just like this view of The Hub venue through the railings of Upper Bow, as I walked up from Victoria Street onto Castle Hill. Beauty in the everyday 🙂

Daily Sketch

Mother of pearl skies

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Mother Nature put on quite the breakfast time display for us, with rainbow clouds the highlight

These are apparently Nacreous clouds and only form in the coldest of conditions and high (12-19 miles) up in the sky. Extremely rare outside of polar regions and usually seen a couple of hours either side of sunset or sunrise and, being so high, they are still lit by sunlight which makes them appear even brighter in our evening sky.

Formed in air that is around minus 80C, sunlight reflecting off tiny ice crystals in the cloud give it the pearly colours -the reason why they are also called mother-of-pearl.

And very pretty it was too. Thanks to the BBC for the information, read more HERE.