It is the beginning of the Euros football competition and the time when we are all hopeful of the days to come. I have always loved the days before the competition begins when everyone believes this is the year, maybe just maybe.
There are no defeats, no chances dashed and early flights home. Just laughter and happiness in the excitement of what might be.
It is great to see all the friendly patriotism, the sharing of cultures and the common goal we all share of supporting our nation and backing the team.
I thought I would mark this by sketching the flags of the 24 nations who qualified and here are my first three, Germany the hosts. Scotland their first opponents and Spain who played on the second day.
If you have been on one of my sketching workshops you will know how I love to cross hatch, shading with straight (ish) parallel lines to create contrast and sculpture. By sketching these flags I will show how you can create material texture, highs and lows and hopefully a sense of reality from these short lines of ink.
Have a go yourself and sketch your home nation or the team you are supporting this summer, before all the doom and gloom of that flight home becomes a reality!
Join me on a sketching workshop this summer, either in the New Town of Edinburgh or at Lauriston Castle. My next one is nature sketching at Lauriston on the 21st June and then perspectives in Thistle Street with Arienas Collective on July 5th. Find out more via the button below.