This mornings #mindfulsketching and a little warm up from the car. Reflections from the rising sun and braking traffic leads up to the mound and the spire of the Hub in the distance.
Using a fountain pen again today and the trouble with that is how the watercolour can make the ink run.
Although I quite like the blurred effect, once I learn to let go of the control and go with the flow 
The weather outside may be frightful but there are beautiful glimpses of the capital at Christmas around every corner.Yesterday was mixed weather wise to say the least. As I walked from west to south and then east before back to the west I was soaked, shone on and treated to some amazing dark skies with strong sun lit architecture making for stunning views of Edinburgh in the winter.
I kept stopping, unable to pass before I had either sketched, or snapped a wee photo to sketch from later. This view is from the bottom of the Mound looking across the square in front of the National Gallery towards Princes Street and the Scott Monument.
I’m a big fan of Edinburgh’s Christmas make over and love the views that combine those permanent city monuments and buildings with those features that are here for a just short period of time. Have a great weekend everyone and Merry Christmas.
Edinburgh’s Christmas website.
I’m pretty sure the Christmas tree on the Mound came from Norway, which may explain its eagerness to head North this year.
There’s a definite lean to the splendid tree on the Mound today. Maybe it’s just the wind, or maybe it’s all the lights from Edinburgh’s Christmas markets down on Princes Street that are attracting him. What do you think?
It’s actually more North-East from the Mound to Norway, from where each year a Christmas tree travels as a gift to mark the assistance Scots provided Norway during  World War II. More than 7,000 exiles were based in Scotland and the help and support they received from the Scots has never been forgotten.
You get fabulous views from the top of the Mound, in Edinburgh’s city centre. Down the curved road to Princes Street and it’s line of shops and through the gaps to the Firth of Forth, and Fife beyond that. Its a stunning view and one that needs to be savoured, taken-in over time… and I’ve found the perfect place in which to do so.
I cycled from Canonmills up to the Mound yesterday, worth it for a cuppa at Cafe Musa though. The cafe on the Mound is soon to be home to a few ES sketches and cushions !
I sketched this wee one while I cought my breath 🙂
Yesterday, I had an hour for lunch and headed into the fringe mayhem that is Edinburgh just now. Up the Royal Mile, along New Street and onto Princes Street Gardens. Along to the Galleries and up the steps onto the ‘Fringe on the Mound’ square in front of the National Art Gallery.
Here I found some showmen entertaining the crowds, I couldn’t see the man himself but the audience were having a lot of fun watching him. Head along there if you can before they are gone for another year.
This is the HBoS (formally Bank of Scotland) headquarters which stands high above Princes Street Gardens on The Mound. I took my Derwent pastel pencils/crayons with me today to add some colour.
It was a little messy but I like the effect you can achieve by adding a lighter colour on top of a darker one. Blending the two. I will stick with the pastels for a while as I could of spent all day experimenting, if only I had the time.
