I started the One week one hundred people drawing challenge today. It doesn’t officially start until tomorrow but while I am doing the 30 faces in 30 days at the same time I thought I had better get a head start. I started with a page of park run figures from Google photos then did a page using images from a book about life through the twentieth century which is why there is such a mix of fashion from de mobbed soldiers in their pin stripe suits to teddy boys, a fifties family going on holiday and a couple of models from the sixties.

Today’s Sktchy portrait tutorial was painted using gouache but I am not keen on that so I used watercolour instead. Quite pleased with the result although I suspect her left eye is a fraction too high

In today’s tutorial with Kate Tsunola we painted a monochrome portrait using two colours ( bichrome?) The focus changes from colour to value and the only way to create an edge is to use contrast. Kate used a gel pen to add highlights but I didn’t have one so I used white gouache.

The fourth day of the Sktchy 30 faces in 30 days and we are back to watercolour. Unfortunately I overworked this by trying to layer the colours. The tutor Karl Staub was interesting although I painted the portrait after watching it through.

Day 3 of the Sktchy 30 faces in 30 days challenge and it’s another portrait in gouache. I have come to the conclusion that it’s not my favourite medium but I persevered. Hoping for a watercolour portrait tomorrow.

Day 2 of the Sktchy 30 faces in 30 days challenge. Today’s topic was a portrait in gouache using a pointillist style of painting so that’s two unknowns for me. I have some old tubes of gouache, not sure how old but one still had the price sticker on it 15pence! I only used three colours, red, blue and yellow and tried to optically blend them on the page. Interesting tutorial by Mike Creighton, not sure I am a convert to gouache but I enjoyed the process.

The first day of the Sktchy 30 faces in 30 days challenge and I didn’t do very well! There was no preliminary drawing this time, just straight in with a brush which was my downfall. I think I need to do a quick pencil sketch first to fix the proportions whatever the instructor says.

I took the dogs for a long walk around our new home in Corfe Mullen yesterday. We are close to the edge of town so it’s only a short step into the countywide. Most of the immediate area seems to be equestrian properties and most fields are divided into paddocks. I didn’t stop to sketch but took some photos and di this quick sketch this morning.

I am starting an on line course with Sketchy painting 30 portraits in 30 days starting on March 1. I thought I had better do some practice so this is from the Sketchy website where they share inspirational photos to work from.

Last Tuesday the removal crew were loading the first van so I managed to get away for an hour with the dogs for a walk along the beach. The light was super so I took some photos and finally got around to do a quick watercolour this morning.