The rain in Edinburgh doesn’t usually last long, often drying up for strong sunshine and glimpses of rainbows spanning the city.
Days such as these are great for drawing reflections outdoors, the sunshine kept me warm as I drew this strong reflection of the three red telephone boxes on the High Street.
Head out next time the rain starts and try and capture a mirrored image. Of course you have to be quick as the showers will return!
This image and most of my sketches are available as signed, mounted high quality prints from just £18. Visit my SHOP for more information.
Edinburgh city centre is currently bursting with Hogmanay and Christmas decorations, stages are being erected, shows and markets light up the night sky and fill the air with screams of laughter.
The Royal Mile remains relatively untouched but take a glimpse through one if its many closes which point down towards the New Town then you can see the sparkling lights below.
This sketch is Lady Stair’s Close which leads from the Royal Mile to The Mound, I love the Victorian lights combined with the touch of Christmas, the big wheel on Princes Street.
Have a great Hogmanay folks, wrap up warm and be safe 🙂
Yesterday I was in town posting Christmas cards and dropping off commissions so grabbed a bite to eat in Caffe Nero on the Royal Mile.
A perfect spot to watch the Christmas shoppers and Edinburgh visitors walking up and down the High Street, this was my view from window seat whilst I ate my gluten free ham sandwich and brownie – yum 🙂
This week I sketched this lovely wee shop on St Mary’s Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Turn off the Royal Mile and follow your nose to this delightful wee shop selling scrumptious shortbread in wonderful flavours. By constantly experimenting with new flavours and interesting and creative ideas the wafts of lemon and fresh baking smells are worth the visit alone!
‘We want to bring the fun and excitement back to shortbread!’ says owner Jennifer. Stop by and have a look, and a sniff soon, and look out for the new EdinburghSketcher canvas bags soon to be on sale there too!
Pinnies and Poppy Seeds website
If you woud like your shop or home sketching then get in touch HERE, commissions start at £48
The Heart of Midlothian sits outside St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
St Valentines Day and what better a sketch than that of the heart-shaped mosaic, made from coloured granite and which lies on the spot where once stood a prison and public execution site!
You may well see passers by spitting on the heart for good luck, a practice thought to originate from a sign of disdain for the former prison. I always thought that there was once a dungeon below and folk would spit on the prisoners as they passed but it seems I was mistaken. The crest of one of Edinburgh’s two Premier League football teams, Heart of Midlothian is based upon the mosaic.
The sketch is black fine liner with a watercolour wash over the top.
Friday was an excellent day, for a few reasons, one of them being I had plenty of time to sketch this beautiful building on the Royal Mile.
It’s no coincidence The Woollen Mill stands opposite the warm and inviting Starbucks near the Tron Church. I tweeted the black and whit version on Friday, but I have since had time to colour it in. Digitally coloured as the pen I had with me isn’t waterproof so I couldn’t add a watercolour wash.
I do like the clean blocky colours you get from doing it digitally though. What do you think?
There is a close up below. I sketched in black pen on location colouring it in on the computer later.
More wee sketches from the Royal Mile. This time some of the historic housing on the High Street.
These beautiful tall stone structures are a common sight in Edinburgh’s Old Town, and many are rented accommodation for the many tourists who flock to the city each year. Most have shops on the ground level, selling Scottish wools, tweeds and souvenirs.
I like the simplicity of these sketches I am currently doing, I can see them being used to illustrate a children’s story book. More plans and schemes to be discovered….
This is a close up of a door on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, can you name the building?
A quick sketch on the way in to work this morning of a solid blue door on the High Street. Thick wooden panels with iron studs and bars, surrounded by beautifully sculpted stone work.
These kinds of details are what makes this ancient cobbled road, which marches down from Edinburgh Castle to Palace of HolyroodHouse one of my favourite places in the world.
The sketch was drawn freehand on location with a fine line pen, with colour added digitally later.
I got in a perfect position to sketch this performer and his captivated audience this week, on the Royal Mile. Now in the middle of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival the street is jam packed with street acts performing, fringe acts selling their shows and tourists taking it all in.
I love to find a new or different angle for my sketches and as I walked through the crowds I noticed this perfectly framed scene, I love the fringe banner above and St Giles Cathedral in the background. The Royal Mile in August isn’t just a place to watch the performers, it is also great for people watching. So here is my sketch of the audience watching a guitar player, who was excellent by the way, he must of been to have such a large crowd listening so intently.
If you are heading up in to town this morning have a great time, and smile – you may be being sketched 🙂
Ducking out of the torrential rain today I took refuge (and a delicious cup of coffee) at Cafe Truva on the royal Mile. This place is fast becoming my new coffee local, great beverages and views of the comings and goings on the busy High Street.
Although this afternoon the road was more a river as the heavens opened and thunder clapped above. I was caught without pad but undeterred I sketched my cuppa on today’s Edinburgh Evening News. The classified pages made a great doodle space 😉
Sketches, news and family life in Scotland's capital city.
The rain in Edinburgh doesn’t usually last long, often drying up for strong sunshine and glimpses of rainbows spanning the city.
Edinburgh city centre is currently bursting with Hogmanay and Christmas decorations, stages are being erected, shows and markets light up the night sky and fill the air with screams of laughter.
Yesterday I was in town posting Christmas cards and dropping off commissions so grabbed a bite to eat in Caffe Nero on the Royal Mile.
This week I sketched this lovely wee shop on St Mary’s Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
The Heart of Midlothian sits outside St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
I got in a perfect position to sketch this performer and his captivated audience this week, on the Royal Mile. Now in the middle of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival the street is jam packed with street acts performing, fringe acts selling their shows and tourists taking it all in.
Ducking out of the torrential rain today I took refuge (and a delicious cup of coffee) at Cafe Truva on the royal Mile. This place is fast becoming my new coffee local, great beverages and views of the comings and goings on the busy High Street.