Tag Archives: 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 🙂

St Andrews Day Sketch

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A saltire in the sky for this year’s St Andrews Day sketch.

I was recently at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to sketch Scottish symbols and run a couple of workshops. While there I learnt plenty of interesting facets I wasn’t aware of.

Like the legend that states in the ninth century a Pictish king, Angus mac Fergus, adopted St Andrew as the patron saint after seeing a Saltire appear in the sky, immediately before his victory in battle at Athelstaneford.

An army of Picts and Scots under King Angus invaded the Lothians, which was still Northumbrian territory at the time. It found itself surrounded by Saxons led by Athelstan.

Fearing defeat, King Angus led prayers and then saw a cloud formation of a white Saltire in the blue sky. The king vowed that if, with Andrew’s help he won, he would make him the patron saint of Scotland.

The Scots won and the Saltire became the flag of Scotland. So although there were no aeroplane trails in the skies back in the ninth century, I imagine the skies looked a little like my sketch!

Thanks to VisitScotland for the details above, you can read more on there website HERE.

Also I have been asked to make this sketch available as a print so here it is, as a great quality signed and mounted print available with free UK postage on my Etsy shop HERE.

WhereArtI Quiz – 21st November

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Beautiful details hidden just off the main walk way

Where have I sketched this week?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer. Get your answer in before 9am tomorrow morning and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize.

This week’s prize, and throughout November, is a set of six Edinburgh Christmas cards, each featuring a sketched scene from the city.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

For those gone too soon

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Today is the 11th of the 11th, Remembrance Day and a time to reflect.

I am giving a thought to all those who have fallen in conflict, gone before their time fighting or standing up for their beliefs and their families.

Yesterday I painted this poppy, the symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.

I spent most of the day on it, using watercolours only and leaving each layer to dry before coming back to it. This way of painting is the opposite of my usual speedy quick sketching but I love the depth it gives when you look close up.

I also had plenty of time to think about this time of year and how we mark the date. Personally I feel it’s important to look back, remembering and marking the past and working hard to make sure we learn from history to make the future a better place.

I will be selling this poppy painting HERE as a signed and mounted 15cm square giclee print for £25 (UK postage included) with £5 from each one sold going to PoppyScotland.

My previous 2018 poppy sketch is also available HERE and has now raised £210 for the Scottish charity which raises money for veterans and their families.

You can order a print of today’s sketch via my Etsy shop HERE.

Click below to see a video of me sketching the picture above.

WhereArtI Quiz – 5th September

A city sunset on the cobbles.

Where have I sketched this week?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer. Get your answer in before 9am tomorrow morning and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize.

This week’s prize is a set of six Edinburgh Postcards, each featuring a sketched scene from the city.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

WhereArtI Quiz – 15th August

I love the shape of the top of this old town building, but where am I?

Where have I sketched this week?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer. Get your answer in before 9am tomorrow morning and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize.

This week’s prize is a set of six Edinburgh Postcards, each featuring a sketched scene from the city.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

WhereArtI Quiz – 18th July

City street furniture, but what street is this?

Where have I sketched this week?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer. Get your answer in before 9am tomorrow morning and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize.

This week’s prize is a set of six Edinburgh Postcards, each featuring a sketched scene from the city.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

Music in the gardens

The Mind Be Kind Festival brings happiness to Princes Street Gardens

I happened to be in Princes Street on Sunday and followed the music which led me into the gardens to a free concert in aid of Mind Be Kind

The The Well Happy Band were playing and Gail Porter was on stage, all raising awareness and positivity for mental health and well being.

Organiser and co-founder Mind Be Kind, Tania Pramschufer said: “It’s a chance to come together and take time out to enjoy music, chat and take part in activities that give us a boost for mental and physical health.”

Well done all involved 👏😊

I am selling a copy of a mounted print of this sketch from the day, for £24 with £5 from each going to the Mind Be Kind crowdfunding page so hopefully this festival for mental and physical health can become an annual event in Edinburgh.

Buy a print

See the Crowdfunding Page

WhereArtI Quiz – 13th June

A new coffee stop for me, but can you name the street?

Where have I sketched this week?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer. Get your answer in before 9am tomorrow morning and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize.

This week’s prize is a set of six Edinburgh Postcards, each featuring a sketched scene from the city.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

My Happy Place

During the lockdown my wife and I spent a lot of time working in our garden and now we are enjoying the fruits, and more, of our labour.

This really is the best time to be out in the garden, just as new shapes and colours are exploding from all the nooks and crannies. I realise I am very lucky to have an outdoor space to call our own and this past couple of years it has been a godsend.

And not just to look at and admire, I find the physical act of gardening, growing and building so important for my mental health. My family will often be out there together, my wife Joanne planting and pruning, our daughter painting some flowers and our son James chopping wood or helping me build some garden structure.

Idyllic days that I want to go on for ever. Happy days in my happy place.

I was inspired to draw this watercolour after seeing similar sketches from Rolandnissanart of his garden and I liked the fact he included his hands and the sketchpad. You can see his light and bright watercolours on his twitter page HERE.