Tag Archives: sunshine

Morningside sunshine on this coffee shop

My latest #supportabusinesssketch is for Blackwood Coffee, at 235 Morningside Road. A number of people have suggested this one for their fabulous coffee and yummy scones.

This week many cafes have welcomed back people indoors but during the lockdown Blackwood Coffee continued to serve from their doorway to locals on their daily walks.

These drawings in pencil and watercolour are to say thank you for keeping us all going during the pandemic 😊👍 Often a walk for me needs a destination, and a good cup of coffee to enjoy on the return leg will do nicely.

So drop in if you are passing, and give a little back to the small businesses that are keeping us going. Also let me know by commenting below if you have a local trader who is keeping your spirits up during the pandemic.

Blackwood Coffee, facebook page

Sandstone steps

I just loved the sunshine on this ornate stone carving and the shadows leading down.

This sandstone entrance to the Water of Leith cycle path is on ewhaven Road and is so beautiful. Have a look next time you are passing.

The cycle path/ walkway runs along underneath the road from Leith to Trinity and beyond and is a great way to get around the north of Edinburgh traffic free.

Lets hope this sunshine sticks around highlighting the cities stunning architecture.

Spring sunshine outdoors

As the Coronovirus outbreak forces people to stay in doors I am fortunate to have a garden from which to sketch in.

It is easy to get caught up the news and be feeling anxious about the things you cannot do anything about so instead I am sharing some of the beauty and colour that spring is showing us.

These mini daffodils are shooting up in pots around my garden, they look so delicate I thought I would try and capture their colour without using my pen to draw them.

This is a good exercise for you to have a go at, blocking out the colour with your paint brush and then leaving to dry before adding another slightly darker shade to create form.

My final layer is always the darker parts, the shadows which can make a drawing look 3D. I think this one may of gone a little to dark now but I am happy. I enjoyed the hour or so of creativity, concentrating and focusing on something other than the news of the day.

Stay safe everyone 🙂

Shadows on the old railway

I was out for a jog the other day when I was stuck by the glorious blue skies contrasting against the sandy stone coloured bridge, mottled with shadows.

The bridge carries Great Junction Street over the old railway path, now a busy cycle route into Leith.

I love these paths that criss-cross around north Edinburgh, under and over the traffic filled streets, they provide a quiet nature filled walk through the heart of the city.

This sketch was drawn with a fine liner black pen and then colour added using a waterbrush and small watercolour pallet.

Heatwave in Granton today

GardenTwinsEnjoying a long lunch in the garden today with my beautiful Sketcher twins!

All this week I am working at a printers in Leith, covering for someones holiday. On a day like today I am thankful it’s only a 9-1pm shift so I still get to enjoy my lunch with the Sketcher Twins.

This afternoon we had it in our garden, too hot to move much I watched and sketched as they made mud pies and ‘saved’ creepy crawlies from the garden!

Special days with loved ones, captured in a sketch.

This sketch is drawn in pen and watercolour, brushed on with my new (and brilliant) Pentel Aquash Water Brush Pen, more of which to come in future posts. 

GardenTwins crop

Sunshine on Stockbridge

StockbridgeBridgeI’ve been enjoying the recent sunshine in Edinburgh, and recently took a walk along the Water of Leith into Stockbridge.

The Water of Leith river is said to be around 22 miles long and runs from the Pentland Hills through Edinburgh to Leith and out into the Forth of Firth.

There are many beautiful sights to be seen along its winding route (look out for heron, king fishers and otters), and one such place is Stockbridge where the green vegetation contrasts well with the sandstone architecture above.

I drew the above sketch in between St Bernard’s Well and St Bernard’s Bridge, which features in the drawing. This original ink and watercolour sketch measures approx 280x200mm and is yours mounted for £145. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com if you would like to purchase the piece.

 

Water of Leith Information Centre website

Stockbridge Edinburgh locals website

 

My sketch was drawn on location in black in with a watercolour wash. 

stockbridgelocationnature, sunshnin

The low lying sun this afternoon in St Andrew Square Gardens, Edinburgh

StAdrewSq_SunshineThe sun was too bright to make out the top of the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square Gardens this afternoon.

 

It was a beautiful day in Edinburgh today, the skies blue and the sunshine strong. Between meeetings I was lucky enough to have my lunch sitting on the grass in Edinburgh’s city centre.

 

Let’s hope we have plenty more of these sunshine days as we head into autumn.

 

My sketch was drawn in biro, with a quick watercolour wash over the top.

Sunshine on flowers

GardenFlowersPhotoI hope you are all enjoying the glorious sunshine in the city today. Here is my daily sketch, flowers from the garden 🙂

It’s so relaxing to while away an hour drawing in the sunshine. I’m so pleased I discovered my waterproof ink pens, allowing me to watercolour over the top of a sketch straight away.

Believe it or not in the Edinburgh heat today my watercolour pallet kept drying up!