This is a view from my cycle to work, through two buildings to Edinburgh Castle. The image only lasts for a second or two as you pass over the bridge which spans the Water of Leith river, in St Mark’s Park.
The view is different every day thanks to the wonderful skies we get here in Scotland. Today however the sky is cloudy and dull, creating a slightly hazy skyline. I have added a closeup below.
I only used pencil today, partly because the medium lends itself well to the dull cloudy day, but also because Pencils.com from California have made Edinburgh Sketcher their ‘pencil artist of the week’. Be sure to check out their blog and site for more pencil art and a wide range of sketching materials for sale. pencils.comblog@pencils.com
Looking up to Calton Hill from East Market street today. A simple pen drawing, no time for pencil, then ink over the top like I often do.
You have to trust your eye more, with no room error. It builds confidence though, and more importantly, speed.
This coffee takaway at the top of Leith Walk, infront of St Mary’s RC Cathedral, is an old converted policebox, many of which are dotted around Edinburgh.
Perfectly positioned this small box would once of been home to policemen guarding the road up to Edinburgh’s East End. Now it supplies coffee to the city’s many workers.
My sketch of The Balmoral looking over the North Bridge, this time coloured with a couple of pencil crayons, and scanned. I have kept two just two hues to keep the image simple, and stylised.
This view shows the rear of The Balmoral hotel, the front opens onto Princes Street. The clocks on the top of hotel all run five minutes fast, thought to be so Edinburgh business men and women don’t miss their trains! I’ve been grateful of those extra five minutes many a time rushing to work.
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.
Here is a close up of today’s post box, I thought the earlier post was a little far away. I always like these sketches close-up so you can see all the strokes. Enjoy! more tomorrow. ES
Does this need to be in red?
Here is one of the lovely post boxes in Edinburgh’s Old Town. I am liking the simple black and white but have strong urges to splash a little red across the page.
I need more time! Or a new way of getting colour in a hurry. Hmmm.
These two magpies were perched on the TV aerials opposite my house. They were silhouetted against a beautiful sunrise which the sketch obviously doesn’t do justice to.
I need to find a way of adding colour in a hurry! Five minutes after this the sunrise was gone and clouds had surrounded the house.
Sketches, news and family life in Scotland's capital city.
This is a view from my cycle to work, through two buildings to Edinburgh Castle. The image only lasts for a second or two as you pass over the bridge which spans the Water of Leith river, in St Mark’s Park.
