An additional pencil and watercolour drawing illustrating Captain Jasper (on the right) on deployment with the 2nd Dragoon Guards in India 1857.
He has been recreated as a lead soldier with his horse on task collecting Turkish delight across the tablecloth in England 2020 . The image below has been posted previously!
Drawings of crab on one page and further images below taken from lines within the story ‘Crab in a Pinch’
“Crab scurried up the beach and popped into a hole made by a footprint,
Crab hovered up the beach to a shallow hole made by a dog’s paw then scampered even further to a deep hole left by a horses hoof”
Iv’e worked up these (from my sketchbook of many crabs) using a combination of pencil and ink mostly on cartridge paper that I have stretched so that inks and watercolour can be applied. Hes an inquisitive beach dweller with friends that I am looking forward to drawing very much.
Ive been drawing unfamiliar creatures and tackling the seashore life within an unpublished story written by Chris Green. Crab is one of the a key characters in the story I’ve tackled him in watercolour and some acrylic ink colour too. Ive been using a Derwent Graphitint pencil in Warm Grey which I hope to compare with ink line in my next post.
After Christmas I developed an idea for cards based on an owl, fairy lights and snow. Inks are mostly used with the addition of a recent gift (masking fluid). The Church built of sandstone in 1785 replaces the original14th Century Church retaining some interior walls. Its in a lovely spot, also I’m still waiting to be introduced to the black cat I painted a few summers ago.
This is larger than A4 (larger than usual) and painted on thicker cartridge paper with watercolours and the addition of the ink line. In all the excitement of controlling washes I seem to have lost the crescent moon hopefully a little atmosphere is depicted.
Last September I drew roses from the hedges such as the briar rose and took some photos. My aim was to celebrate and depict the name Rose Wren . They are all so beautiful and its a real challenge drawing the roses structure so I have started with the more simple form of a Briar rose which complements a first birthday for a little girl I know.
Now I was looking at roses I continued with studies of a rose from a neighbours allotment, I found that the as the rose fades it develops a fragility with its form becoming a good subject to draw. The wren is another challenge altogether. This mid red rose was drawn with coloured pencils on cartridge paper
This bookplate with the sunset has more of a traditional design. This led me to thinking of creating my own font which I added digitally.
Finding time to relax is important even back in Captain Bower – Sparkles early days. Hes just able to cope with the cold for a few minutes as this is Winter in Russia. The rough watercolour paper really helped to achieve a heavy snow effect. I used my dip pen which gave a broken line across the papers surface.
After spotting a painted lead horse and rider on an auction site I was delighted to find Captain Bower -Sparkle dashing around collecting marshmallows at Christmas teatime.
I began to wonder about his earlier life and will upload these ideas in my next post. This illustration with Captain Bower- Sparkle was painted in watercolour and inks on stretched thick cartridge paper. I found applying wax candle and then ink acting as a resist for the horses the best way to depict worn scratched paint.
Christmas string scraps were used for tying the marshmallows into a bundle.
Designs and drawings to finished artwork
Designs and drawings to finished artwork
Designs and drawings to finished artwork
