Virtual Paintout - Isle of Man

My first quick sketches of the Isle of Man.  I will be doing numerous sketches before I watercolor for the  Virtual Paintout which is a monthly challenge of a selected country or city around the world.  Locations are found on Google Maps (Google links at bottom of this post)  I'm not sure what scene I will be choosing, but I will be putting all my sketches here on this post and will select mid-month the one I will paint.

 I've never worked with watercolor pencils and am not so sure I'm a fan - I had no range of color and I couldn't mix to get appropriate shades.  I might prefer the classic water color tin:

Still have the following to do:

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Virtual Paintout - Canary Islands

This is my drawing for the Virtual Paintout challenge. This is located in the Canary Islands and I did a quick pen and ink study with colored pencil.

Virtual Paintout - San Francisco House

Monterey Blvd, San Francisco, CA. A watercolor wash over my pen & ink drawing. I have a lot to learn about watercolor (...like everything!) and was afraid to put my brush of paint to the paper! A friend of mine told me to think "Matisse, and this is the result :)

This was the preliminary sketch:



and the outline for the painting:

Art Happens. A Beginning

Children are perfect artists. They are HAPPY when they are drawing and are PROUD of their work. My 7 year old daughter drew this picture.

Art Happens all around us.

Every day I see amazing images I want to draw or paint. I take many photographs, trying to capture a mood, a uniqueness. This blog is an attempt to help me reach my goal of growing in my artistic ability so that someday I will be able to express the beauty I see around me.

I have a sketchbook which has slowly, very slowly, been added to over the years. Twenty three years, to be exact.

I keep saying SOME DAY I will pursue art. Today is the start - I hope this blog will be that extra "push" that will help me stay on track. I am a beginner and I am my worst critic.

But, here I go.