The final sketches from Kangaroo Island

Finally home again, I have scanned the last few sketches from my trip. The diary is almost up-to-date, and there are a couple more objects to draw, but this will do for now. I have a box with a few objects I collected at the end, some gum nuts and shells and a crab claw – things to draw later, but they might not see the light of day as the crab claw was still a little too fresh …

Besides the large A4 sized sketchbook, I carried a small one in my backpack for sketches on the move, so I will include some here – they were quick pen and ink drawings, so on some I made colour notes and added the colour later, before the images slipped from my memory.

The next step will be sorting all the information I have gathered, and start some artworks inspired by everything I have seen.

KI_sketches_3web KI_sketches_2web KI_sketches_1web FlindersKI_sketch2_web FlindersKI_sketch_web

Author: anna warren portfolio

I draw, I paint, I am a printmaker. Always searching for the interesting detail in the world around me.

39 thoughts

  1. Gee I love your loose drawing style. Superb. The subjects remind me so much of NZ holidays down in the south of the south island – all lighthouses, fur seals and sea lions. Your seals are heaven – you caught them absolutely. I can almost smell the blubbery fish smell just looking at that page. Your landscapes are delicious too.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thank Julie – I really appreciate this! I do love drawing loosely, maybe I need to loosen up my ‘finished’ artworks a bit. We were in NZ a few years ago and I did quite a few sketches, and I can see exactly what you are talking about. I did a lot of scribbles of the seals – for animals that were supposed to be sleeping they moved about a fair bit!

      Like

      Reply

  2. I wish I draw as loosely and freely. It’s like an incredible lightness of being. However, I am too much of a novice and am always gripped with the thought that I need to draw the “proper” way, always thinking that I am too lousy at it. I love your drawings of the flowers and plants. It is less constrained than botanical drawings.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Monica. Don’t feel constrained, just do some sketching! No one needs to see your first attempts. I tend to tighten up in my ‘real’ artwork, but as I said in my reply to Julie above I should loosen up a bit. It is very freeing!

      Like

      Reply

  5. As beautiful as usual – nothing new to add 🙂
    What kind of pen do you use to draw? (chinese ink? waterproof pen?) Thanks and congratulations! (that was a really nice trip!)

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thank you – I’m so glad you enjoyed the trip, it was a good one! I use waterproof pens, at the moment Staedtler Fineliners, but I don’t have any great brand loyalty, just any waterproof fine point pen that doesn’t dry out the first time I take the cap off. I have a pack of 6 ranging in size from .05 to .8, but mostly use .2 and .3. For the paint, I have a Winsor and Newton (artist’s quality) travel palette, it unfolds so that there are little palettes, and it carries a water bottle and water container that clips on the side, and a travel brush. It is very compact and easy to carry. I don’t usually use the brush, it is too small, and carry two travel brushes.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Wow, that’s really useful information. When I travel with my watercolors it’s always improvisation: where do I put the water? shall I take 3 brushes, or 5, or watercolors pencils? What I prefer to paint is seaside landscapes and I carry with a plastic glass (or a plastic bottle) and use salty sea water. Not the perfect solution, but I guess I’m good with that.
        Thanks for the waterproof pen advice! (I’ll add some ink to my watercolors! :D)

        Like

        Reply

        1. The W&N paint box has made my life so much easier, not having to carry multiple objects. It’s quite expensive to buy here in Australia, but I got mine very cheaply in the UK and I expect it is even cheaper in the US. The pans are all replaceable so it should last a lifetime. I don’t think sea water would do your brushes much good, and could have an effect on the watercolours too. Another alternative for brushes are the water filled ones, the downside is generally they are not great quality, and changing colours can be an issue unless you have several, but it does eliminate carrying a water bottle. Good luck!

          Like

          Reply

  8. Anna,
    Again, another wonderful grouping of pages. Lovely! I really enjoy the additional application of watercolors to pop the sketches even more. Thanks so much for sharing your sketchbook. Looking forward to more work!
    Gale

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yes, Patsy I do. If I am sketching on the move, as I was with the seals, I make colour notes, either in my head or on the actual drawing, then add the colour when I have time. If I am drawing objects I have collected and am in a position to paint I draw then add watercolour straightaway. But a couple of the landscapes were watercolour only, no pen at all. Standing and painting is way too much juggling!

      Like

      Reply

  12. I’ve enjoyed your series from this recent trip; you’ll certainly have plenty of ideas to keep you going for a while! So, I must ask, what is it about lighthouses that interests people as I don’t experience that same enticement?! 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks Janina – yes, I have heaps of ideas, they are all churning around at the moment but soon some will start to take shape. Not sure what to say about lighthouses – I don’t have a particular fascination for them, just see them as any other interesting object to be used as subject matter!

      Like

      Reply

  13. Hello Anna I missed this post !
    Lovely breezy freshness I can almost be there 🙂
    Those sea lions posing … captured so well in just a few judicious lines … marvellous !

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment