It might have been overcast today but we had a good turn out to the monthly get together of the Canberra Sketchers Group at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) – including 5 people who came along for the first time. Having briefly met for a quick chat and orientation everyone dispersed to draw.
Group photo time, the AWM behind us.
The Memorial building itself is interesting and there are so many different perspectives that is can be hard to choose just one spot to draw from. On previous visits I had discovered, not that it is hard to spot, the bridge of the HMAS Brisbane – the whole top section of the battleship – which was removed and re-sited in the grounds of the memorial. Today’s cooler temperature meant that I could spend all the time I wanted to get the sketch done.
The bridge of the HMAS Brisbane with the Auatralian War Memorial in the background, watercolour and brush pen, 6 September 2015
Afterwards we got together in Poppies cafe for coffee, chat and comparison of our sketches. As always it was fascinating to see the various styles and subjects of everyone’s drawings.
Our collective efforts!
The next Canberra Sketchers Group sketchwalk will be on 4 October, 10.30 am, we will be meeting to sketch at Floriade, Canberra’s annual floral festival. If you will be in Canberra you would be welcome to come along. For more details please contact me through the link at the top of this page.
leonieandrews 
I like the roof lines and levels. Interestingly, I’m sure I have photos of buildings in Florence that look a bit like that too. Do you start with the brush pen, then watercolour or?
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Thanks. I have done just a little research on the building, but haven’t got far as yet. I did do the brush pen shadows/ darks first then my midtones in a blue grey watercolour. This is one of the approaches that Virginia Hein taught at the USk Symposium in Singapore. I found it a great way for me to draw -it seems to suit me as I’m prone to get lost in detail and not get the painting I want out.
Anyway Virginia has generously posted a pdf of the notes she prepared for that class on her blog so here’s the link so you can get her approach. http://worksinprogress-location.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/light-and-dark-with-punch-of-color.html?m=1
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Thank you – you’re so resourceful. I’ve not really used brush pens and quite like the idea of combining with watercolour for mid tone and will experiment soon!
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I will be interested to see how you go.
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