February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Cafe Wednesday and cafes with people

I’m trying really hard to get more people into my drawings, really I am. So since last weekend I’ve been focusing on the people in the cafes a bit more. Given the usual problems of trying to capture lots of people at any one time I’m using the standard approach of making composite drawings of people, in the one setting, as they come and go.

At Guru Coffee shop in Tuggeranong, 1 February 2015, pen and ink

My next attempt, trying to get some individuality into the people turned out to be not as effective as I’d hoped. Well that is unless you were expecting a Wolverine look-alike to be at the next table.

The Italian Bakery Mawson, 3 February 2015, pen and ink

A few minutes later I noticed that the loading dock across the road from the cafe was open so the walls could be painted. I only just got to the drawing as the man painting the wall, pretty much obscured by the telegraph pole, put down his paint roller. Some late arrivals at one of the outside tables provided a bit of foreground action.

Painting the loading dock, 3February 2015, pen and ink

And on Wednesday I went back to my old ways, although I am trying to mix things up by drawing on newspaper pasted onto a Japanese calligraphy paper. I really just like the texture using the newsprint. Not at all archival, as my partner pointed out, but I think that’s unlikely ever to be an issue.

Glasses and other tableware, 4 February 2015, pen and ink with Copic Multiliner

And if you are looking for a good laugh about drawing strangers I can highly recommend Hallie Bateman’s comic on ‘How to draw people on the subway’.

January 24, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Seeing Double

I’m spending more time with my double pencil drawings, I’ve even done some further cafe sketches because the lines seem fresh once more.

glass and cup, pencil and ballpoint pen, held together, 22 January 2015

With these drawing I drew focusing on working from the centre out, as the project method asks.

Plate and spoon, ball point pen and pencil, held together, 22 January 2015

October 3, 2014 by Leonie Andrews

Still catching up!

It’s spring and the umbrellas are out again!, pen and ink and acrylic paint maker, 16 September 2014

In the final weeks before my show I’ve been drawing, but haven’t had time to post. In the main I’ve been taking my cafe breaks (and even fitting in the gym!) so I don’t injure myself with all the repetitive stitching that goes into my exhibition work. So here they are, several more weeks of cafe drawings.

The curbside at Biginelli’s Cafe, pen and ink, 17 September 2014

Back at Biginelli’s and drawing faster, just like Jo suggested!

At Biginelli’s again, a week later, pen and ink, 24 September 2014

A not so quick drawing, mixing blind drawing and a more ‘observational’ approach.

The Italian Bakery, pen and ink, 20 September 2014

I’m still working on drawing people. Strangely, to me at least, getting a rough idea of the hairstyle seems to help with the drawing.

Group sitting at the Italian Bakery, pen and ink and acrylic marker, 27 September 2014

Finished at last, a celebratory coffee with a passionfruit and polenta cake!

My Cafe at Manuka with umbrella and a man on the phone, pen and ink and acrylic marker, 1 October 2014

September 12, 2014 by Leonie Andrews

Cafe catch-up

As I’ve been trying out my new sketchbook over the past few weeks, I’d forgotten I also had several cafe drawings in the book I always carry in my bag. Here they are.

A bulldog waiting for its owner, ballpoint pen, 23 August 2014

The construction site opposite the cafe offered an unusual subject by way of a cement mixer.

Cement mixer, pen, ink and acrylic paint marker, 30 August 2014

The Loading Dock Cafe, is exactly that, a cafe in the rear lane of West Row, in the centre of Canberra. Thankfully some very solid concrete bollards separate the cafe-goers from reversing vehicles.

View onto the lane from the Loading Dock Cafe, pen, ink and watercolour, 10 September 2013

July 10, 2014 by Leonie Andrews

Animals and Cafes

Continuing on with the catch-up, there were opportunities to draw at two of our regular coffee shops last week.

Queueing for coffee, pen and ink,1 July 2014

Queuing for coffee, pen and ink, 1 July 2014

The next day I attempted to draw this dog waiting for it’s owner.

The same dog, several times, pen and ink, 2 July 2014

While I’m OK with the position of the body, getting the dog’s head the way I wanted really eluded me. I suspect that I’ve not looked closely enough at the relationship between the position of the animal’s eyes and ears. No doubt there will be plenty more dogs I can draw in future.

Later in the week we once again took to our bikes to ride around the lake. This time I was ready with all my gear to sketch the swan and or any other nearby waterbirds. But nature isn’t always obliging and we saw nary a swan. The wind was blowing a howling gale so finding a spot to sit without being blown into the water was hard enough. I did manage to draw two Masked Lapwings that briefly landed near where we were having lunch. As I was simultaneously trying to complete a painting of part of the nearby pontoon I decided to dampen my paper to see how it would work. I like the quality of the resulting line quite a bit.

Masked Lapwings, pen and ink on damp paper, 4 July 2014

I ended up having to abandon trying to paint as the wind shifted and we couldn’t bear to be sitting still any longer.

This week I’ve managed one cafe drawing, at a new locale, which I’m sure will offer more drawing possibilities. Unfortunately I was distracted by sitting on an icy metal cafe chair, outside, because the cafe was full, waiting for the fog to lift. Cold winter mornings are not conducive to making detailed drawings! I added the colour after I got home.

Play area and shade sails (definitely not needed this day), pen and ink and acrylic marker pen, 8 July 2014

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Tag / cafe drawings