Tag / Derwent Watersoluble Sketching pencils

by Leonie Andrews

Last sketch of 2025

This is my last sketch of 2025 made on New Year’s eve while going for our ‘long’ walk around a nearby mountain.

I was using my regular tiny book I carry when walking and trying out an exercise from an artist I recently discovered called Orla Stevens *. The idea is to sketch for no more than 10 minutes changing the direction of your marks for each item you draw.

Tree with rocks

Now I know I haven’t nailed this yet, but I was really excited by her very loose approach to sketching. As this is one of our ‘regular’ walks I have drawn from this spot quite a few times already this year.

A broader view from the same location from July 2025, watercolour

I felt quite free to just go for it with this sketch. I certainly plan to do more in the future.

Super loose mark making
Sketching the tree

* You can find Orla on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@orlastevens?si=L2oCkPtSiFWU_1Ly

by Leonie Andrews

Cafe Wednesday – going postal

It’s that time of the week again, back to the cafe, this time with watersoluble pencils. I’ve been really happy using my watersoluble graphite, but that relies on using brushes which doesn’t allow for the quick lines I’m trying to use. So after checking out some of the gear being used by the other sketchers in our first sketchcrawl it was off to the art supply shop and away with some Derwent Watersoluble Sketching pencils.

Testing the Derwent watersoluble sketching pencils

Testing the Derwent watersoluble sketching pencils

We bought a 6 tin which has 2 of each HB, 4B and 8B, which are designated light, medium and dark wash. This suited us well as my partner and I could split the tin and get one set of pencils each. An added bonus was the tin itself which my partner has snaffled to use to carry his pencils and other bits around in.

So here is my first sketch using the pencils. There is also some other colour from my Duke fountain pen, but that’s another story for another post.

Post box and advertising signs, watersoluble pencil and ink, 11 February 2015

Post box and advertising signs, watersoluble pencil and ink, 11 February 2015