Category Archives: sketching

Sketching on Marloes Beach, Pembrokeshire

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Marloes Beach, Pembrokeshire

Marloes Beach, Pembrokeshire
Here I am again harping on about the advantages of sketching in front of your subject over taking a photograph.
Well I make no apologies, these two images illustrate the point perfectly. In the photograph the intense light has reduced the headlands and rocks on the beach to silhouettes. The photograph was taken with a small digital camera and unless you are very familiar with all the functions of your camera this is the most likely result you will get.

Sketch Marloes Beach

Sketch Marloes Beach
Luckily I had time to sit and sketch the scene as well as take the photograph and as you can see the eye can discern much more detail than a camera. I moved the rocks around a little to lead the eye along the shoreline and sketched the figures on the side of the sketch so that I could place them in the most advantageous position in the resulting painting.

Pembrokeshire is my favourite area of the UK for sketching. There is so much variety of unspoilt coastal and rural scenery that there is always something exciting to sketch whatever the season or the weather. One of our most popular courses takes place in St David’s at the Warpool Court Hotel overlooking St Non’s Bay.  The good news is that due to the economic climate we have negotiated a considerable reduction in the price of the course this year. You can find details here. Do come and join us, you can paint in watercolour or pastel as both David and I will be tutoring this course.

The importance of sketching

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Beddgelert Sketchbook
Beddgelert, Snowdonia, Pen and watercolour sketch by Jenny Keal
(click on picture for larger view)
This sketch of the back of the houses along the river in Beddgelert was done during our last painting course at Sygun Fawr Hotel. The initial outlines were drawn with a Sepia Pitt pen size S and then the watercolour washes were added. Some of the washes were done on the spot and I finished them off back in the hotel.David and I believe that the single most useful thing you can do to improve your painting is to take up sketching. Drawing and painting outdoors in front of your subject brings many benefits with it. Not only getting out and about in the fresh air, and having a little exercise if you are able to walk, but being in front of your subject instead of working only from a photograph means you are able to move around and get the best viewpoint, or sketch from several different angles to get any hidden details, and get closer to see details not apparent in a photograph.Photographs are not particularly good at capturing atmosphere and recession but when you are outside looking at a scene, half closing your eyes will reveal the tonal and colour differences between the distant and closer objects.

Sketching in watercolour or pen and wash is a very quick way to capture colour and tone out of doors and it has the added benefit of loosening up your painting style. After all it is only a sketch and not intended for exhibition and because your time is limited it is not so easy to overwork it. You can learn a lot from sketching in watercolour.

Even if you are not particularly mobile, if it is possible for you to get out and enjoy nature, do try and do some sketching out of doors. I’m convinced you will find it improves your work.

My first blog

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Barafundle Bay

Barafundle Bay, pastel by Jenny Keal

Blogging seems to be the new way to communicate and it offers many possibilities. I will be using this blog to offer hints and tips on painting and announcing news of events that David and myself are organising. Maybe the odd profound thought might creep in as well.

Visual Art tries to communicate without words and I hope the image above says something to you. This is Barafundle Bay in Pembrokeshire. I sketched this scene on a stormy February day and painted it in pastel later in my studio. I can still feel the salt on my skin when I look at it. I hope it says something to you.

Pastel is a superb medium for conveying atmosphere, and this allows you to put more emotion into your paintings. This painting is from my new book ‘Painting with Pastels’
Communication has changed so much in my lifetime and this new way of reaching people, including complete strangers, still seems like science fiction to me. However, it doesn’t really matter if you use two tin cans with string between them or zeros and ones clicking down a telephone line, the important thing is the interaction. Please leave your comments – I want to hear them.