Monday 22 August 2011

High Up (Sketchbook Project)


A couple more pages for the Sketchbook Project.  This first one is a cherub on the front of an old church, I hope nobody puts an 'explicit' label on this!

The next page is what you see if you climb up the bell tower of Monreale cathedral.  You have to peep through one of the stone windows on the way up to see this view.



There is also a tiny hidden peep hole that looks out over the inside of the cathedral from somewhere very high up, which is exciting when you find it!  The tower takes you up very high and it sometimes feels as if there is nothing to stop you falling off (I don't like heights), I always like to climb slide back down in a sitting position just in case!

The paper in the sketchbook gets very wrinkled when I use watercolour, and doesn't scan well.  I tried to eliminate some of the shadows using photoshop where I could.
Does anybody else have problems writing in sketchbooks?   I hate doing it and end up making a mess of it!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello Cathy,

Wow...you know, this book is going to be amazing. I love what you have done so far.
I know what you mean about heights.
I feel the same about writing in sketchbooks so don't normally do it. But to be honest, yours look fine.

Stew.

Vicki Holdwick said...

Cathy,

You are the winner of the watercolor book on my blog. I need an email with your addy so I can send it to you.

Love your drawings and your blog,

xoxo

Cathy Holtom said...

Thank you Vicki, I'm looking forward to it already!
:)

Studio at the Farm said...

Cathy, that drawing from the bell tower looks like a fascinating view. Sorry I have no solutions for soggy moleskine, but yours really look OK.

Lucia B. said...

Beautiful works, Cathy! I like so much the play of shadow and light in both of them!
I agree that Moleskine paper is often difficult to deal with, but I force myself to believe that through difficulties like these I can improve my technique.
Anyway, your watercolour and pencil works always look perfect!

Reflections said...

Love the images both today and since the first... I have just scanned back in your posts to the first pages. Love the concept overall.

Beautiful!

martinepittet said...

Two more beauties !! I particularly love the view !!
You are doing so well with this sketchbook, congratulations !!

Anonymous said...

I love both of these! I too don't like heights - but recently it occurred to me to take my varifocals off when coming down stairs - it makes it much easier if I am not worrying about looking through the right bit of the lens.

Gillian Mowbray said...

What wonderful glimpses into the architecture of your island. It always seems like summer in Cathy's World.

I'm useless at adding words to my sketches - it never looks right. Laure Ferlita has the happy knack - it's so annoying isn't it! LOL

Clare said...

I am enjoying your sketch book so much. It's a delight to visit and see your latest pages. Sometimes I 'fluke' some really nice journal writing and other times it just looks 'crap' so I paste or draw or photoshop over it:)

Richard Klekociuk said...

This is very interesting work Cathy and I'm particularly taken with the bell tower. As soon as I saw it, I saw a face!
Regards, from Australia!

Anonymous said...

Two super sketches! I think the little cherub is so cute than nobody could take exception! I love the unusual shape of the second sketch.

Anonymous said...

Those look great and thank you for reminding me! I should probably do more work in my Sketchbook too!

I haven't had any problems writing in it, but I've just been using pencil crayons.

Carin Winkelman said...

This is becoming a fabulous sketchbook. It's a pity they don't give you one with better paper though. I love the little cherub.

Elizabeth Rose Stanton said...

Oh I LOVE the bell tower painting! The colors are amazing...and great POV. Wonderful!!

Alex said...

Fantastic! The perspectives are awesome as always, as well as the colors =)

Timaree said...

These are terrific "high up" paintings. This will be a very interesting book. Your writing on the church view looks fine. I tend to draw crookedly but hate to draw pencil lines to write on especially over paint so I've learned to live with it. Yours really looks fine here.