Planet Ruby Starrs

I've been drawing again.  I haven't been very well and I needed to do something quiet but something that would occupy me - so to speak - and its been a long time since I got the sketch book out and then only odd moments when we have been on holiday but I want to document our up and coming trip with a journal and some drawings and paintings so I feel a bit of practice wouldn't go amiss - I treated myself to some inktense watercolour pans - a wee travel set and the colours - which are ink based rather than pigment based and are indeed lovely and rich and will add a vibrancy to my paintings which sometimes I feel is lacking with ordinary watercolours. It's quite hard to et back into the swing again and it reminds me of how important it is to keep practising even with doodles... I started with a sketch of the mess on my desk - a mixture of old watercolours and the new inktense ones.. worked in with fine liner pen- I'm not a patient person and all my drawings are usually...

I've been drawing - using photos I've taken over the last year or so. I've collated all the ones of castles I have either visited or stayed in and the drawings are of the buildings or of the rich and varied artifacts found in the buildings.   quick sketch of floor and stones outside The Old Place of Monreith Its an eclectic mix from useful objects like giant chains or brass cat candlesticks to everyday objects like fancy bedheads and table lamps. mess about no 1 hardware hanging on wall!!! I used a fine liner for outlines but have enhanced original drawings with a sharpie for boldness and some graphite pencil to add some texture, and in some places there is touch of charcoal and promarker - what ever comes to hand and feels right.   Once drawn I have scanned them into the computer and cleaned up all the scratty bits dirty finger marks etc and then they are ready to play about with.  At the moment I am just experimenting with layering ...