Virtual Sketches

During our last lockdown (which is still on-going but with some slight easing of restrictions), I came to enjoy virtual sketchmeets with the Facebook groups Virtual Travel Sketch and Virtual Sketch Melbourne. They use Google Maps to designate venues for their sketchmeets.  I started to enjoy these sessions after allowing myself to continue "walking" around my chosen spot in the designated venue on Google Maps while sketching it instead of choosing the spot and then using an offline photo of the spot as the photo reference.  

During my "walk" around the streets of Randwick, NSW, Australia I got lost and ended up at No 1, The Avenue. Here was an interesting house to sketch! 

There's lots of weird things going on near the roof line (the top windows are too far apart) but I like the Urban Grey De Artramentis ink straight out of the bottle (I’d been mixing it with black before).  

Here's another virtual sketch of a house at the corner of Fitzroy St and Ackland St, Melbourne. After the success with the lighter Urban Grey de Artramentis ink in the above sketch, in this sketch it was a “fail”! Too light and I had to redraw some lines to make them darker. I think I’ll go back to mixing Urban Grey with black to get a darker tone.

After the blunders of the previous sketch where the tip of the roof top didn't line up with what was below on the next floor I took more care with the second sketch. 

With #virtualtravelsketch and #virtualsketchmelbourne

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 7.5”x 7.5”