Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam and Prague

This is my last post with the sketches from the Amsterdam and Prague trip. Little notes on the apartment we rented, people in line to one of the attractions, and a drawing of the most useful tools I had on this trip.
Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam and PragueSketchbook #97: Amsterdam and PragueSketchbook #97: Amsterdam and Prague

Sketchbook #97: Prague

We spent some time on a little boat looking at Prague from the level of Vltava's swans. It's a really cool point of view but drawing was hard - too much movement :)

Sketchbook #97: PragueSketchbook #97: PragueSketchbook #97: Prague

Sketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowers

Gouache is a medium with which you can fix a vase if painted askew. Yet somehow I did not do it.

Sketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowersSketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowersSketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowers

Badger Log: 30 (2016)

Some days are hard for badger. #badger #badgerlog #parenting #thinking

Sketchbook #97: Prague

Ballpoint pen is the most versatile tool in my arsenal. If I have time to get to watercolors - great - if the tram comes sooner rather than later all I get to do is outline and if everyone's feet need a little more rest I might add some shading. Usually the simplest ballpoint works for me (and is always somewhere in one of my many "pocketses"). But it's not always working when you try to add line over wet watercolor - which is something I've been experimenting with lately. So I got myself a "waterproof" ballpoint (Powertank from Uni) and it's singing with the watercolors and gliding well even in very wet conditions. Including under the rain on on the water :) A keeper :)

Sketchbook #97: PragueSketchbook #97: PragueSketchbook #97: Prague

Sketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowers

I used washi tape to work on little gouache in my sketchbook and it worked out great :) And dry calla flowers are really cool to draw!

Sketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowersSketchbook #96: Irises and calla flowers

Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam

These are miscellaneous bits and pieces - about biking, Haarlem, visiting museum and drawing people on the way (that last portrait is volunteer from the windmill museum :)
Next post will be about Prague!
Sketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: Amsterdam

Sketchbook #96: Report from my Little Garden

Sketchbook #96: Report from my Little GardenSketchbook #96: Report from my Little Garden

Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam

One of the best decisions on this trip was to take a day off roaming Amsterdam and go kayaking through the marshlands and see village nearby. I found Wetlands Safari, canoe tour near Amsterdam,  and we had the most amazing time experiencing Netherlands from a whole different perspective with a wonderful guide Majel! Click on the images to read some of my notes ;)

I sketched with my super simple mini watercolor kit - unfortunately pictures turned out very blurry - but I will write more about it later as it became my new favorite sketching set-up :)
Sketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: Amsterdam

Sketchbook #97: Peonies

Sketchbook #97: PeoniesSketchbook #97: Peonies

Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a large, densely populated, busy city. Yet we had so many ways to have fun with nature in it: found lots of different birds, many with little chicks and unafraid of all around them. We made piles with the elm seeds (also known as Amsterdam snow) and played with them in the wind (local kids joined :) and we saw so many boats converted to homes or gardens or both! Flowers everywhere! Sketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: Amsterdam

Sketchbook #96: Bits and Pieces

Reading Time (lots of fidgeting), My Life Drawing Class, Plants, Travel sketches.
Sketchbook #96: Bits and PiecesSketchbook #96: Bits and PiecesSketchbook #96: Bits and PiecesSketchbook #96: Bits and Pieces

Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam

We split our days into some active stuff (museums, trying famous herring sandwiches, waffles, ice creams and avoiding collision with bicycles and cars as we often wondered onto their territory). And then we had some lazy hanging around canals and trying to read all the street names, recognize different gables and hooks on top of the narrow facades and get really close to the water. Sketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: Amsterdam

Sketchbook #96: Treasures

Sketchbook #96: TreasuresSketchbook #96: TreasuresSketchbook #96: Treasures

Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam

I just returned from a great trip to Amsterdam and Prague and will post some sketches in chronological order. We started this trip with the tulips in Keukenhof right after landing. It's crowded. But STUNNING! With it's seven million flowers I was too overwhelmed (and jet-lagged) to draw actual plants - so I drew musicians and enjoyed fresh strawberries instead. And then - still very jet-lagged - I drew little pieces of city of Amsterdam itself. Click on the images to read my notes :) Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam Sketchbook #97: AmsterdamSketchbook #97: Amsterdam Sketchbook #97: Amsterdam

Sketchbook #96: Treasures

Sketchbook #96: TreasuresSketchbook #96: Treasures