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Sketching Workshop Day at Beer with Nick Watton [30 June '18]
We ended the morning with a series of three increasingly fast sketches of Nick himself. First 10 minutes [which is NOT long!]. Then 5 minutes. And finally, just 2!
This was an excellent exercise and captured the essence of sketching. Work quickly, but with total concentration.
 
Then down to the beach for a one-hour sketch. And already the sun was getting hot. But what subject to choose?  On a busy beach crowded with boats, beach huts, looming chalk cliffs, the bric-a-brac of lobster pots, buoys and fenders, we were truly spoilt for choice.
Decisions, decisions...
 
​
Perfect weather for our second sketching day with OVAS's ever-amiable friend and expert sketcher Nick Watton. 
We [11 members of OVAS plus Nick] assembled just above the beach at Beer and Nick gave us an artistic limbering-up exercise: Capture the essence of a scene in a single unbroken line (or 7!). We all had a couple of goes - with varying success! - and started to get our eye in, observing the shape and some of the details of the skyline, the rounded treetops, the chalk-cliff profile with its curves and jags, the distant headland, the horizon.
 
10
 
5
 
2
 
After lunch we did another short exercise, observing 'negative spaces' - again with mixed success! But an essential observational skill of course
 
Nick Watton sketch
Nick Watton's example of negative spaces
And then "Once more onto the beach, Dear Friends! Once more!"
This time with almost 2 hours to spare. Some of us stayed close to base. Others dispersed far and wide losing a good 20 minutes before even starting!!
 
And here are some of the works we saw at the plenary. A thoroughly enjoyable day out. Good company, good scenery, good artworks. What more could you ask for? (Well, a slightly less blisteringly hot sun, since you ask! :-D But some of us are never satisfied! )
Many thanks, Nick!
 

Otter Vale Art Society

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