Ok ok -I left it more than a week -grovelling apologies. This is the second of two ink and watercolours I did originally as a commission. The client never collected (matrimonial differences I am told) so I still have them and up until recently lurking unseen in a portfolio.That might also be due to my putting them somewhere safe and we all have those 'safe places' that elude us for ages!

Both this and last weeks image where born out of a discussion at an exhibition 4 years ago. The client spent ages looking at a pencil sketch then after his third visit asked about colour versions,  hence the no longer wanted commissioned paintings. Usual method for my castles: rough sketch on back of mounting board as I was going to do some wet work -watercolour and some ink. They took about a day each and where fun to do . . . note to self: do some more but on an A-size paper.

I hope you like them.

Update and story behind this painting later today:)

This is a pencil sketch I did a while ago. When recently photographing old stuff I was searching high and low for an A2 portfolio -not exactly a size to easily 'lose'. It was in a safe place . . . one of those that are so safe you can't find it later. Tucked in the back were a few scraps, backs of envelopes, etc.

Last night I wasn't feeling well and just plain knackered but too early to go to bed. This little sketch came to mind -it's only about 180mm across. To cut a long story short I started fiddling with it with onne eye on Die Hard 4. Here is a screen shot just after I accidently saved without keeping  changes from merging some layers. By then I was grumpy from that error, cross-eyed and had totally lost the plot of the film.

Will post some more screenshots as it progresses -have a good weekend.

As I haven't been well over the last couple of weeks I have been falling behind on just about everything . . . attention span of an amoeba. On the mend now but yesterday I did start catch-up. Here is a couple of simple renders done using paint.net. -handy bit of freeware I use sometimes.

Before I ramble on about the image . . . The Great Hall picture, which seems to be much favoured is going in my Etsy but there is a dilemma: the version you have seen is a web version made for a fansite. The original has a landscape background. If I post both images can you give me your thoughts on which is preferred?

Ok -back to Nice View. The original is an A3 black and white pencil drawing. A lot of detail is therefore lost :( but you can still see two people near the bottom -feet dangling over the edge ... eating sandwiches! Hence the name. I rendered it in colour just for fun but I do get asked about styles and sources of inspiration.

I love architecture and landscapes -different types from middle european medieval castles, Mogul palaces, japanese and chinese secular and military structures, little villages hanging along cliff edges ... the list is endless.

Nice View contains several elements which do typify sources. See if you can spot them -I am having to look myself so I may miss something.

-troglodyte dwellings from Cappodocia

-cliff-side temples from china

-norman castle

-over the top baroque

-japanese castle

-Rhine valley castle

-pueblo dwellings

This wasn't deliberate, vaguely outlined then detailed using soft pencils, erasing shields and cotton buds for a bit of smudging. The only idea was a tall rocky spire which had continuous use for a long time, successively added to where ever possible.

As most of my castles,some people like to trace the paths up, down and around although there are fewer on this one. A few years ago I had some at an exhibition -one couple visited several times to follow the paths around the the 'castle towns' having a heated argument about the route through one section . . . 

Thank you everyone for the lovely comments. Been rather ill this week so now behind on opening my Etsy shop and website. Also no bloggery as I intended.

Here is another drawing for my castle fans:

It is an unfinished rough on A4 using colour pencils. I love doing them and at some point I will develop this one either using mixed media or digital rendering .... or both. The following one I posted a few weeks ago but the image quality was diabolical, so here it is closer to the original -A3 using 0.1mm fineliner and a little tinting with colour pencil.


















After grappling with server errors and hang-time I finish with Um Junior :) -cuter than the original.