Sneakers
In a departure from the usual more outdoorsy fare; I did a quick sketch of my more urban trainers.
Approaching Chrome Hill
Chrome Hill.
My dad, up ahead.
For this image, I used a photograph as the base layer which was later switched off - so every pixel in the image was put down by myself, operating the brushes in Krita.
As for the hike itself - After a successful ascent (and descent) of Parkhouse Hill (enjoyably spicy), I took the executive decision to leave Chrome Hill and the rest of the circuit for another day.
Back
Hen Cloud
Here, I took a quick photo on scene then back to the lab! Bring the image up on my phone and refer to it whilst daubing in my sketchpad (watercolour and biro). Finally; photograph the sketch (with my phone again) and use Krita's Auto Contrast on the image. Done.
Approaching Beeston Castle
A Bit of Blue for the Dads
Progress on the Beeston Castle illustration.
Added a blue "wash" to parts of the castle wall, just for the hell of it.
Beeston Castle
Ruins: Reworked
Beeston Castle is a presence in my daily commute, briefly visible from the A51, until recently, never visited (at least, not since I was a kid). That changed yesterday, on Easter Sunday, when I made the trip. A modest entry fee grants access to the wooded grounds, and a short uphill walk quickly reveals the ruins themselves—perched high and exposed, with a strong sense of history embedded in the landscape.
I took a series of photographs on my Samsung Flip, later choosing one as the basis for this piece.
Working in Krita with a Wacom tablet, I used the reference as a starting point rather than a strict guide—focusing on simplifying the structure, pushing colour, and exploring the forms of the ruin through a more interpretive lens.
Portfolio
Other graphics here
Shutlingsloe from Macc Forest
Here, I referred to a photo on my phone (of a view looking towards Macclesfield Forest from the summit of Shutlingsloe), and using a pressure sensitive stylus and the free Krita software, sketched away on a Wacom tablet - wired to the laptop. So there were three screens in front of me!
Original photo (Samsung Flip)
Betws-y-Coed, Llyn Elsi circular
A pleasing, tree focussed ramble up through the forest and then around Llyn Elsi. My ankle held out, even after turning it at about halfway round.
On this route, I took photo's on my phone (a Samsung Z Flip 6), working off them later on a WACOM Cintiq with Krita.
I picked up a hitch-hiker (Joe) on the drive home; he was off on a far more ambitious outing right across the Berwyn range - Good luck Joe!
