More leaves

I have always enjoyed painting leaves. Whether large or small, colourful or rather dull, they provide an excellent subject to paint.

Painted in a beautiful bound leather sketch book.

Painted in Vanuatu in an A5 landscape Moelskine watercolour sketchbook.

Painted in  Moleskine pocket sektchbook.

A leave in Indonesia.

Some local leaves.

Gum leaf study

Gum leaf study

Plein air sketch at the Old Coal Loader, Balls Head Bay

I had never heard about this place until the Sydney Sketch Club decided to go there. I'll go back to read about its history some time, but this is a study of a wonderful tunnel built out of sand stone. It's hard to see the scale in the sketch, but it is very large!

Tunnel at the Old Coal Loader. Watercolour in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

Plein air paint brushes

I have tried a number of travel, (or pocket, or reversible) brushes over the years and they are wonderful tools to have. Here are some examples.

The brush heads

From left in all photos - Isabey squirrel quill
Rosemary & Co Squirrel Quill
Rosemary & Co sable quill
Arches Squirrel Quill #3
Art Spectrum sable #6
Art spectrum sable #2
Escoda sable #2
Escoda sable #4
Escoda sable #6
Rosemary & Co trees
Synthetic round
Synthetic flat
Synthetic filbert

A range of travel brushes

The same brushes closed for travel

My absolute favourite is the first one, the Isabey squirrel mop - it has a gorgeous fine tip for drawing with and holds enough paint for small sketches. For larger washes or larger work the next two brushes are lovely. The Arches brush comes into its own for larger than A4 work, which I don't often do Plein air. It is stiffer than most squirrel mops so is almost more like a sable. The next 5 sables are all excellent brushes. The Rosemary tree brush is unusual. The final three are synthetics and once again a larger size than I generally use for plein air. 

I also use some water brushes when outdoors. They are very convenient if you need to do a quick sketch in an awkward spot too.

2014 update - see more on my website at the bottom of this page of plein air sketches.