SKETCHING A BEACH SCENE FROM SKTCHY

Have you heard of the app Sktchy? You probably have. If not check your mobile device's app store. It's free to download and use. 

What is Sktchy?

It''s an app that you can upload photos, called inspirations, for others to use as a reference for drawing, sketching painting or whatever medium they prefer. You can also upload your own artwork that you created from the photos that inspired you.

I've uploaded 30-something inspirations and have posted two sketches from photos I've found on Sktchy.

My latest sketch, a beach and pier scene, I turned into a quick 2-minute video on my YouTube channel. 

Here's my Sktchy Video on YouTube. Click on either photo to watch the video.

This is the photo of the pier and beach scene I sketched  on Sktchy. The photo was uploaded by Nicolas Hosking.

For this sketch I used an A5-sized sketchbook that I use for doodle, thumbnails and general practice. I rarely use watercolor on it since the paper is quite thin but using a Pentel waterbrush works pretty well.

For this sketch I used a JinHao X750 Silver CT Fountain Pen with a medium nib and Platinum carbon ink.

For the watercolor I used a Pentel Aquash  waterbrush and M. Graham watercolors.

Below are Amazon links to my supplies

JinHao Pen: http://amzn.to/2m3x2jJ  

Platinum carbon ink bottle ink black 60cc: http://amzn.to/2D1xFCA

Pentel Aquash Waterbrush: http://amzn.to/2F3ju0l

M. Graham watercolors: http://amzn.to/2Ee1yiA

Filmed with a GoPro Hero 2: http://amzn.to/2m1LQzC

I am not sponsored by any company or product in this video but I am an Amazon affiliate and do get a small commission from Amazon when you purchase an item through one of the above links at no additional cost to you.

Thanks for stopping by.

SUM, SUM, SUMMAH TIME IN HAWAII

Wow, it's been a month since I've posted anything here. That's the longest I've gone since I started this blog about 3 years ago. Well, here's a quick update on what's been happening on our tiny big island.

Rebecca had a great 5k race at the Kona Marathon last month. She beat her best time by about 10 minutes.

Rebecca working her way up Alii Drive during the race. She did a great job. Alii isn't flat at all and has a severe slope which makes doing a race in a wheelchair even harder.

Even though I'm still unable to run or bike too much I managed to do two ocean swim races in the past two weeks. The Hapuna Roughwater Swim and the King's Swim. As out of shape (and overweight) that I am these days I was pleasantly surprised at my time for the Hapuna swim, which is 1 mile. I did it in 26 minutes. The King's swim is 1.2 miles which I did last year in 31:36 and placed about 7th in my age group. This year the ocean was pretty rough with huge swells and a pretty strong current. I swam it in 33 minutes this year and placed 2nd in my age group. That's my 2nd-ever swimming award.

That's me coming out of the water and running to the finish line at the King's Swim last weekend. Thanks Carl Koomoa for the photo. That swim skin I'm wearing belonged to World Champion Ironman triathlete Chris McCormack and is the one he wore last year when he won the Ironman World Championship here in Kona. Karen won it from him in a contest he had while he was here. I thought I would see if it would help me swim faster -- no such luck, though.

Oh, the week before we were swimming this same course (Kailua Bay) for Masters and ran into three sharks. there's been quiet a few shark sightings here lately.

Not much else going on. I've been running a little but Monday I tweaked my knee some how and now I can barely walk. Old age sucks ...

On a sad note, our dog, Bear, who we have had for about 14 years (we got him when he was only 6 weeks old) has gone completely blind - old age sucks. We've been trying to help him adapt but it's been a struggle for him. He's learning to walk next to walls and feel his way around through the house. We're learning not to leave things where he can trip over them and not to leave doors open to bedrooms and bathrooms where he can get stuck and disoriented.


Bear in his younger days. Actually, this was taken just a couple of years ago.