Tag: Wil Freeborn

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in. 
— Leonard Cohen

I felt like drawing tonight so I decided to use my Moleskine Sketchbook that has a wonderful smooth surface that permits the fountain pen to glide… and when you put watercolour on this paper, the paint pearls instead of gliding blissfully. This makes the drawing look very grungy, which is nice… sometimes. There is an artist named Wil Freeborn that often paints using the Moleskine Sketchbooks.

J’avais le goût de dessiner ce soir et j’ai sorti mon livret à croquis de Moleskine qui est un papier superbe pour les dessins car l’encre glisse et le papier est d’un douceur! Par contre, il donne un effet assez contraire avec les aquarelles car la peinture, au lieu de glisser, semble perler et ceci peut donner des résultats heureux… des fois. Il y a un artiste Wil Freeborn qui peint souvent dans ce style de livret avec de beaux résultats.

Paper: Moleskine Sketchbook 5″ x 8″
Colours: Burnt Umber & French Ultramarine
Fountain Pen: Pilot Penmanship EF
Ink: Noodlers’ Lexington Grey
Location: Reference photograph

You see, to me, the art of music is listening to it, not playing it. The real art of it is hearing it.
— Keith Richards

Tomorrow with  my first year students we are going outside to draw trees so I have drawn/ painted this tree for them tonight. The quote by Keith Richards really rings true to me as I see painting in that way… the real art of painting is learning to seeing!!! I used for this painting the Moleskine Sketchbook that my students will be using and as this paper has a glaze on it, you actually have to scrub the watercolours into the paper, which gives a very grungy look. There is a scottish artist that often paints in this sketchbook. His name is Wil Freeborn and here is his website — LINK –.

Demain mes élèves et moi vont dessiner les arbres majestueux du Cégep John Abbott. La citation de Keith Richards résonne en moi car je vois la peinture un peu de la même manière… Le vrai art de la peinture est apprendre à voir!!! Il y a un artiste écossais et le nom est Wil Freeborn qui peint souvent dans ces carnets d’aquarelle. LIEN.

Paper: Moleskine Sketchbook 5.5″ x 8.5″
Ink: Noodlers’ Lexington Grey
Colours: French Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna & Raw Sienna
Location: Rigaud, Québec, Canada.