Topic: The small things in life that make you happy

[ToneLa]

weekend then three days off for birthday

[rob1966]

weekend then three days off for birthday

Early Happy Birthday

[Snail]

Big skies from ours.

[paulrazor]

The dog puppet dodge from children's BBC

My son's loves him. A family dog died last year and I told him the dog went "to the farm"

However he looks like dodge so my son's convinced it's our old dog

[bradders1011]

Finally getting myself a cheap bike to shed some pounds and doing a 15-mile ride for the first time since about 2009.

Spending Saturday morning listening to podcasts deep-cleaning the flat.

The smell of frying onions at the start of making a casserole.

[Slippers]

Mr Slippers' struggles with the sensor on our kitchen bin.

He's like a magician introducing his lovely assistant.

[Son of Spion]

Watching Depeche Mode live in Berlin, then The Cure live in Hyde Park on telly last night with Mrs Spion whilst downing a bottle of gin friends of ours made, as well as a bottle of a wine and a number of Black Russians.

The resulting hangover this morning will go into the 'small things that annoy' thread.

[kesey]

What is happiness by the way and what is sadness ?  I will always find it difficult to express my emotions and feelings when given two choices . It's all the duality and non duality stuff which if you think about is a prison . Up , down , left , right etc.

Anyway then yeah. Having a pint today with some arl fella I've not seen since Christmas . He's one of them arl ones who wears a suit and tie , has a walking stick and muzzie like a corpy brush and smiling blue eyes.
 

[pazcom]

opening a tin of tuna thinking I had to drain the oil away to find it was an already drained tin.

[liverbloke]

just saw a dad and his little girl and she was reaching up to put her litter in the bin

[rob1966]

My 12 yr old has just cooked tea, chicken fajitas and they were bloody gorgeous. Its part of his homework from school, he's making tea on Thursday too

[liverbloke]

My 12 yr old has just cooked tea, chicken fajitas and they were bloody gorgeous. Its part of his homework from school, he's making tea on Thursday too

right - just reported you for treating your kids like slave labour

i'm willing  to call it off if i can come around for tea 

[rob1966]

right - just reported you for treating your kids like slave labour

i'm willing  to call it off if i can come around for tea 

He's doing tartiflette Thursday or you can wait til he make the Chicken A la King at the weekend?

They're lucky I'm not a bone idle twat like my Dad was, Robert makes us some toast, make us a cup of tea, make us cheese on toast, does us a bowl of cornflakes.

Upside I suppose was I could make basic food from when I was 7.

[Crosby Nick]

He's doing tartiflette Thursday

Mancs these days come up with some strange old names for their kids don’t they?

[ToneLa]

getting me own music right

[jillcwhomever]

I decided to get my coloured pencils out, as I haven't done much with them yet. I found it really interesting how good the blending is with them. I have been practicing drawing birds eyes which was a really fascinating challenge. So nice, to be able to sit outside and do it as well love this time of year.

[Red Beret]

I decided to get my coloured pencils out, as I haven't done much with them yet. I found it really interesting how good the blending is with them. I have been practicing drawing birds eyes which was a really fascinating challenge. So nice, to be able to sit outside and do it as well love this time of year.

Funny you should mention. I bought some watercolour pencils and paper recently and have been experimenting with them. I started this last night.

[jillcwhomever]

Funny you should mention. I bought some watercolour pencils and paper recently and have been experimenting with them. I started this last night.

That looks really cool. 

I am just loving using the pencils and I didn't really think I would. Just trying to practice holding them at the top and very loosely for a more even shade. I have found a great video as well, which I have been watching. There are some great demostrations out there, but I really want to do my own pictures now. It was like this morning I was using my acrylic paints and my bloody tree was a disaster! So I ended up painting over it and turning it into mountains instead. All I will say is, if you look at it from a long way away it looks fine, up close it's a disaster. 

[ToneLa]

The sound of my Telecaster hooked up to a delay pedal and a tape echo set so I can pinch a harmonic (that's what she said) and it drones all lovely and melodic and I come back into the room hours later and it's still burrowing away into the very walls of the room

... no wonder I got Mary for my birthday

[Red Beret]

That looks really cool. 

I am just loving using the pencils and I didn't really think I would. Just trying to practice holding them at the top and very loosely for a more even shade. I have found a great video as well, which I have been watching. There are some great demostrations out there, but I really want to do my own pictures now. It was like this morning I was using my acrylic paints and my bloody tree was a disaster! So I ended up painting over it and turning it into mountains instead. All I will say is, if you look at it from a long way away it looks fine, up close it's a disaster. 

Haha!

Paint is challenging. I mostly use fine liners, so using anything new means a learning curve.

I really need to stop being a lazy arse and watch some educational videos myself on YouTube. 

[jillcwhomever]

Haha!

Paint is challenging. I mostly use fine liners, so using anything new means a learning curve.

I really need to stop being a lazy arse and watch some educational videos myself on YouTube. 

They are so relaxing, this was the one I found for the painting this morning, looked so easy until I tried it.    https://youtu.be/YYzyIYAerBo

[Son of Spion]

They are so relaxing, this was the one I found for the painting this morning, looked so easy until I tried it.    https://youtu.be/YYzyIYAerBo

Let's see your attempt. 

I got a couple of cheap canvases the other week to have a go with acrylics. I have loads left over after making LFC banners, so I might put them to good use. I'm totally rubbish at it, but having a go is fun. 

I was looking to do a basic beach/sea/sky like this...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XgHPzNu32U8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XgHPzNu32U8</a>

or something like this...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Ew6ujcZoe-Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Ew6ujcZoe-Y</a>

[Red Beret]

They are so relaxing, this was the one I found for the painting this morning, looked so easy until I tried it.    https://youtu.be/YYzyIYAerBo

deceptively easy!  But I might have a crack at it myself!

SoS, this is a seascape I did a few years back with fineliners.  I did several, inspired by some canvases I saw in a gallery in Boston.

[jillcwhomever]

Let's see your attempt. 

I got a couple of cheap canvases the other week to have a go with acrylics. I have loads left over after making LFC banners, so I might put them to good use. I'm totally rubbish at it, but having a go is fun. 

I was looking to do a basic beach/sea/sky like this...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XgHPzNu32U8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XgHPzNu32U8</a>

or something like this...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Ew6ujcZoe-Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Ew6ujcZoe-Y</a>

No chance, it's bloody awful. I will have to clean it up first I may put it up then. I am looking forward to seeing your attempt, you are probably ahead of me. 

[jillcwhomever]

deceptively easy!  But I might have a crack at it myself!

SoS, this is a seascape I did a few years back with fineliners.  I did several, inspired by some canvases I saw in a gallery in Boston.

That is very good. Never done anything with fineliners but they look very affective. 

[Red Beret]

That is very good. Never done anything with fineliners but they look very affective. 

They're fantastic once you get to grips with them.  Most of my work is doole-based but they're very good for drawing buildings and stuff too.

[Son of Spion]

No chance, it's bloody awful. I will have to clean it up first I may put it up then. I am looking forward to seeing your attempt, you are probably ahead of me. 

Oh I doubt that. I've not tried to paint anything since I attempted some Bob Ross type stuff many years ago. I've never painted with acrylics before at all. I'm sure it will be fun trying. I think I need to get a variety of brushes before I have a go. I ruined most of the ones I have making banners.

Red Berry.
That's really good.

I've never tried anything like that, but I like what you can do with them. 

[jillcwhomever]

They're fantastic once you get to grips with them.  Most of my work is doole-based but they're very good for drawing buildings and stuff too.

That's interesting. I would like to start drawing some buildings, I do mainly landscape, so haven't really attempted anything yet. Another method to consider then.....

[Millie]

I decided to get my coloured pencils out, as I haven't done much with them yet. I found it really interesting how good the blending is with them. I have been practicing drawing birds eyes which was a really fascinating challenge. So nice, to be able to sit outside and do it as well love this time of year.

Are you using Polychromos?

[jillcwhomever]

Are you using Polychromos?

The ones I'm using are soft core pencils by Castle Art Supplies they have pigment in them. I think the Polychromos ones are oil based?

[Millie]

The ones I'm using are soft core pencils by Castle Art Supplies they have pigment in them. I think the Polychromos ones are oil based?

Yeah they are, and have a high pigment content, and so they should given the price of them  .  I only have a 24 tin of them and I love them.

I also love Derwent Inktense pencils

[Red Beret]

That's interesting. I would like to start drawing some buildings, I do mainly landscape, so haven't really attempted anything yet. Another method to consider then.....

I drew this back in 2017 with 0.3mm fineliners, as a template.  I made several copies for different backgrounds so I could make greetings cards and mugs and stuff.  I have a micro fineliner now, makes the others look like crayons.

[Red Beret]

Oh I doubt that. I've not tried to paint anything since I attempted some Bob Ross type stuff many years ago. I've never painted with acrylics before at all. I'm sure it will be fun trying. I think I need to get a variety of brushes before I have a go. I ruined most of the ones I have making banners.

Red Berry.
That's really good.

I've never tried anything like that, but I like what you can do with them. 

Cheers mate! 

Yeah they are, and have a high pigment content, and so they should given the price of them  .  I only have a 24 tin of them and I love them.

I also love Derwent Inktense pencils

The piece I shared above is being made with those.  They're fantastic.  I have some fine brushes to work with them.

[jillcwhomever]

I drew this back in 2017 with 0.3mm fineliners, as a template.  I made several copies for different backgrounds so I could make greetings cards and mugs and stuff.  I have a micro fineliner now, makes the others look like crayons.

That sketch is amazing, not sure I could ever be that accurate on a building. I'm in awe....

Yeah they are, and have a high pigment content, and so they should given the price of them  .  I only have a 24 tin of them and I love them.

I also love Derwent Inktense pencils

I have never tried those, but it surprised me how much I enjoyed the pencils. I used to use them a lot at school, but that was some years ago now. 

[Red Beret]

That sketch is amazing, not sure I could ever be that accurate on a building. I'm in awe....

Thanks.  Took me about three weeks.  Did it in pencil first, then went over it with pen and wasn't afraid to use a ruler.  I learned from drawing the Catholic cathedral, which took me about three months.  I'm trying to learn to not be such a perfectionist as I just get stressed out.

I have never tried those, but it surprised me how much I enjoyed the pencils. I used to use them a lot at school, but that was some years ago now. 

They're really good.  I only got them a few weeks ago, so I'm still learning how to use them.  You're best off using watercolour paper with them.  I find they're a little easier to work with than the inkblocks, which I've tended to use as paints.

[Crosby Nick]

I drew this back in 2017 with 0.3mm fineliners, as a template.  I made several copies for different backgrounds so I could make greetings cards and mugs and stuff.  I have a micro fineliner now, makes the others look like crayons.

That’s brilliant mate.

[reddebs]

Being back home after a week working in Yorkshire, seeing Paul and the dogs.

[Red Beret]

That’s brilliant mate.

Thanks!

As I said, I use it as a blank template for various designs, like this one.

[So… Howard Philips]

A bit like some of the painting comments after eight years I've finally completed a traintrack building a station, canal, mill, countryside, signals etc and featuring roadworks with my grandad keeping an eye on them when he worked as a cocky watchman and my dad driving along in his GPO engineers van.

All set in the late 1960s with various nods to my early working days.

And soon it will revert back to the third bedroom.

[Millie]

I have never tried those, but it surprised me how much I enjoyed the pencils. I used to use them a lot at school, but that was some years ago now. 

They are similar to watercolour pencils, in that you use them with a water brush but the colour is a lot more vibrant and when dry it's permanent.  You can also use them on fabric, and as long as you heat set it, it stays put.  I've used them on fabric (calico) with embroidery.  The results are really good.