Sketching and Paint of the Year
![Sketching and Paint of the Year](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/santarem-bridge-1.jpg)
Some of my exploring highlights of the year.
A Weird Year
Well I never thought I'd do a post about drawings from a year. But 2022 was another weird one. I think 2019 was my last "normal" one. Maybe 2023 will count as a "normal" one.
But two things I found enjoyable were a sketch notebook.
And the other was a painting group in Porto.
Sketchbook
In March I moved to Porto in Portugal and as part of something new I bought a small sketchbook and started sketching every time I remembered. Usually that was in a cafe sat having coffee.
The first one was 30th March 2022 and the last one today (21st January 2023)
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/sketchbook-start.jpg)
Each time I'd note the date and location of where the sketches were. It was a low pressure way of practicing some sketching, trying new styles and gaining some consistency.
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/sketchbook-aug.jpg)
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/sketchbook-dec.jpg)
The sketches aren't amazing, but they do give me a sense of progression. And a record of 10 months in Porto (with a few of Devon and Spain). So I'm really happy with having actually finished it.
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/sketchbook-end.jpg)
And that's it. I will do another one, but sometime in the future. Time to let in a different type of light.
Painting
And the second thing was starting to paint. There's an art group run by a Brazilian artist called Antonio in Porto, which is especially for beginners. I hadn't painted since school but was giving lots of local meetups a try.
The group was international, friendly and good fun. I also learnt I (and everyone else who I've seen come along) can paint.
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/bench-hampstead-1.jpg)
The first one isn't one I particularly like, but it was a starting point. And gave me confidence.
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/santarem-bridge.jpg)
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/red-sky-ship.jpg)
The next two I was really happy with. I started to develop some kind of watery style with water in acryllic and making my own interpretations of photos being depicted.
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/space-fantasy.jpg)
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/space-tentacles.jpg)
Then I started experimenting with space fantasy! It was for work 😂.
![](https://digitalpress.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/joacxy2/2023/01/porto-dots-1.jpg)
And now I'm experimenting and seeing where it goes. It's a hobby but one I'm enjoying and quite surprised by.
Finishing Up
So that's my biggest sketching and painting for 2022. Far more than I had expected at the start of that year (covid lockdown in Devon).
Happy creating!