Wednesday 7 May 2014

NEW BLOG

Hello!
I invite you to follow me on my new blog:

http://gbonamy-watercolor.blogspot.fr/

Monday 17 December 2012

DORDOGNE_2012


Hello,

some recent drawings I made during the last summer in Dordogne.
Guillaume.

































Friday 16 November 2012

KERHINET, RENNES AND COUR-SUR-LOIRE

Hello,

I didn't want to name my new post with the 2011 year again (because those sketches are from this year!).
So, now it seams less old.
As you probably noticed, I started to fell a bit lock on a moleskine format last year. Using the double page of A4 watercolor sketchbook (still moleskine) gave me enough space to breath.
Unfortunatly some sketches are now splitted on two different binders.
I should build my owne sketchbook.
The problem is about the paper. Is there anybody who know a similar paper than the watercolor moleskine paper (really smooth with no grain and strong enough to fight with watercolor!)?
I will appreciate if anybody could give me a clue.
The sketch with ink wash has been done on an italian sketchbook, bought in Florence (Firence).
It's a watercolor paper inside a leather cover... I LOVE IT!!!
If you go there one day, the store is in a street on the right when you are facing the cathedral entrance (I will ask for confirmation).
Guillaume.


























Monday 5 November 2012

OLD WORKS

Hi,

Just another update with old works.
The castel of "Guet-pean", located 50 kilometers in south of Blois is unfortunatly a forgotten castel of Loire. It deserve more visitor. And the Landscape around it  is marvelous.
Guillaume.











Wednesday 19 September 2012

FROM 2011

a few more drawings from 2011.
Guillaume.








Monday 3 September 2012

OLD WORK AUGUST 2011

Hello,

back on the web with this old watercolor of "Cour-sur-Loire", a tiny city along the Loire river.
Guillaume.


Tuesday 19 April 2011

31ST WORLD WIDE SKETCHCRAWL

Hi everybody!

For a sketchcrawl, what could be better than a sitted place at a terrasse, especially when a lot of tourist are coming for a refreshment. I spent almost 3 hours here. Even if I missed some good opportunities, especially an old guy with white barbe and sailor hat (I drawed him quickly but he left before more possible sketches), I had a lot of fun to draw the old "cougar lady".I think she noticed that I drawed her. Then I moved away (my arms started to have sun burns!!),
I drawed a view of the Saint Nicolas church seen from the castel panoramic platform. I take this opportunity to explain that I didn't draw the castel of Blois yet because the facade doesn't offer good choices of composition.
The last drawing was done at the Louis XII place where all citizen of Blois go after 19:00 the saturday for a little drink.


Guillaume.



















































Monday 28 February 2011

BLOIS SAINT NICOLAS CHURCH

Hi,


Saint-Nicolas de Blois is a magnificent Romanesque church built from 1138 by Benedictine monks. They were coming from a land called "La Perche"  (130 km north of Blois), fleeing a Viking raid. They settled in Blois and built their monastery and the church of St. Laumer (named after the founder of their monastery wich became later the church Saint-Nicolas).
The church has been damaged during the Wars of Religion (1568) and rebuilt during  17th century.
Located at the bottom of the Blois royal castle, surrounded by an old medieval neighborhood, this church is dominating the city by its massive and elegant silhouette. The monument is unfortunately not highlighted by the city and do not enjoy such the  night spotlights wich can receive the Cathedral. For one of the oldest building in Blois, it is such a pity.

On the drawing you can see a part of the royal castel, the aisle "Gaston d'orléans" (1635-38)












Guillaume.

 

Wednesday 19 January 2011

TERMINAL


Hi everybody!

I wish you an happy new year 2011 full of drawings, sketches and peace!!

 So, I'll start this new year of blog with an illustration from last year. I know, not really logical! LOL!













some details...













Guillaume.

Friday 24 December 2010

COLOR STUDY

Hi!!

Based on a sketch done few months ago in Pornichet, I made this 2 hours color study  with photoshop.












 Here is the original sketch.












Guillaume

Saturday 11 December 2010

TWO DAYS IN THE ZOO

Hi,

In spring and early summer, I had already familiarized myself with the tremendous wealth Animal of the "zoo de Beauval". When I went back in September and October I wanted to go beyond the classical production of animal sketches. So I chosed to approach the subject as an illustration, incorporating animals in their natural environment but in a decorative manner, integrating the text as a element of the general composition.
The pencil sketches were done on moleskine paper and the two watercolor on moleskine watercolor paper.

This first group was done in september...














And this group of sketches were done in october.



























The "zoo de Beauval"  stay open during winter and i hope to go back soon to study some others animals in their tropical and australian green house...but without watercolor (I experimented it already, too much humidity to do it!).

See you soon

Guillaume.

Saturday 20 November 2010

BLOIS IN AUTUMN LIGHT


Hi!

Sometimes, car offers some advantages. I was coming back from the countryside, disappointed to have not found the perfect spot to draw when I saw this view. I just had to park my car on a parking place and I started to paint and enjoy the view that light, color and composition were offering me. So I thanked the "god of car"by making this sketch  (watercolor on pencil drawing, heightened with white gouache), sitting behind my steering wheel (in fact it was far too cold to stay more than a quarter of an hour outside!).

Guillaume.




Monday 18 October 2010

29TH SKETCHCRAWL

Hi,

Although the day was sunny, the temperature was really low for a day in october, especially when I did this watercolor sketch.
Fortunately, the street markets in France are welcoming places, led by vendors always very friendly.
Indeed, some have come to visit me when I was drawing.





















Because the history's convention in the city, the "rendez vous de l'histoire", I had to share my time between the sketching and the convention.


So I took a break during the afternoon in a pub and made this last drawing.
It takes more to disturbed the regulars in the pub.












Guillaume.

Thursday 30 September 2010

FROM THE LOIRE RIVER SIDE

Hi,

  A few days ago, I went to draw and paint near the Loire river, in Blois.
It's funny  how many people I met during this afternoon. Most of them were fishermans, turning around me, curious to see what I was doing ( But I guess I was occupying a good spot for fishing).
During 30 minutes I also had an history lesson, mainly about the bridge.

Built in 1724, the bridge has been damage a few times during wars (in 1793 to stop progression marche from the "vendéens", in 1870 during the war against Prussians, in 1940 during the WWII)
In 1717, they decided to build a new bridge upstream the previous one (a medieval bridge wich had collapsed in the river).
So, they had to enlarge a little street (called "rue de la poissonnerie", now "rue denis Papin") to connect it with the bridge. The main street (now rue du commerce) wasn't in the axe of the bridge.

After a quick investigation, I discovered the exact location of the medieval bridge. You can still see the pillars in the water when you look at it with "google earth".




Turning west, I made this second sketch about the last built bridge in Blois (in 1994), the bridge "Francois Mitterrand". In the background you see how beautiful is the nature along the Loire river.









Both sketches are done with watercolor on a moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

Guillaume.


Monday 13 September 2010

THE PORT

Hi everyone!
traveling this time in my imagination , I came back with this new illustration.
Then I wanted to show you as well my work process.
The final illustration was done on Photoshop, combining  textures and colors.














The line drawing.
Only as reference, the line drawing will disappear during the color process to have a more realistic style.














the sketch .
Most of the time my sketches are done for the composition and ambiance. I don't think about the final style because I want to keep all freedom for later. I considere my sketches as a memo and I don't show them (except today!).
This sketch was done previously with blue "col-erase"  pencil and inked for the correction.













 A second illustration about a similare location is in WIP and I will show it to you soon.

Guillaume

Wednesday 8 September 2010

MORE FROM THE ATLANTIC COAST

Hi!

More sketches from Pornichet.
This time, I had the opportunity to draw the cost from the sea ,  the tide was low

























The last sketch was done in the village called Kervalet. It's an old city built in the 10e century by salt's workers. Located near the pond salt  where they worked, the "paludiers" (salt's workers ) were living in the smallest houses. The others, with one floor are the houses where the "Sauniers" (workers transporting the salt, according Wikipedia) were living.
They are builded with stone granit and slates on the roof.












Guillaume.


Tuesday 31 August 2010

A CHURCH AND A COFFE


Hi,
 A sunny afternoon in Blois and I came back home with two sketches...It was about time!
  I made the first one from the castel's garden. I've been fascinated by the presence of this church, the  "Saint Vincent de Paul" church rising in the middle of this group of huge trees.
It's seems that trees and church are fighting to be the more majestic monument in the middle of the city.
  For the story, this church has been built  in 1624 but has been stopped after the foundation level. In 1634 they retook the construction and spent 20 years to elevate it up to the roof's bottom. They've been pretty slow because most of the stones were requisitionned for the extention of the castel.
Finaly, the church has been finished in 1660.

  Later, I came back on earth ground and I just relaxed in the shade and fresh air from a terrasse coffe's of Blois, sketching the street view.
For this sketch, I used a new brush pen and i enjoyed again to play with it.

Guillaume.