Søndermarkskolen

This is the entrance to Søndermarkskolen (our local school). Our daughter will probably be running in and out of those doors sometime in the future - or most likely she will try to jump out of the windows.

This is also the last outdoor sketch of the year. The weather today has been pretty good, warm (around 4 degrees) a bit cloudy and with some showers, but the sun has shown its face too. As always the temperatures will most likely drop to way below zero in a couple of days and stay there for the next two months. The Danish weater is strange, we always have these warm days just around new year, to remind us of how cold it actually gets in January and February

Everything's for sale

I have some of my illustrations for sale on Artflakes, if you should be interested please follow this link

I will be adding more Urban sketches to the list some time soon.

My Sketch Kit

Winter has arrived in Copenhagen. Over the weekend we received quite a bit of snow and on my last sketching trip it was so cold everything in my sketch kit acted strange, and on top of that, the hairs on my watercolour brush were bent – what a misery. So I guess it is about time I do an inventory.

This is what I have in my sketch kit

Pens

I never, or very rarely, use pencils when I sketch. I like the directness and honesty I get from a line I can’t erase – and I’m too lazy to use a pencil, I just go straight in with my pens. I use two different pens; a Copic Multiliner SP size 0.2 and a Pigma Micron Size 0.1.

I love the feel the Copic pen has, it fits my hand perfect. The tip is really sharp and durable and the ink is crisp and totally black. I love these pens and have bought more of them than I really need.

The Pigma pen has a really nice and soft feel. The only problem I have with these pens is that they’re a bit too small for my hand and it seems like the tip wears down faster than it runs out of ink. But the ink is perfect, in fact I don’t think you’ll find a pen with better ink. It’s absolutely black, clean and crisp and never ever bleeds. I have tested it on coffee filters and it didn’t bleed – I’m impressed.

Brush

I use a Kolinsky sable brush from Escoda. It’s not as good as my other watercolour brushes (Isabey's Pure Kolinsky and W&N Series 7), but it’s really durable and works perfectly even after spending a rough time at the bottom of my bag.

Colours

The watercolour box I use is an old plastic box from Winsor and Newton. It’s not very big, only holds 12 colours, but it has a nice big mixing tray divided into three sections with tall edges, so I can use a lot of water when I mix my colours. I really don’t like watercolours from W&N so I have replaced them with a mix of other brands: Sennelier, Schmincke and Daler Rowney, all artists quality.

The colours go from: deep cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, three browns; raw unmber, burnt umber and brown ochre. There’s a deep quinacridone violet from Sennelier (they make the best purples and violets). A carmine red, Payne’s Grey, an olive green and an

emerald green. Two blues, an ultra marine, and some lighter one which I’m not quite sure of - probably a cobalt blue.

With these colours I can go everywhere. I can mix any hue I wish and go from sweating warm to freezing cold. I’m not a big fan of using black, for really dark areas I will mix blue, brown or brown and violet depending on the tone of the area.

Sketchbooks

I have a sketchbook fetish, I love good sketchbooks. Ideally I really only need one, but I always carry at least two around with me. One for colour sketches, and one for black and white sketches.

Lately I have started using sketchbooks from Stillman & Birn. The quality of these books is impressively high. For colours I use the Alpha Series, which is almost like hot pressed watercolour paper. Smooth enough for line drawings and enough texture and depth for watercolours. And for black and white ink sketches I use the Epsilon Series, plate finish. I used to use a Moleskine for black and white sketches, but the paper is terrible, it really makes me wonder why I have gone through so many of their sketchbooks.

For a while I used Holbein Multimedia sketchbooks for watercolour sketches. The paper in these sketchbooks is good fine grain watercolour paper, but a bit too thin. And I prefer sketchbooks with a hard back not Spiral back like the one in the Holbein Multimedia sketchbooks.

Stillman & Birn, Alpha Series Sketchbook

Miscellaneous

I found my stool in New York on our honeymoon. I think I paid around $5-6 for it, I’ll never find anything that cheap in Denmark. I store the water in a glass jar that used to contain baby food. It has got the perfect size, but most importantly, the lid keeps tight. I always got some tissue paper in my bag, which I use for cleaning and drying my brush in.

That is what I have in my bag.

still life

I used to hate doing stil life drawing. I was sitting there with my pencil, eraser, knitting needles etc.. sweating over some arrangement getting it right - and most of the time  I did get it straight on, but I never enjoyed myself.
Now I'm back doing stil life drawings and I love it. I just use a pen (either a Copic Multiliner or a Pigma Micron) no erasers or knitting needles and I don't really care if the lines are crooked or the perspective is obscured, I just draw and it's great fun.

The top drawing is an old film projector my wife found in the streets, we haven't tried it yet, but it looks cool. The two other drawings are from my parents house, an old wall clock and an old camera.

These drawings are done in my brand new sketchbook, a Stillman & Birn Epsilon Series. I'm really impressed with there sketchbooks, the paper in this book is very smooth and very suitable for line drawings, the paper could be a bit thicker, but it's still far better than my Moleskines.

Today it's minus 5 degrees out side, so it is not really possible to do any urban sketching. So in the next couple of months stil life drawings are most likely what I will publish here.

Hardenbergvej in the freezing cold

This is one of the great extension you'll find on some house in Copenhagen. All though they're are rare, they do pop up now and then. This one you will find on the corner of Hardenbergvej og Vigerslevvej.

Today was most probably my last out door sketching this year - It was freezing cold. So cold the ink in my pen acted strange and the watercolours behaved like they where freezing too. The hairs on my brush was bend and my toes has turned to icicles, it was just a really cold day. But a very nice girl came to rescue me with a steaming hot cup of tea. What a great thing to do. It was my own choice to sit in the cold, but she just decided to make my day a bit warmer.  - Mange tak, du reddet tegningen. 

Smallegade

This is a sketchs from Smallegade. Apart from this, you'll find the best sushi restaurant in Copenhagen (Sanshin Sushi), some very nice cafées, some cool pubs and a couple of antique shops - and most probably a lot more that I haven't paid any attention to- oh yeah, a and two ice cream shops right next to each other. And a cyclist who obviously haven't noticed that she has parked her bike right in front of a door

View over Copenhagen

A cold and windy sunday sketch with my good friend René. The sketch is drawn from the view point at Frederiksberg Castle, looking over Vesterbro.

Hostrupsvej

Today I was interviewed by the local Tv-network, Tv2 Lorry, about my passion for urban sketching. Doing the interview I did this sketch. They filmed the whole process and will show it in high speed later tonight.

Solbjerg Cemetery

Autumn is my favourit time of the year. The colours and light is so beautyful and I like the temperature too. Winter, spring and summer are obviously nice too, but nothing beats a sunny autumn day.
This sketch is done in Solbjerg cemetery, it's the public toilet building - So now you know what to look for, if you're in the area and really need to go.

Interview in the local news paper

I've been interviewed by the local news paper, Frederiksbergbladet, about my passion for urban sketching. Except that you will probably never find me sketching before 7am, it's a good interview. If you read danish and you're interested, follow this link straight to Frederiksbergbaldet  -and turn to page 18.

Café På Hjørnet

Café on the corner is the name of this pub. You will find it on Gl. Kongevej. I have never been there, but apparently it should be allright.

Now, those of you who know the place, have probably already noticed a silly mistake in my sketch. The awning above the entrance is suppose to start just below the top banner, like the window awnings. I never do any pencil lines to help me, I dive straight in with the pen, so there is no real changing the mistake,  maybe one day I'll do another sketch.

Roskildevej 46

Touring with Karen. And while the wife is attending meetings in The U.S.A. we have had the time to visit the local playgrounds, taking a long naps (Karen) and I did this small sketch. Actually it's right next to this old sketch, that I drew exactly 1 year ago (what a coincident): Roskildevej

The 37th World Wide SketchCrawl

Otto Busse Vej

Fisketorvet

As always I was really looking forward for the International SketchCrawl. The weather forcast didn't look too promising, so we startet of at the shopping center Fisketorvet, where I did the sketch of the pizza sign. Apparently a restaurant without a T at the end, or maybe I just ran out of space. 

I did the train sketch on our way to the pup. We where supposed to sketch Otto Busse Vej, a very interesting area where DSB (The Danish Railroad) got some garages or ...?? for their trains. Unfortunately it was raining, but the sun did give me the chance to do this train sketch

Solbjerg kirke

It's been pouring down for the last week or so. So taking my chanses between showers and while my daughter was taking a nap, I did this quick sketch of Solbjerg Church

Vagns Konditori, Godthåbsvej

This is Vagn's Bakery on Godthåbsvej. The red car really irritated me, but as I start the sketch and now when I look at it, I really like that it's there

Mathildevej

A nice and quiet sunday walk with my daughter

Antique book shop on Alhambravej

This is such a charming little book shop. It almost looks like a book crammed in between other books on an overfilled bookshelf.
You'll find it on Alhambravej in Fredreiksberg, Copenhagen.

Rosenberg, Gl. Kongevej

According to my wife, this is the best shoe repairer in town - and she's usually right. I haven't had any reason to use them, but I'm sure they will come handy one day.
After I drew this I went to meet up with my wife and her brother to vitness the first danish championship in office chair race down Valby bakke. For those of you who know the place, will know that this is a suicidal idea. Surprisingly enough it wasn't that dramatic

Frisør Finn, Vigerslevvej

 I just bought a new sketchbook, the Stillman & Birn Alpha series, and I've been saving this spot for it. I wanted something special for the first sketch, and what better than a hairdressers saloon with a sign like this. It's on Vigerslevvej in Valby

Vigerslevvej

Down Vigerslevvej again today. Actually it was another gateway I wanted to sketch, but my view was obscured by cars, so this one had to do for the time being. But I actually enjoyed sketching it. Funnily enough I never paid attention to what was on the other side, until I started the drawing.

Vigerslevvej, Glarmester

I've been cycling past this place a trillion times. It's on the way to my best friends appartment. I'm sure it was the turquoise store front that caught my attention.

Venners Hjem, Valby

I was cycling through Sydhavnen (South-harbour, an area in Copenhagen) Yesterday. I lived in this area some years ago, it's much nicer than it's reputation. There's one cafées in the area (which is very unusual for Copenhagen), so you don't have the Café latté people (todays yuppies) instead you have a lot of pubs. All of the pubs are very locale and some are more friendlier than others. Venners Hjem (Friends Home) is one of the many pubs, friendly or not, I don't know, I have never been inside, and now it seems to be too late, as it very much looks like it's closing down. Well luckely there are plenty other good places to go for a beer.
Any way Venners Hjem can be found on the corner of Trekronergade and Carl Jacobsensvej. Another nice yellow house, and probably pretty old too

Summer holiday in Denmark

Vedersø Churce

Vedersø Mill

Ringkøbing

The oldest street of Randers

Backyard of Ebeltoft

Lunch at an old inn, Ebeltoft

Old run down factory in Ebeltoft

The last holiday of the year we spend on the road of west part of Denmark - very excotic as we don't own a car. 

We startet of at Vedersø, where Kaj Munk was from, with a family get together. From there we drove to Ringkøbing to visit my wifes sister where we spend a couple of days. Then we drove across the country stopping in Viborg for a short stay at my brothers house and after that we visited my good friend, and urban sketching body, René in Randers, where they, according to René got the oldest street of Denmark. We ended up in Ebeltoft where we stayed for 3 nights. In Ebeltoft you will find some of the most crooked buildings in Denmark - hell the entire world, straighten up tower of Pisa. It's also a town of small annoying flies, but still it's a town worth visiting

Øster Voldgade

Another gateway, antother yellow building - This time it's Rosenborg at Øster Voldgade. The yellow color is typical of old houses in Copenhagen, especially in this area, Nyboder and the surrounding area

Vesterbro in the sun

My good friend Martin came to visit me this weekend, so we grabbed our pens and sketchbooks and walked through Vesterbro.

The top sketch is of the baker "Musikkonditoriet" and the buttom one is a pub on Vesterfælledvej. I've been wanting to draw both places for a very long time - And finally I got around to draw them and add some watercolours to my sketches too.

Summer holiday

We rented a summer house in Jylland with a couple of our very good friends. And even though the danish summer weather didn't show its most pretty face, we had an absolutly fantastic time. 
The house was just a 20 minute walk along a closed down railroad track from Nr. Nebel - So walking along a railroad track every time you need to get a liter of milk, now what more can you ask for

Falkonervænget

While waiting for my wife and daughter I had the chance to do this quick sketch. Actually the plan was to use a bit of watercolours this time, but time and motive just didn't alow it - mayby and hopefully next time.

Sydhavn

Me and a small group from the Copenhagen SketchCrawl group (which could be any one since it's open to any one, but it was the great Kristian, Katja, Thomas, his son and Thomas) and Omar from Berlin, went to Sydhavn harbour to do a bit of sunday sketching.
I have lived in that area of Copenhagen for a number of years, walked around in the harbour area and the surroundings a million times, but for some reason never thought about sketching it. I don't know why, sometimes you must be absolutly blind for the treasures which is nearest your home. Now, sometimes soon, I'll get on my bicycle and drive down there to do some more sketching

Dui Østerbro

This is a barrack behind a youth club I used to come in many years ago. Apparently kids in the neighbourhood constantly sets fire to it - the barracks, they just break into the club house, but this day everything seemed quiet.

Please go to sleep

Hvidovrevej

Today summer is here, so I took my daughter out for a long walk. I was hoping that she would fall asleep so I could some sketching, which she did, everything went as planned. I found this shop facade to sketch and then Karen woke up. So we walked around for a bit, she fell asleep again and I quietly walked back to the shop, started to sketch and she woke up again etc. etc...

But I got around 30 minutes to do this sketch.

valby and Rådmand Steins Allé

Jesus kirken, Valby



Rådmand Steins Allé

It actually felt like summer yesterday. So I took the day off, and went for a walk with my best friend Hans Christian. We found a nice spot by Jesus Kirken (Jesus Churge) in Valby, he read Game of Thrones book two and I did the top sketch.

Afterwards we met up with my wife and our daughter, who had crashed in the garden just outside our appartment - so we joined them in their afternoon nap.



Landbohøjskolens have

Lunch in Landbohøjskolens have with my two lovely girls, enjoying exotics trees and plants in full blossom and the first sign of spring.