I recently bought a Windsor and Newton travel watercolour set in preparation for a holiday to Ireland. Before leaving, I decided to try them out by adding some colour to these two sketches. The first is a red-tailed Bumble Bee on a pink Cosmos flower. I have filled my garden with these wildlife friendly plants, and the bees and hoverflies cannot get enough of them! They make interesting subjects to draw from life. Even with a limited colour palette, I am pleased with the vibrancy of the pinks, reds and purples in this image.
The second sketch is of a chicken with attitude, called 'Nora Batty'. She was the boss of the chicken coop, hen pecking all the other poor girls. I think the best thing about this watercolour is the stance of the hen. I have been observing and drawing chickens since I was a child, and it has given me the ability to capture their characters, and the details of their feathering.
Overall I am impressed with the quality and colour range in my travel set, and I aim to use it a lot more out in the field. I look forward to using it to paint some Irish landscapes.