Inspired by the Homes in my Neighbourhood

As you know, I like to go for walks. I go for exercise but also for inspiration. If I have time I walk outside my neighbourhood but if I can only take a short walk, I stay within my neighbourhood. The area where I live is called Thistletown and it used to be the area that the Toronto dwellers came for vacation. This was the early cottage country along the West Humber river. There are many small cottages that still exist here and there are other older brick houses too. Lately the large properties here are being sold and larger homes are being built. The neighbourhood is changing.

I think some of the homes here are really interesting and the area is eclectic. I was inspired on one of my walks to do sketches of the homes as a way of preserving them. I don't know how many I will complete but I sketched two in December.

This first one is one of the smallest homes in the area. I'm sure this one was considered a cottage. It is a wooden structure.

The second is a brick home but it looks very regal and neat. It is always well-kept and seems as if it is an older home. I've posted my process in which I first sketch with pencil, then I go over the pencil with a uniball pen with waterproof ink and then I used watercolour pencils to colour it in and afterwards added water to blend the colours.

I also printed off copies of each sketch and placed them in the mailbox of the home owners as a keepsake for them.