Sketch Anywhere

One of the greatest places to go in Los Angeles is the Hollywood Bowl. Pack a picnic supper, take the Park and Ride bus, arrive early so you have time to eat, find your seat and relax for a great evening of jazz or classical music. Of course you will want to bring your sketchbook in order to do some drawing before the concert begins. And there are many things to capture your attention. This is the view from our seats. I did a quick sketch in pen and ink while waiting for the show to begin, and I took a flash-off digital photo with my pocket camera for later reference. I did a location sketch at the event, but I painted it later in my studio.

Light glowing from the stage illuminates the first few rows where the patrons are indicated by dots of color that become silhouetted shapes as the brightness fades. I painted a series of gradated washes beginning at the center with Gamboge Nova and added Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine Deep as I moved away from the stage. After these washes had dried, I added loosely rendered splashes of color and shapes suggesting the architecture and people and finished it off with a dark wash for the trees in the background.