We were at the Huntington a few Saturdays ago, and as usual, I brought my small Aquabee sketchbook just in case. I was rewarded with a few sketching opportunities as you can see here.
These were all very quick studies, done in ten minutes or less, with a Sanford Uniball pen. I tried to capture the big picture - the main shapes and values, without regard to any details. I find it is easy to get wrapped up in the little things, and miss the primary inspiration.
I took a few reference photos, although I really didn't need to as I was able to remember the colors easily. I added color to all of the sketches later in my studio. This was a good time of practice: eye/hand coordination; sketching on the go; value; composition; and painting technique.
I am continuing to work on sketches of Los Angeles for my Los Angeles Sketchbook, which will be published some day. This is a series I just completed of the skyscrapers of downtown. The top painting is very loose, with little regard for detail. I was trying to express shapes and forms through the use of color, value, and shadow.
The next three are very tight, and done with a series of background glazing washes with small bits of detail selectively located through the paintings, giving the illusion that there is more detail than there really is.
The bottom two images are of my studio(s): my inside one, and when the weather permits, my outside one, on the patio table in the back yard.
Here are some recent sketchbook images taken from my Aquabee.
This is a scale model of a model train layout I am going to build someday. It is to be in N Scale, using Kato track and equipment.
I flew to Denver a few weeks before Christmas so I could ride back to Southern California with my son, Tyler. These are the sketches from that trip.
At the top is the view from the plane as we flew over an overcast and cloud covered landscape. It was very cold when we landed. We had to wait for the handlers to get organized, so I used that time to capture the action on the tarmac.
We drove to Craig that afternoon. Tyler was driving so I was able to do some quick sketches from the passenger seat. It snowed off and on and the roads were icy in parts. We took I-70 instead of Berthoud Pass (which is my favored, but slightly longer route), and went through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
Craig is beautiful in the wintertime. All of the trees are bare and the sky is a mixture of whites, light blues and steel treys that I never tire of. I made a few sketches of the view from my mom's backyard.
We were there for only a few days, leaving on Saturday for the long drive back. The scenery is epic, and show in the bottom two sketches. It was the perfect trip.
For 2015 I am making a few adjustments to my studio. It is quite small as you can see in the photos, so space is at a premium. Because of that, I designed a workshop table that I will use for storage and for staging of upcoming projects. Right now I am using my camera tripod with a portable table top on which I have placed a piece of Gator board. It will have a 22"x 30" work surface and a shelf below. It will be on lockable casters so I can move it wherever I need it. My friend Yung is making it for me.
I also hung a series of sketches on the wall behind the door: sketches of the palette box, paints and brushes I use. These were done on Canson paper, and mounted to cradled hardboard panels which I had previously gessoed. I sprayed Krylon Crystal Clear on them for protection.
