Afternoon at Huntington Gardens

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.

Southern California House

Here is another sequence of the development of a painting. The first image is the finished painting. Next to that is my reference photo of the house. I did a quick study sketch while I was there, but I like to take a photo for later use. Frequently I only have time to do the sketch, and I paint it later in the studio.

Notice how the small sketch is a simplified roadmap of the basic shapes and values of the final painting. I refer to the sketch during the painting process to keep me on track. I am always free to deviate from the plan, but I want to do it by intention, not by default.