Sketchbook Updates

Here are some recent sketchbook images taken from my Aquabee. 

Quick Sketch of a Church in Whittier

This is a quick sketch of a church in Whittier, California. I am experimenting with drawing less and painting more. I took about three minutes to make the sketch, paying no attention to detail - I just outlined the big shapes and remembered the values. I ignored the cars, just letting the paint go right over them. The windows are mere strokes of dark grey, and the people just blobs. This is a very small sketch: 6" x 9", done in my Aquabee sketchbook. I am pleased with the effort because it has an energetic looseness, a sense of light and dark, and an interesting composition.

Waiting Sketches

Here are some sketches I made while waiting. That is the advantage of always having a sketchbook ready to go: you get a lot of practice, and the waiting time passes quickly.  I did these sketches with my Sanford Uniball Micro pen, accented with a Pentel Sign Pen, and painted them later in my studio, imagining the colors.

The drawing of each of these took about five minutes. The top one was done while sitting on the curb in a parking lot waiting for Suzanne. I had to work fast. I only had enough time to capture the essence of the scene. 

Weekend in Wisconsin

Here is a collection of sketches from a trip I took last weekend to Wisconsin to attend a friend's wedding. There are views from inside the plane, looking out of the plane, the view from the balcony looking at the lake, the barn where the wedding took place and other miscellaneous sketches from the trip. I travelled light, and came back with my sketchbook full.

Crystal Cove Sketches

Here are a few sketches of Crystal Cove, a quirky beachside community in Southern California. It is full of unusual bungalows and shacks and is a favorite spot for artists. 

Saturday In The Park - Part 2

Here is the second painting done at Maranatha High School for the Mid Valley Art League, Saturday In The Park with the Masters event. My initial sketch is shown at the top, followed by the final painting in progress, and the final painting, at 90% complete.

Saturday Sketch Hike

I went on a hike a few weeks ago  and as usual, brought along my sketchbook. I had some down time waiting for my companion so I did a few quick sketches at the trail head, one at the top of the hill, and one on the way back (which I did while walking). I used a Sanford Uniball Micro pen, and enhanced the major lines with a water-soluble Pentel Sign Pen. I painted everything later in my studio, making up the colors.

I snuck in a sketch of a car wash that I did earlier, and then revised the other day with gouache.

This Week's Sketchbook Work

I was able to do a few sketches this week. It is always a challenge to carve out a few minutes during the rigors of the day to make a drawing, and many times the best opportunities are while waiting. In these cases: waiting to pick up my son, and waiting for my car to get washed (on two separate occasions). That's why I am rarely without my sketchbook. 

For my portable studio these days I am using a vintage Art Bin, a throwback to my days in art school. This one is perfect: it has ample room for brushes, paints, my Holbein folding metal palette, pans, pencils and everything else I need.

My Paint Sets - Part 1

This is my collection of Winsor & Newton paint boxes. The top one is my work horse: I carry it with me all the time. The next one is a first generation field box. I bought it when it was first introduced and used it until I wore it out. Below that is my spare version, for when I wear out the next one. The bottom three are other Cotman sets I have collected over the years.