Jane LaFazio, Sketchbook Skool

Week Four was Jane LaFazio, an awesome artist. She had us thinking about grids in our work, (and a lot of other things...rubber stamps, decorative backgrounds, printed fabric...) I was able to get two grid drawings done, but I'm not thrilled with either of them. Like the second one better. I need to go back and try the assignment with some cool looking veggies. I do like the look of the grids Jane uses, but I had some trouble getting a grid to work for me. The lines are actually straight, distorted by a fish eye effect in my camera.

I tried a background sponge pattern (watercolor stamping) in the second one, and it does add to the page.

Adding Watercolor to Our Repertoire

In our third week, we had a teacher named Prashant Miranda, and he did beautiful watercolor journals.
It was such a pleasure to see his flip throughs. Our assignment was to paint watercolor skies. I did a few and ended up posting just this one, done outside in my backyard, looking up our hill.
Posted in Sketchbook Skool.

Colored Pencil, Koosje Koene

In Koosje Koene's klass, we worked with colored pencils. And also did some exercises with working outside and in public. Yum on the colored pencils. I still had some Prismacolors, so got them out, sharpened them up, and did the strawberry. I wanted to show the layering, in the first one. The little highlights are done with a smidge of gouache. The onions are an older piece, also done with colored pencils.

"Duke" at work

At my friend's hairdresser. I tagged along, and got to sketch, while she got her roots done.
Another sketch in the grey journal, pen and ink, with wash added later.
Posted in Sketchbook Skool.

Pansy Play

First week, just playing.
And trying to work out how to balance work and play, since they have the same elements for me.
Watercolors, pen and ink, gouache.
In my handmade journal. (I didn't make it, someone else made it for me, some time ago.)When I talk about "showing," it's to post in Sketchbook Skool.

Back to Sketching, Sketchbook Skool

I am so fortunate, to be participating in the long awaited online class, organized by Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene, called (makes sense, right?) Sketchbook Skool. Every week there is a new teacher, with inspiring videos, instruction, ideas, a demo, some flip-thrus of their sketchbooks, some assignments and activities, and a bit of critique. We post our work and ask questions, and each of the teaching weeks, although different from one another, builds on what we have already been doing. All in all, marvelous.

Week one with Danny was all about inspiration, working with pens, and being immediate, but thoughtful.
I did this one after church at Panera Bread, in ink. Then added the wash and white gouache later.

Taking the DC Metro

During March I've been riding the Metro a few days a week for a temp part time job downtown, a nice chance to be a "working girl" in DC. Mostly that just means seeing the comuters moving through the streets, going to lunch, walking and talking on their cells, and yawning home in the evening. Me? Nah, I never yawn, LOL.

Metro Riding

A few more sketches from the Metro.

Metro Riders

It's been awhile since I've posted here, since sadly I don't sketch much just for the sake of sketching. What drawing I do is on a canvas, in preparation for a painting. However, since I've been riding the Metro to and from a temp part time job...Metro sketching again this past month or so. I'm rusty, but have gotten a few that I like.

March Metro Riders

Another set of various Metro riders. Notice a pattern here? I've settled into preferences. There is a certain seat I like, facing backwards, avoiding the sun in my eyes, and with people very likely to sit perpendicular to me, so lots of clear profiles. I used up my first Picadilly sketchbook, and bought a Moleskine, but it just gives me the willies. The second to bottom sketch here was done in the Moleskine and it was over a sketch that didn't work. The paper is so "precious" that you don't want to waste it. I went back to a second Picadilly, and I'm much happier, feeling free to waste pages agan.

Metro Riders, February

Metro riders, winter 2010. The Borders on the corner of our building downtown had both Moleskeins ($18.00) and this new sketchbook called a Piccadilly at $4.00. Hmmm, think I'll try the cheaper one, I thought. And even though the paper is thinner, and there is some bleed through with ink sketches, it feels so luxurious to not care much about how much paper you go through. I've been trying to do three or four sketches every ride, and the following posts are some that turned out well enough to post.

Metro Folks, February

The bottom one here is a quick gesture sketch, I really like the effect of a 30 second sketch.

Metro Folks February

People riding the Metro, winter 2010.

Metro Folks in February

My February Metro sketches, these are pencil.

Metro Sketching

I have a new job. It's a FT temporary job, and it happens in the heart of DC. So I'm a Metro girl again. It took me a good week carrying my sketchbook around with me, before I got up the nerve to take it out and do a sketch, but now it's like: "pshaw, not a problem." I can now do about 3 sketches per ride, that's maybe 6 a day. They don't all turn out, so I'll just be posting some of the better ones here.

People are cool. They may see I'm sketching, and they may even get that I'm sketching them, but I've only ever had one seatmate comment that she liked my work, and nobody else has said a word. People really just mind their own on the subway.

The first sketch? I thought it was a girl with earrings at first, until I realized it was earbuds I was seeing on a guy. He really was enjoying his tunes.

These are all done with various pens and pencils, ink and watercolors added afterwards, or not.

Sketching on the Metro

Sketching on the Metro.

You'll be seeing some more of these, as I have gotten up my nerve, and am practicing sketching people on the trips to and from downtown. I manage to get about three sketches in on a "good run." (5 or 6 a day) That would be where nobody gets off the train before I can finish them, and nobody sits down in front of me while I'm only half way through. It also depends on whether I don't mess up the proportions too bad. Trust me, there are lots of sketches that I'm not showing too.

Concept for a Painting

I don't always do as I teach, but when it's a large painting, I do feel that thumbnail sketches for layout and composition are highly in order. It gives you a map anyway. The painting will be a large canvas of 24" x 36", with a gallery wrap, so it's a big piece. I start with some small marker sketches, to figure out just what looks good, for the placement of the blooms. I like the three and three look, even though it's an even number. There may be room for a seventh blossom, depending on how large I make each bloom. I also like the diagonal format, it just has a nice feel to it, and the negative space is big enough to be a relief, small enough to not look like wasted space. I like the three sides running into the wrap, off the edges. I do a second, larger sketch using the thumbnail I've chosen. Next I'll add some watercolor.

Working Out a Painting Concept

The finished painting.

Once I have an idea of the layout, the placement of shapes, and where my light source will be, I add some color. These are done with watercolor pencil, and then just loose watercolor. I haven't exactly settled on the background color, but since the painting will go on a yellow wall, I am thinking a gradated color in warm light green and cream. I will keep the background quite neutral, but warm and soft, since there will be a lot of color in the blooms. Or I may decide when it's said and done to go to a muted mauve tone, which would be a complement to the yellow wall.

Another Saturday Life Drawing Session

Another Saturday morning session at Montgomery College. It takes the starch right out of me, it takes such concentrated effort. But oh, such good practice, those three hours. This is the same model as the first week, can you see improvement?

Life drawing

Last week we had the most elegant model, long and stately.

Lovely lines to draw.