Pre-colored pages.

This morning I went to have a cup of coffee to the cafe next to the library to try out one of these pages. I've been there before and I thought it is a charming place, besides the great coffee and food they serve there. Minutes later the room started to fill out with women who gathered there to knit. I overheard all sort of stories, and the dynamic of the group is not different than any other social group I belong too. One of them showed me the mermaid piece she knitted for her grandchild. So cute! They were having fun, so did I. This is the resulting sketch using a pre-colored page. It is an advantage to feel like you are a step ahead in the process of building a sketch, like if you are saving time. I felt good. The combination of the background watercolor and ink drawing was just beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo to post it here. Then I added more color, not to much, just to define some areas. The result came out as interesting as the one with just ink. I think I'll use this approach in the future now and then. It is refreshing to do something different and get out of routine.

Finding new ways to do things a little bit different is not so hard. Looking at other's works or reading books (sometimes more than once) helps to find inspiration. Although I'm still stuck to my watercolors as my primary media, I'm trying a new approach to do sketches. I think I have finally found a way to use those student grade watercolors that come with travel watercolor palette that I don't normally use because I replaced them with artist grade paint.

Pre-coloring the pages of the sketchbook is a way to use those stored watercolors, specially for large size sketchbooks. The larger the sketchbook, the more paint needed, the fastest the paint goes away. It's something you can do at home at your spare time, and you have all the time of the world to let it dry.