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Saturday, July 28, 2018

The sky above and the patterns below.

Color pencil, watercolor pencil, watercolor on Winsor and Newton watercolor paper 6" x 6"

This is a view from my house's backyard. It was sunset and the sky had such beautiful clouds, a blend of warm and cold colors, so I sketched it with watercolor paint. The sky you see in this sketch doesn't look like what I saw. It turned out so different that I gave up and left my sketchbook open on the table. This morning I grabbed it again, I realized that the three  big  watercolor washes in my 'aiming to nothing view' was really an invitation to add pattern, and boy did I have fun. The  tiles on the roof and the trees were made with color pencil, and the shade of the house wall was made with watercolor pencil. Not bad, I savaged (I think) this false start. I'm happy with the result.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Car Maintenance and some brush lettering.

Pencil and watercolor on Winsor & Newton Watercolor paper 8" x 6"
Since people is not allowed in the actual car maintenance area, safety policy for sure, I had to head to the offices to find a subject while my car was ready.  This man was making follow-up calls on clients. I added the newly learned brush lettering to my sketch for the first time. I think it looks good. It was inspired by Pat Southern Pearce's art. This brush lettering is a new thing for me. One of my friends invited me to attend a class, it wasn't even my idea! I think it adds something to sketches. When I saw how beautiful it can be, I mean compared to how careless I have written information on past sketches, I realized it may be something I could use. In this sketch I used (finally!) those Faber Castell Pitt artist pens we received at the USk Seminars in Chicago. The control of strokes is easier for beginners when using brush pens rather  than actual brushes. 

Here is the alphabet I traced with a Tombow brush pen versus the one I did with a watercolor brush.

Tombow dual brush pen
Watercolor brush and Finetec watercolor paint
 
I'll keep practicing with brush pens for now to get use to it before I attempt to switch to watercolor brush. But so far so good!

Thursday, July 19, 2018

The art of taking it easy.

Pencil and watercolor on Handbook Watercolor journal 8" x 8"
It is satisfying to see how people have the capacity to discern the time to remain calm during the happenings of political turmoil.  At this gathering, there were no conversations over political matters during a time that is suppose to be recreational and to give us a break from the media's bombing. We'll have our say eventually by voting during elections and make it count when it matters. Meanwhile we should relax and enjoy life as much and long as we can.

Pencil and watercolor on Handbook Watercolor journal 8" x 8"


Thursday, July 12, 2018

Hair salon.

Pencil and Coliro Watercolor on Hahnemuhle Watercolor Book A5
Hair salons are one of those places where waiting is inevitable, therefore we found ourselves with precious time in our hands for us sketchers putting to good use. The details and textures of surfaces in this place have been always ignored by me the many times I've been here. I'll take you through some of the things I noticed: the width of the mirror's frame is uneven, like taken out of a Dali's painting or a Tim Burton's film, the leopard print of the window valances, the retro pattern of fabric in the barber's chair, also unnoticed until today. The quiet awareness of these things may look irrelevant, yet it makes me feel somehow good about myself for noticing things others may not. Perhaps sketching is also a mental exercise to practice consciousness which can also be extended to other aspects of life. Being quiet and observe, draw and reflect. It feels good.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Peaches

Pencil, watercolor on Winsor & Newton cold press watercolor paper 8"x 6"
Oh the color of these peaches are sooo beautifully intense, that I had to choose the paint suitable for this task. Daniel Smith watercolor paint was a perfect match. I used Carbazole Violet for the shadow. I normally mix French Ultramarine and Alizarin Crimson to get purple but having this new color in my palette makes it easier, saves time and the color is gorgeous!