The new 100% cotton Hahnemühle Watercolor Book

Pencil, Pentel pocket brush pen, watercolor and color pencil on A6 Hahnemühle Watercolor Book 💯 cotton.

 I have been using new art tools I was curious about. In this sketch (my hubby having breakfast in this month camping trip), I sketched everything in pencil, then I added watercolor and finally I used a Pentel pocket brush pen to highlight my husband figure. I wanted him to be the focal point and it kind of worked.

I’ll also mention that I’ve been using the A6 Hahnemühle portrait sketchbook. I used first the one made of cellulose but then I sketched in the newly released also Hahnemühle watercolor book100% cotton, and oh boy! What a difference. 

I used this last one to do the sketch above. The wet and wet technique came out nicely, just as expected, even though it is difficult to work with washes in smaller sketchbook sizes like the A6.

The size of this sketchbook is very comfortable, it’s 4 in x 5.75 in, a little bigger than the A6 Moleskine and A6 Stillman&Birn which both measure 3.5 in x 5.5 in but when it’s fully opened in feels considerably bigger that the last two, one whooping inch plus! Almost like sketching on and A5 size! Well done Hahnemühle!

Beware of raccoons, Starved Rock State Park

 We spent another couple of nights in a campground. First we stopped at the Washington Square Park in Ottawa, Illinois and I sketched these two statues, one of Lincoln and the other one of Douglas. They had a political debate for the seat of the Senate.

Pencil, pen&ink and watercolor on A6 Hahnemühle watercolor book

 Our destination was the Campground of Starved Rock Park State. A favorite park of locals and visitors out of state. We managed to score a reservation in mid of May, quite busy here. Since we had visited the park several times before, we opted for staying surrounded by trees and bushes in the campground watching and listening carefully to Mother Nature, breathing peace and resting.

Pencil, pen&ink and watercolor on A6 Hahnemühle watercolor book

At night, not later after we turned the lights off the lights, we could hear an animal sniffing so close, we were just separated by the thin wall of nylon (or polyester?) of the tent, both nights.

I asked the person at the register cabin an the entrance of the grounds if there were any recommendations, he said beware of raccoons, they know how to open coolers, they are very smart. So here it was, what I think it was a raccoon, looking for the food that it was safely locked in our car. 

I sketched the tent and the surrounding trees yesterday, then I added the strawberries and what was left of a raspberry cookie tart from brunch this morning. I thought the sketch needed red and it would go well with all that green of trees.

Garage band

 

Pencil and watercolor on A5 watercolor sketchbook

Is that time of the year when the garage band plays in the neighborhood. The band is formed by residents of the neighborhood and get together in the warm months to play for us. People line dance and have a good time.