Early Morning Light

During spring time the light in the early morning is fantastic.  It is bright with strong shadows and you have the colors of spring.  I found this view when I walked my dog this morning. So I had to get back there to sketch and do a quick watercolor.  I drew the underlay in pencil and then added watercolor after.  Working in pencil, you have to depend on value and color to separate shapes.  Lines will disappear.  It is a good way to force working in values.

Washington Park Arboretum in morning light. 

Blue Green Vase

We have two blue green vases that are glass and make great studies on how to paint transparent glass objects.  Here is a study I just did tonight.  I was able to get the transparency and the back lighting of the glass.  It got a bit overworked.  I will have to try it again.

Sketching in Tacoma at the Antiques District

Sunny, cold, rainy and hail.  That is what we got today. So you catch sun when you can and then run for shelter  when it starts coming down.  Got two sketches in.  One at Opera Alley before it started to hail.  Luckily I had taken a picture to record the light and color.  Second in the warmth and haven of Tully's coffee.

Opera Alley, Tacoma WA

Tully's Coffee, 9th and Broadway, Tacoma WA

Sketcher In Residence at MOHAI

I was sketcher in residence at MOHAI today for the Drawn To Seattle Exhibit.  Had a great chance to talk to people who came by to see me sketch.  A lot of people go away saying "Oh I should take a class on watercolor ....or sketching!"  It is something anyone can learn and is a skill and passion you will always have.
Here is the sketch I did to day.

View from MOHAI 04262014

Line to Color Workshop Weekend in Pullman

WSU Bryan Clock Tower

I am recuperating from the long weekend giving the Line to Color Workshop in Pullman Washington on the WSU Campus.  Frank Ching and Gabi Campanario were the other workshop leaders.  Frank's session took place in downtown Pullman and focused on the basics of perspective and composition in setting up a sketch.  Gabi's focused on drawing people in the urban environment capturing individuals and groupings of people and the activities people are engaged in.  Mine dealt with approaches in applying color to a sketch starting from how to work with watercolor, mixing colors, finding values.  The participants range from college students in the Design and Construction department to local residents and professionals.  We also had people who came from Spokane,
Tri-Cities as well as Seattle.  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  Crisp and cold in the mornings but it warmed up in the afternoons.  It gave us great sun for observation of shade and shadow.   We had 43 participants not including the student and faculty staff helping organize the overseeing this event.  We started the planning in the fall and have been working on it since then.  It is nice to see this come to fruition.  It was the result of a lot of team effort.  We thank all the students who helped and Associate  Professor Bob Krikac and Carrie Vielle for their leadership in this event.
Also a big thanks to our sponsors Stillman and Birn, Canson and Royal Talens for sketchbooks and watercolor palettes.  This was so well received by the students and help make this workshop for them possible.

Gallery display of Gabi and Frank's work.

Gallery Display of Frank's and Gail's work.

Sign in on Saturday morning

Sign in on Saturday morning.

Saturday Morning group's work.

Saturday morning's watercolor session group

Saturday Afternoon group.

Before Sunday sketchcrawl

Sunday Sketch Crawl

Tulip Study

Getting ready for WSU Line to color workshop, I am making some demo samples.
This is again of the tulips in a vase but trying to reveal the stages of the watercolor.  From the first light wash, to areas where the midtone second layer is applied and then the final dark layers of value put in on the last stage.

Tulip study

Tulips with a Brush Pen

Just sketched these this morning using a micron brush pen.  I am testing out the microns because they are waterproof.  You can sketch with them and immediately add watercolor over the line drawing with out any bleeding.  The brush pen gives you a calligraphic line. as you can see below.

Signs of Spring

This week we have had signs of Spring.  The sun is shining and the skies are blue.  Flowers are blooming.  Here is a sketch I just finished of daffodils in a vase.  Just another sign of Spring.

Egg Cups

Finding something to sketch and paint. I discovered in the back of our cabinets these ceramic egg cups which I sometime use as votives.

Process

Getting ready for the WSU Line to Color workshop, I took the opportunity to document my process of adding color to a line drawing. This was a line drawing done of my nephew's climbing gear. I sketched it while in California and then took a picture of it so I could add color later.

First stage line drawing

Second stage the lights, and colors you want as pure hue.

Third stage, overlay mid values and some darks.

4th stage add darks, shade and tied together with background color and suggestion of shadows

Seatac Airport Sketch

The Seatac airport is an interesting place to sketch if you have time.  The open structure has a grand light airy feeling and the wall of glass visually opens the space to the out doors.  I have sketched this area of the food court a couple of times this is from the last time I traveled to California.

Food Court by Hudson News stand.