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Author Archives: Sarah Sullivan
Do They Like My Work?
I am taking a ten-week illustration course at a local university. Our first assignment was to select text from an unillustrated book and then to illustrate it using five types of pencil marks- hatching, crosshatching, scribbling, tick marks, and pressure … Continue reading
Arches and Shadows at Balboa Park
I painted this morning at Balboa Park with the San Diego Watercolor Society Plein Air group. I forgot my sun shirt so I stood in the shade and painted the sunlight coming through the archways. I like the composition and … Continue reading
Posted in Cityscape, Landscape
Tagged Balboa Park, Gouache, Light, Plein Air, San Diego, San Diego Watercolor Society
3 Comments
Primates
I sketched along the Monkey Walk this morning at the San Diego Zoo. I noticed how much we enjoy our cousins and showing them to our children and wanted to capture this familial feeling in a sketch. This is a … Continue reading
Posted in Body Language, Telling a Story
Tagged Charcoal, Gouache, Live Sketching, Primates, San Diego Zoo
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A Conversation with Daniel Ellsberg
Daniel Ellsberg, the author of the Pentagon Papers, spoke at San Diego State University this evening and I was in the audience. He talked for two hours about the danger of government keeping information from its citizens, and of … Continue reading
Posted in Telling a Story
Tagged #San Diego State University, Brown Paper, Daniel Ellsberg, Mark Wheeler, Marker
1 Comment
Beach Day!
What could be more delightful than the beach on the last day of September? I wanted to capture all the swimmers, birds, surf, splashes, waves, and fun of summer. This is a gouache and charcoal sketch on brown paper.
Posted in Landscape, Telling a Story
Tagged Birds, Gouache, Swimming, Torrey Pines State Reserve
2 Comments
Three Giraffes
Here are three very sweet giraffes from the San Diego Zoo. This started off as a gouache and charcoal sketch on brown paper, and then I imported the sketch into Procreate on my iPad and added the gray wall and … Continue reading
On the Rocks at Yosemite
My cousin, who is an amazing artist, has been working with gouache on brown paper. She sent me a photo of a recent painting and it was so gorgeous that it caused me to paint the day away on brown … Continue reading
Posted in Deliberate Practice, Landscape, Learning
Tagged Brown Paper, Gouache, Yosemite National Park
3 Comments
By the Pond’s Edge
We stopped by Loomis California to visit relatives and had the added bonus of a gorgeous pond. This is a 9 X 9-inch gouache sketch on black paper.
Waiting for Morning at Yosemite
This morning I got up early from my campsite and caught the early morning light as the sun began to rise over the mountains at Yosemite National Park. This is a 9 X 9-inch gouache sketch.
Posted in Landscape
Tagged California, Gouache, Plein Air, Sketch, Upper Pines Campground, Yosemite National Park
8 Comments
The Romantic Came Next
Yesterday, the woman who posed for our figure class brought costumes. For the second portion of the morning, she dressed as a dreamy romantic and leaned against the studio wall. I made more use of the acrylic markers in this … Continue reading
Frida Dress-up Day
Our model today came with costumes and started the day dressed as Frida Kahlo. I used acrylic markers and gouache and had fun trying to capture the Frida spirit.
Flowers above the Sea
I sketched from the top of the cliffs at Torrey Pines Park this morning. Today I focused on a group of dried flowers and had the sea be the background. This is a gouache, pastel pencil, and acrylic marker sketch … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape, Learning
Tagged California, Gouache, Plein Air, San Diego, Torrey Pines State Reserve
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Better Backgrounds
I really enjoy painting the models from our figure drawing group, especially the quick five-minute sketches like the one above. However, I am at a loss for what to do with the rest of the paper, that is, how to … Continue reading
Balboa Park Courtyard
I painted this morning at Balboa Park, and this is a place I have to go back to soon. I stood under a shade structure, and the shadows it made were lovely. The cement pathways had patterns, and the greens … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged Balboa Park, California, Gouache, Plein Air, San Diego, Sketch
3 Comments
Flowers on a Table
Here are There is something beautiful about flowers on a table, and I wanted to capture this in this quick gouache sketch.
Along the Path at Torrey Pines
I was back at Torrey Pines State Nature Reserve this morning. It has been a long time since we have had rain in San Diego and the arid landscape is a lovely combination of yellows and browns. I had some … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged California, Gouache, San Diego, Sketch, Torrey Pines State Reserve
4 Comments
Artist in the Park
I noticed an artist bent over her work and quickly sketched her. I liked her intensity as she focused on her work. This is a 9 X 9-inch (22 X 22-centimeter) gouache sketch on black paper with some pastel pencil … Continue reading
Two Doves on the Rocks
I stopped for a few minutes at a park near my house and sketched two doves on the rocks in my small sketchbook.
From the North Side of Torrey Pines
This was a challenging painting. It started off as a quarter sheet of paper covered with golden watercolor grounds. I have been wondering about the gold background for seascapes and today seemed like a good day to explore this, since … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged Gel Pen, Golden Watercolor Grounds, Gouache, Torrey Pines State Reserve
2 Comments
Looking Afar II
Yesterday I did a series of 20-minute sketches of a wonderful model. She had a pensive air that was communicated through her long limbs and facial expressions. Although I had to work fast, choosing colors and brushes was intuitive because … Continue reading
Posted in Body Language, Facial Expression, Telling a Story
Tagged Body Language, Facial Expression, Gouache, Painting, Sketch
1 Comment
Looking Afar
I painted with other painters Thursday morning. Our model seemed pensive and trying to capture this in a sketch became my goal for the morning. I got a good start in this twenty-minute sketch and left the studio with several … Continue reading
Tree by the Bay
Today I sketched down by Mission Point near San Diego’s Mission Beach. There was an abundance of possible subjects and I opted for a cheerful tree by the bay. This is a gouache sketch on a 12 X 12-inch sheet … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged California, Gouache, Mission Bay, Mission Point, San Diego, Tree
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Colorado River
The Colorado River is magnificent as it flows through Utah. It is stunning and I worked to capture its beauty in this sketch. Most people know that the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon and is an indispensable source … Continue reading
Early Morning on a Ranch
Last week we spent a night on a friend’s ranch in Utah. In the morning, I heard footsteps and looked out the window to see our host going out to start his day. It was really early. The sun was … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape, Telling a Story, Uncategorized
Tagged Gouache, Ranch, Sketch, Sunrise, Utah, Watercolor Pencil
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Morning Shines on the Mesa
The sandstone rocks of Southwest Utah are stunning. I did not have time to paint there so I compensated by taking as many photos as I could. Today I began to look at them, especially the ones with strong lighting. … Continue reading
Lounging with a Strawberry
I missed a week of painting while traveling and it was wonderful to meet up with friends today at the San Diego Watercolor Society and sketch for a long morning. We did 5, 10, and 20-minute poses, this one … Continue reading
Posted in Facial Expression
Tagged Gouache, Live Sketching, Pastel Pencil, Watercolor Pencil
4 Comments
Line of Junipers
Today I walked out to a part of my brother’s land that is usually a small pond ringed by a meadow and juniper trees. This year it is so dry that there is only a suggestion of green in the … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged Colorado, Gouache, Juniper Trees, Landscape, Meadow, Painting, San Juan Mountains, Watercolor Pencil
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Sunset along the Canyon Edge
We are camping on my brother’s land in the Colorado San Juan Mountains. I look forward to our annual family reunion here for many reasons, including the chance to paint this dramatic landscape. This week the skies in western Colorado … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged Colorado, Exaggeration, Gouache, Landscape, Painting, Plein Air, San Juan Mountains, Sunset, Watercolor Ground
6 Comments
Along the Galloping Goose Trail
Among the many gorgeous trails in the Telluride area is the Galloping Goose. It was built along the old railroad tracks and descends down through aspen, fur, and flowers, from Telluride to Illium. It was a perfect choice for my … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged Colorado, Galloping Goose Trail, Gouache, Plein Air, Sketch, Telluride
6 Comments
San Juan Mountain Path
The sun was intense as I stood in the shade and sketched. Even through my dark glasses the shade from the pine trees that fell across the path contrasted strongly with sunny areas of the mountain path. When I got … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape
Tagged Colorado, Gouache, Painting, Plein Air, San Juan Mountains, Sketch, Telluride, Watercolor Pencil
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