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.
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 one and added a background that I hope suggests a landscape suitable for romantic dreamers.
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 Ocean
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 on black paper.
A Runner
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 add a background. Sometimes I leave it blank, other times I draw the shadows on the wall.
What I would love to know, is how to compose a background that frames the figure and adds to its emotional message. Today I decided to do something about this and began going through my old sketchbooks to find sketches of people without backgrounds that I could use for practice. I have hundreds of these quick background-less quick sketches and think if I take a ‘sketch a day for 30-days’ approach, that I will soon be making better backgrounds. Anyway, that is my plan.
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 against the adobe colors were striking. I want to go back soon and make some sketches in black and white, so I better understand the structure of the courtyard and how it all fits together.
This is a gouache sketch on a quarter sheet of paper covered with black grounds.
Deliberate Sketching 