Into the Waves

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of people swimming in waves

Into the Waves

In mid-April, I sat on the beach and sketched swimmers in a wild sea. I did not post this then because I liked another better that day. The original sketch is below, and today I wondered if I could improve it by making additions with watercolor pencil.

Part of the difference between the two is due to taking the photo under different lamps, but I do like the way the color pencil brightened up the picture and let me develop the figures and waves further. I wish I had not used quite so much watercolor pencil but am very happy to be learning to use the two media together.

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Three Trees by a Highway

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of Three Trees by a Highway

Three Trees by a Highway

The other day when I drove past Sunrise Highway in East San Diego County, I stopped and took some pictures. Today, continuing to experiment with watercolor pencil and gouache, I used the photos as reference for this sketch. Although I was too heavy handed with the pencil, I like the way it helped me capture the desert colors, especially the shadows.

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Nastursiums and Jasmine

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of my Nasturtiums and Jasmine

Nasturtiums and Jasmine

I am getting ready for a long trip and am in the preparation phase of taking care of household chores. So this afternoon I went out to weed in the garden. But who could weed when the nasturtiums and jasmine are so gorgeous?

As I sketched I impulsively tried something new for me, watercolor pencil on black paper. Then later this evening I made some parts of the sketch brighter by overpainting portions with gouache. I like this look a lot, and it was fun to combine so much drawing with painting.  I may have to pack my watercolor pencils for this trip.

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From a Rooftop Near Yuma

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

I left Phoenix and drove across the desert today, stopping near Yuma to visit my friend from college. It was getting dark when we went up on her rooftop to watch the sun drop below view. It was so gorgeous that we both had to sketch. This is the view looking east away from the sunset. The mountain has very little foliage and it reflected the color of the setting sky.

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Phoenix’s Best Season is Spring

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Yesterday morning I sat in my sister’s yard and worked at capturing the lushness of her plants and the eagerness of the birds at the feeders.

Some people think of Phoenix as an arid and barren place and when I come through here in July I am inclined to agree. However, Phoenix in April is full of flowering plants and trees, the skies are a clear blue, and purple mountains edge the view in every direction. Spring is definitely Phoenix’s season.

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After the Party

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

After the Party

My sister hosted a baby shower today for our nearly arrived grand nephew. Her house and garden were gorgeous and it was so much fun to visit with everyone. Afterwards we sat on the patio and talked about it while my sister posted photos to social media. I got a sketch of her in the process and then later imported it into Procreate where I finished it.

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My Sister at Night with a Plant

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

I haven’t sketched since leaving Hawaii for San Diego and then Phoenix so it felt really good to do a quick sketch of my sister this evening. She was working on a project at the table and I liked the shapes of the chair and her body against the darkness of the sliding door.

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