The Sketcher

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a woman sketching in a park by Sarah Sullivan

The Sketcher

I was out with my plein air group today and sketched a fellow painter who was working under a nearby shade tree. The tilt of her head along with her hand raised a bit above her sketchbook suggested to me that she was thinking about what kind of mark to make next.  She seemed so focused on her work, so into her art, it made me want to work just as intensely.

Yesterday I worked with crisp color and lines. Today I went for a moody look with cloudy boundaries between objects. Although in general I prefer crisp color, cloudy colors seemed like the right choice for a sketcher sitting under a shade tree while immersed in her work.

This is a gouache sketch in a 9 X 9 inch Derwent sketchbook.

 

Posted in Body Language, Facial Expression, Landscape | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Companions

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Gouache Sketch of TWo Trees by Sarah Sullivan

Companions

I stopped by the zoo this afternoon and sat in the shade to eat my lunch. My destination was the giraffes but I got to looking at the two trees directly in front of me. They stood together, like a team, branches intertwined, with the light coming in from behind. I had to try to capture it.

This is a gouache sketch on black paper with a little detail in white pastel and black gel.

Posted in Landscape, Telling a Story | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Along the San Diego River

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of the San Diego River in Mission Valley, San Diego CA by Sarah Sullivan

Along the San Diego River

This sketch is of a vista along the San Diego River in the Mission Valley area of San Diego. I am often surprised at how different this river area is from the surrounding high density residences and the hills that rise above the river valley. No matter the season, it seems much richer in plants, color and especially water. Today it already has leaves that are turning with the season and this is what I tried to catch in a general way by floating color into wet areas on my sheet of paper.

This is a gouache sketch with some pastel and watercolor pencil.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Two Boulders on South Fortuna Mountain

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of Boulders on South Fortuna Mountain by Sarah Sullivan

Two Boulders on South Fortuna Mountain

This sketch is based on the one I posted two days ago, Sunset from South Fortuna Mountain. In this version the size of the boulders in increased, there is less sky, and the colors are quite a bit stronger. It still has an abstract feel of the moment the sun sets.

 

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Do You Mind Waiting?

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of People in a Hair Salon

Do You Mind Waiting?

As I arrived for my haircut this afternoon I was asked, “Would you mind waiting a few minutes? I am running behind.”

“Not at all,” I said, “take your time!” and happily whipped out a small sketchbook with white pages, a gel pen, a small set of gouache paints and a water brush. I worked as fast as I could and ended up with a messy sketch that catches some of the action of the shop where I get my hair cut. Gouache on white paper is not my favorite look but I was glad I had it along for the 7 minute wait.

I used to get so impatient when I had to wait somewhere. The slow pace of time would wear on me and my mood would spiral downwards. Now that I have a sketchbook in my bag, my attitude is so different. In fact, my hope this afternoon was for the delay to last long enough for me to finish the sketch. Quite a nice change for me.

 

 

 

Posted in Groups Interacting, Telling a Story | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Sunset from South Fortuna Mountain

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of the Sunset from South Fortuna Mountain by Sarah Sullivan

Sunset from South Fortuna Mountain

This is a quick 5 X 8 inch sketch in a small Moleskine sketchbook. We were hiking in Mission Trails Regional Park as the sun set into the Pacific Ocean. The beauty of the boulders and mountain tops against the sky was compelling but we had to get off the mountain and out of the park while we could still see the path. I sketched as fast as I could, hoping I might be able to capture enough of the moment to be able to use it, along with photographs, for a larger painting. Sadly, the larger painting has not turned out well, so I am posting this small gouache sketch. I like its abstract quality.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Hillside Near Rancho Bernardo

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of Hillside Near Rancho Bernardo by Sarah Sullivan

Hillside Near Rancho Bernardo

It is hot and dry in San Diego County just now and there was not a lot of shade this morning where I was sketching near the Bernardo Winery northeast of San Diego. I love the brown and yellow in our hills this time of year and wanted to capture the dried out feeling of the plants as we all look forward to the fall rains. I also wanted to practice using gouache to get lighter tones and the dried out grass and hillside was perfect for this.

This is a gouache sketch in a 17 X 12 inch Derwent sketchbook with black paper.

Posted in Deliberate Practice, Landscape | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments