At the Table

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch of a tomato and an apple on a table by Sarah Sullivan

At the Table


It was late so this was supposed to be a quick sketch of a tomato and an apple reflected on the surface of a polished table. However, I ran into trouble. I thought I would be able to transfer what I learned about reflecting surfaces from the last two sketches I did of reflections on a granite countertop. But the table has different qualities such as grain and a duller sheen and it took a long time to get it sorted out. 

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

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Counter Reflection in Daylight

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of the reflection in my kitchen counter by Sarah Sullivan

Counter Reflection in Daylight

Although I liked yesterday’s sketch, ‘Counter Reflection,’ I was bothered by the upper right side where I had included a very small portion of the next room. That area was so small that I found it distracting. Then I noticed this morning that the light coming in from several windows made a big difference in the colors and strength of the reflections in the kitchen counter’s shiny surface so I did another sketch. In order to capture more of the reflection and include more of the next room, I changed my viewing angle so that some of the objects in the next room were also reflected in the kitchen counter. 
I used gouache and pastel in a 12 X 12 inch Derwent sketchbook with black paper.

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Counter Reflections

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Gouache sketch of fruit and its reflections on a kitchen counter by Sarah Sullivan

Counter Reflections

I like the way objects are reflected on our kitchen counter and I especially like the way bright fruit is reflected.  I used gouache and a white pastel pencil on black paper for this sketch. 

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At Balboa Park with the Plein Air Painters

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of International House at Balboa Park by Sarah Sullivan

At Balboa Park with the Plein Air Painters

The San Diego Watercolor Society plein air painters meet most Wednesdays at different locations around the county. This morning when we met at Balboa Park my friend reminded me of what we learned at a workshop we took together. The focus was to notice the big shapes of our composition and not the lines between the shapes. So that is what I did with this composition. I began with the shapes the shadows and trees made in the morning light and then added the cottages and foliage. I worked with gouache and pastel in a 12 X 12 inch Derwent sketchbook with black paper. 

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Giraffes, People and Plants at the Zoo

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch of Giraffes, People and Plants at the Zoo by Sarah Sullivan

Giraffes, People and Plants at the Zoo

 
Giraffes are such beautiful animals. The possibility of sketching them motivates me to get over to the zoo. I think this is my fourth sketch of giraffes in two years. For this sketch I stood across the road and sketched from a distance. I wanted to get the big picture of these magnificent animals in their small enclosure with admiring people and foliage surrounding them. I worked in a 8 X 11 inch Moleskine sketchbook with black paper. 

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Plants and People at the Food Court

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of Plants and People at the Food Court by Sarah Sullivan

Plants and People at the Food Court

This was my first sketch of the morning yesterday with the San Diego Urban Sketchers. When I got home I propped up both sketches on my desk and decided I liked the one I posted yesterday best because it had so many people. Now after a day of studying both, I find the composition and colors of this one more interesting, I especially like the way the yellows and red interact. This is a pastel and gouache sketch in a 9 X 9 inch sketchbook with black paper. 

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Food Court at the North County Mall

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of people eating at the North County Mall by Sarah Sullivan

Food Court at the North County Mall

The San Diego Urban Sketchers met this morning at the North County Mall’s food court. It was a good turnout and a great location for people sketching. This gouache sketch is in an 8 X 11 inch Moleskine sketchbook. 

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