Same Place, Same Time, Different Lighting

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a Thicket of Cottonwood Trees by Sarah Sullivan

Same Place, Same Time, Different Lighting

I started this sketch yesterday after making the preliminary sketch that I posted yesterday. This morning I set up my easel in the exact same place as I had yesterday in the Telluride Town Park, expecting to be able to pick up where I left off. However, instead of an overcast sky, we had our first day of sunshine in two weeks. Although I had the reference sketch, I paid more attention to what was in front of me and made many changes to the painting. 

The sun brightened the mood by lighting up the foliage, tree trunks, branches and ground. I was able to see detail farther into the woods and may have gotten carried away with trying to capture it all. 

This is a gouache and pastel sketch in a 17 X 12 inch Derwent black sketchbook. 

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Preliminary Sketch 

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

A Preliminary Sketch for a Forest Painting by Sarah Sullivan

Preliminary Sketch

If my goal for the day’s sketch is complicated, it helps a lot to make a preliminary sketch or two. That way I can work through some of the challenges without worrying that I will wreck my work. My preliminary sketches are often in pastel and usually take 5 to 20 minutes. Today’s sketch of a path through a thicket of graceful cottonwood trees at the Telluride Town Park was definitely complex and so I developed this preliminary sketch to use as a guide. Since I did not finish the painting, I am posting the preliminary pastel sketch. 

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Tree Trunk

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Charcoal Sketch of a Tree Trunk by Sarah Sullivan

Tree Trunk

Sketching a close up of a tree trunk is an unusual choice of  a subject for me as I mostly like to tell a story with my sketches. However, I was taking a class called, ‘Why Draw a Tree’ and we were looking closely at the parts of a tree. We used charcoal, conte crayon and erasers to show the rough texture of the bark. 

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One With the Couch

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of three men napping by Sarah Sullivan

One With the Couch

I sketched this last night shortly after sketching, End of the Last Day of the Workshop.  Today I added watercolor and ink to it. Although it is not as well drawn, I like it because it shows these three tired out men sinking into a nap and becoming one with the furniture, perhaps the best ending of all to two weeks of hard work together.

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End of the Last Day of the Workshop

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch of 3 academics as they review the workshop they just led by Sarah Sullivan

End of the Last Day of the Workshop

I sketched these three lifelong colleagues two weeks ago on July 17 at the start of the workshop they were organizing together. Their workshop ends today and they are in the same living room sharing some last thoughts. Sketching them again was a perfect way to end these two weeks for me. I have enjoyed watching their interactions and hearing their talk because of its undertones of friendship, common purpose, and high expectations. 

I focused on showing through their body language how comfortable they are with each other as they converse. The relaxed posture and gazes as they look at each other show  a willingness to hear and be heard.  And, as in the July 17 sketch, I also show how tired they are, which is what happens when people work hard together on common goals.

On the July 17 sketch I used a gel pen; today I used pencil which was a mistake because it was too faint to reproduce well. The pencil sketch is on a 14 X 17 inch white drawing paper. Using iPhoto I was able to darken it and then import it to Procreate where I added color. 

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At the Counter

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of people ordering food at a counter by Sarah Sullivan

At the Counter

This is a quick pen and wash sketch showing a restaurant in Telluride. People are figuring out what they want and workers are taking orders and preparing food. I liked the liveliness of the scene and had fun trying to get it all down in my 9 X 12 inch sketchbook.

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By the Pond

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a Grandmother and Grandchild by the Kid's Fishing Pond in Telluride by Sarah Sullivan

By the Pond

I walked over to the Telluride Town Park this afternoon. I never made it past the Kid’s Fishing Pond near the entrance because a grandmother and child sitting on the pond’s bank caught my eye. They were watching something off to their right and talking quietly about it. Their interaction was so sweet and relaxed that I wanted to capture it in a sketch. Fortunately they stayed right there for a good thirty minutes and I was able to to get a good start before they left.

All the greenery that surrounds the pond was confusing. There are many overlapping forms and the individual shapes of trees and bushes meld together. Looking at the sketch now I think I over emphasized the boundaries between the grass, plants and trees. 

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on black paper in a 9 X 12 inch Derwent sketchbook.

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