After the Storms that Broke the Drought

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
After the Storms that Broke the Drought

After the Storms that Broke the Drought

It was a gorgeous day and well spent with my landscape class at San Dieguito County Park. I pretty much painted the same scene from the same spot last week but several stormy days resulted in so much more greenery that the two sketches hardly look the same. It is amazing what a difference the combination of water and a week can make.

Most trees do not yet have leaves but their canopy is so full of new twigs and buds that the sky was blocked out behind them. The day was partially overcast and the lighting shifted between strong lights with shadows to muted lights with muted shadows. As I thought about how to show this moment of spring my intention was to use flat blocks of color separated by edges of unpainted black paper throughout the entire sketch. However, as I painted the lower section of the sketch I found it had too much contrast and filled in the unpainted areas somewhat.

This is a watercolor, gouache and pastel sketch on black paper.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

This Is What Democracy Looks Like!

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
This Is What Democracy Looks Like!

This Is What Democracy Looks Like!

This is a second sketch from the San Diego March in Solidarity with Immigrants. I made many line sketches Saturday of the march and am finishing them with gouache and comparing them for impact. Both of the two sketches, yesterday’s and today’s, have some elements that I think are strong.

An American flag dominates this sketch. The flag is a symbol that conveys a message of Americans exercising their consciences, voices and constitutional rights. As the sign indicates, this is what democracy looks like. Additionally, the people are all dressed in a common color and all face in a common direction and this has a stronger visual impact than the fully painted sketch of yesterday. However, the emotion of the woman in red from yesterday’s sketch is missing  and so makes the impact of today’s story weaker. Perhaps I should try a combination of both sketches tomorrow.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper, with help from Procreate for putting in the words on the signs.

 

Posted in Body Language, Deliberate Practice, Facial Expression, Groups Interacting, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

At the San Diego March for Immigrants

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
At the San Diego March for Immigrants

At the San Diego March for Immigrants

There were so many marchers at the San Diego March in Solidarity with Immigrants today and it was an amazing experience being there.

As I marched along a young man approached me, doubled checked that I was his old principal, and then told me who he was and what he is up to.  This once lively young English learner is now an engineer and travels the world on behalf of his company. And there he was, doing his part to keep the doors open so others can continue to reach for the American dream.  I felt so proud of him, the other previous students and colleagues I met along the way, and of my old school.

I could not sketch as we marched along but during the speeches I took out my sketchbook and sketched some of the  excitement around me. There were so many wonderful people and signs. I decided to share this sketch because the enthusiasm of the woman in red was lovely and infectious.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch with some editing in Procreate.

Posted in Body Language, Facial Expression, Groups Interacting, Story Creation, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

A Finished Sketch from Falstaff

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Finished Sketch from Falstaff

Finished Sketch from Falstaff

I sketch often with the San Diego Urban Sketchers and one of the guidelines we follow when we post to their site is that our sketches should be completely done in a live setting from direct observation, not from photos, memory or imagination. Yesterday’s live sketches from the San Diego Opera rehearsal of Falstaff were classic Urban Sketchers sketches because they were done completely on location from direct observation.

However, the sketches were also rough and unfinished because I had trouble sketching fast enough to keep up with the action on stage. Since I want to refine some of the sketches, these will no longer meet the Urban Sketcher requirements of being done completely in a live setting.

Today I began to develop a few of my sketches further by filling in gaps in the color with more gouache and pastel. I took a few pictures yesterday as I went along and was able to use them for reference today to develop the large moon and tree in the background of this sketch.  Tomorrow I hope to work on a few of the other sketches.

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on black paper.

 

Posted in Body Language, Facial Expression, Groups Interacting, Story Creation, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Live Sketching at the San Diego Opera

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Falstaff at the San Diego Opera

The San Diego Opera season opens this Saturday with Falstaff. Local artists were invited to live sketch the Wednesday working rehearsal and I was so glad to be part of the group yesterday evening. We sat in the orchestra section and had amazing views. The stage, costumes, lighting and singing were wonderful and it was exciting to be among so many artists.

This was my first live sketch and I knew that I would have to work fast and, if I wanted to work in gouache, that I would have to come prepared to paint in dim light with very little water and not fumble for materials.

I used a large letter tray for a desk and lined the bottom with paper towels. Just before leaving the house I squeezed substantial amounts of moist gouache onto a small palette for 12 colors. To avoid the mess of cleaning brushes I brought along 12 water brushes each labeled with a color. Once I found a seat I assembled these materials on the tray, added 2 black sketchbooks, a few pastel pencils and small book light to complete my working desk.

Then came the hard part- sketching with gouache as fast as I could! If only the performers could have sung at half pace, then I might have been able to keep up! I became more reckless as the evening progressed and feel I caught some of the magic, motion and mayhem of Falstaff in these in-the-moment live sketches.

Thank you San Diego Opera!

These are all pastel and gouache sketches on black paper.

Posted in Body Language, Deliberate Practice, Facial Expression, Groups Interacting, Story Creation, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

San Dieguito County Park

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
San Dieguito County Park

San Dieguito County Park

We are at that point of spring where the trees are still mostly bare but the ground cover is a gorgeous green. My landscape class visited a county park, San Dieguito, and it was perfect for capturing this seasonal moment.

This is a gouache on black paper sketch.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Bouquet for a Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

 

Bouquet for a Happy Valentine's Day

Bouquet for a Happy Valentine’s Day

Sending a bouquet for a Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments