A few weeks ago, I sketched a young man who was working on his laptop. This new sketch is a kindred piece. It shows a man with a similar, contemplative expression. Both scenes gave me the sense that the men, with their relaxed open expressions, were actively chasing an idea by conversing with their computers.
In this sketch, I used sky blue, Naples yellow, and Quinacridone violet because together, these convey a feeling of the display’s reflected light on the man’s face.
The North Carolina Beach was beautiful, and at night, the energy from the thunderstorms seemed almost otherworldly. I took a series of night photos and particularly loved the ones with reflections.
One of my young relatives was working at his computer during a busy family reunion. I noticed the emotional resonance between him and his laptop and saw that his work captivated him. I wanted to capture this in a quick sketch. I kept this simple by using a 1.5-inch flat brush with three primary colors and painting directly on the paper without drawing first.
There is something about seeing people in nature that makes me want to show it in a painting. This is especially true when the beauty of the place seems to cast a spell so that the people especially enjoy and appreciate each other. When I saw these two walking on the beach, I knew I had to try to capture their relationship and the timeless beauty of a summer beach walk under a grand sky.
This was painted at Dana Point along San Diego‘s Mission Bay.
We were walking back to our campsite from game night with my brother’s family. I looked up at the quarter moon and paused to take a photo. A moment later my husband turned to see where I was, and as he did, I snapped the photo that I used for this gouache painting. I liked the way his flashlight, the splash of light on the ground, and the moon connected with each other.
The towels were so bright against the forest background that I had to sketch them.
Deliberate Sketching 