Waiting
I sketched this morning with the North Park Drawing group. There was a mix-up with the models so our start time was delayed. An artist volunteered to pose while we waited and we got to it. I worked quickly, fearing the model would arrive in the midst of the sketch, which is exactly what happened. I like the way the artist shows he is waiting with his relaxed limbs, leaning posture and reflective gaze.
This is a pen and watercolor sketch.
Fixing the Leak
Our watering system sprang a big leak, which is not good when water conservation is as important as it is right now in California. It had to be fixed and I got to sketch my favorite home repairman in the process. I did several sketches and worked to capture the focus and effort that was being put into finding and understanding the problem.
This is a pen and watercolor sketch on SM.LT watercolor paper.
The Fiddler on the Truck
Sometimes you see something that makes you glad you have paper and pen handy. Today was one of those days.
I could hear music and looked out the door to see my neighbor practicing for his violin lesson in the back of his family’s pickup. It was a kind of ‘fiddler on the truck’ moment, a bit absurd and totally wonderful. He was engrossed in reading his music and I was able to do a lightning fast sketch of his head, long arms, legs and some of the truck before my neighbors hurried off to the lesson.
This is a pen and watercolor sketch.
Dog Waits While Man Reads Paper
A tap, tap, tap broke the quiet of our evening. I looked up from my book and was charmed by our dog thumping his tail as he waited for his walk. His reward for being so cute was to wait even longer while I quickly sketched him and the whole scene.
This is a Procreate sketch with a small black frame from Snapseed.
Luke and I put Our Feet Up
The day got away from me and it was late when I started to sketch. I was glad to put my feet up and Luke was glad to sit beside me.
This is a Procreate sketch with some Snapseed assistance to make the texture more visible.
A Reading Place
Some places invite readers to open a book for hours and our living room is one of these. Two comfortable chairs and a couch, wonderful lighting and a place for coffee make this a favorite spot for me.
I sketched this with pen on watercolor paper and fortunately took a photo before starting to paint. Later when I did not like the way the watercolor overwhelmed the drawing I was able export my original sketch into Procreate and try again. The watercolor was too intense but the line drawing without color was too dull. This version with soft washes showing the afternoon light is the one I like best.
This is a pen and Procreate sketch.
Fruit in a Basket
I liked the way the fruit looked in the colorful woven basket on the dark wooden table and sketched it as part of a larger scene that included a bookshelf, paint box and sketchbook in the background. Later I decided the background was too distracting so I used Procreate to eliminate most of it and enlarge the basket of fruit.
This is a pencil, watercolor and Procreate sketch.
Deliberate Sketching 