I do not know what academic topic these two were discussing today in the Hebrew University Library’s cafe, but I thought that there was a more personal and unspoken topic being considered as well. I tried to capture the positive feeling I felt that these had for each other by emphasizing their eye contact and alertness to each other.
This is a pen drawing with a watercolor wash on multimedia paper.
I was in the midst of sketching the rocks at Wohl Rose Garden when an elderly man with a cane stopped along the path, his face turned up, his hands leaning on his cane, his eyes on the view. His body language expressed appreciation and I wanted to capture everything about the way he expressed it. I quickly included him in my sketch.
This is a marker and watercolor sketch. Later I made adjustment with Procreate, mostly to increase the contrast between the lights and darks.
In a wild garden near us plants are free to do their own thing. Canna lily leaves and geraniums intertwine and brighten up the day of those who pass by and notice.
This is a watercolor and pen sketch on multimedia paper.
The decision about whether a scientific paper merits publication in a journal is usually made by fellow scientists. Decisions like these require a huge effort by the referees to understand new ideas.
Many of my sketches are attempts to record the visual look or body language of thinking and learning by ordinary people. I was glad today to be able to capture two people grappling with the meaning of a paper they read and deciding on wording for a report back to the authors. Their body language mirrors their effort to learn and understand. Learning requires attention and attention is shown by the way the two figures are each sitting on a corner of their chair, facing and looking directly at each other. Their hand gestures, the body language of explaining and clarifying, support the idea that the interaction is about thinking and learning.
This is a marker, watercolor and watercolor pencil sketch on multimedia paper.
Jerusalem, like San Diego, has huge agaves succulents. The unusual shape and size of their leaves are especially fun to draw. The figure hurrying through the shadow suggests a story, perhaps one about getting home before dark.
This is a marker and watercolor sketch on multimedia paper.
I didn’t get a chance to sketch until the end of the day but fortunately I had an excellent model, sleepy but fixated on making sense of a lecture on his computer.
One of my goals is telling a story through image and a story that fascinates me is the drive humans have to learn and understand. The kitchen setting along with the book, hand holding the head, and gaze on the computer suggest that the figure is studying something complex outside of regular work hours.
This is a pen and watercolor sketch on multimedia paper.
I went back to the Hebrew University and sketched another view of the sculpture from last week. This time I worked at showing its energy by making it more abstract and using stronger colors. Unfortunately, I lost the look of a bronze statue in the process.
This is a soluble pencil and watercolor sketch on narrow watercolor paper.
Deliberate Sketching 