Not making this drawing would have been easy. For a couple of days I walked right past my friend's basket of ordinary garden tools and nearby potted plants, not even giving them a moment’s notice. But little by little, this random backyard arrangement began to capture my fascination. And then it found its way onto … Continue Reading ››
Tag Archives: watercolor
My Brief History of Sketching Trees
As a young child, you likely learned to draw a tree by using a few circular shapes to symbolize masses of leaves supported by a narrow rectangle to depict the tree’s trunk. And if you were in a creative mood that day, a few angled lines could be added to suggest its branches.
[caption id="attachment_11864" align="aligncenter" … Continue Reading ››
Sketches In Paradise
Waking up to a misty Payne’s Gray sky that engulfs coastal Santa Cruz is common at this time of year. On this particular Saturday morning, I was hoping for summer sunshine that would keep our paper dry and help us to see and sketch crucial shadows.
Anticipation ran high as I packed my sketchbook and a … Continue Reading ››
Fast & Furious or Slow & Curious?
The mountains of Santa Cruz are a great place to practice drawing fast. While on a mountain bike ride, I completed the ink study shown above in just a few minutes. Being able to draw anything, anywhere—fast or slow—is how I like to roll.
Legendary teacher, Kim Nicolaides wrote, “For an artist, the important thing … Continue Reading ››