Setting the Stage: Older Sketches

May 5, 2014

Like many children, I liked to draw and thought I was pretty good at it. As I got to art classes in high school I became convinced that I was no good at art, and definitely not an artist and ended up studying biology. However, I always have made things by hand- mostly needlework. As an adult I learned to quilt and gradually grew into a textile/quilt artist. I actually felt like a fraud the first time I called myself an artist. It felt like such a bold claim!

I have not done much drawing as an adult, except for quick sketches (ie Pictionary or for a plan for my textile art). However, I've always admired people who could draw and paint and I love, love, love watercolors! I really wanted to learn how to use them. I really loved the idea of travel journaling too. Travel was the time I was most relaxed and felt like I had time to spend on a journal. Many of the early sketches were done while traveling.

As far as the watercolor paints go, I can't remember exactly what was used in each sketch. I have in my art supplies tube watercolors, pan watercolors, watercolor crayons, watercolor pencils and liquid watercolors. Whew! I've tried nearly everything it seems. Some of the watercolors are from 10-15 years ago and bought for my daughter to use. Here are some of the supplies I've used in the past:

DaVinci Tube Watercolors (not favorites)
Winsor & Newton Cotman Tube Watercolors (not favorites, don't always re-wet well)
Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketch Pocket Box Pan Set (don't like these too much)
Dr. Ph Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Liquid Watercolors (need to experiment more)
Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Artists' Crayons (prefer these on fabric)
Derwent Inktense Pencils (not sure yet)
Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolor Pan Set (love these!)
M Graham Tube Watercolors (really lovely, re-wet beautifully)
Schmincke Watercolor Pan Set (smallest size- current favorite travel set)

These first few sketches were done over 10 years ago. At this time I was studying books about nature journaling, so these are more about documenting nature.

I tried to get back into the habit in 2012, but it didn't last long.

I didn't pick up the sketchbook again until a year later. On a trip to Cape Cod in 2013 I did a couple of quick sketches.

Back home again I managed to do some more summer sketches at the lake.

I did a little bit of travel journaling while in Ecuador in December 2013. This trip was actually so jam packed that I had little free time for journaling. I really wish I had done more though.

Back home in Oregon, I started off the new year wanting to make a more concerted effort to develop my sketching and journaling skills. I read lots of books (see the book list at the bottom of the page). I bought some new journals. First I carried around a little square Hand Book Artist Journal. I soon realized the paper wasn't meant for wet media and that my black pen wasn't water proof. Despite that I have to say this first sketch is one of my favorites.

At this point I also started drawing people and faces. At first it seemed almost impossible, but if I can do a face based on a still photograph rather than real life or video, I can actually do something recognizable. What a revelation! More practice is needed, but I never thought I could do that at all.

At this point I switched back to the same small Moleskine Watercolor Notebook because I realized that I really wanted to do watercolor without the page curling. I also tried lots of different waterproof pens. My favorite so far is the Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen, size XS, S or F in either black or sepia. I've also tried Copic and Micron pens. I've got loads of pens around so I have lots of choices, but I also realized I don't like sketching with ball point pens. The pen that ran in the above sketches was a Pilot G2, which I really love except for that.

At this point I managed to do more frequent sketches for a while. It was also at this time I discovered the new and upcoming Sketchbook Skool. I signed up right away.