Monday at Pike Place, Pencil Sketch

Pike Place sketch, pencil
Original 7"x10" (two facing pages)

This is typical of my quick pencil sketches in preparation for a watercolor painting. It takes only about 10 minutes or less. I use this method to work out my composition, capture fleeting effects of light and shadow and eliminate unnecessary detail.

Seattle Sketches, Fold-Out

Accordion style fold out from my sketcbook
7"Hx24"W

One of our favorite things to do on a weekend day is to go to Seattle and prowl around the Pike Place Market. It's always really busy then, so if you want to have a little elbow room to do a few sketches, it's best to go on a weekday morning.

My pen and ink & pen and wash drawings are done without preliminary pencil work, just a micron pen on Fabriano Artistico 140#CP watercolor paper. The pencil sketch is usually done with minimum eraser, if any, to work out the general composition. Then I can have fun and do the rest with my #8 round watercolor brush.

Two of these sketches were done earlier this year while visiting the Gaugin Exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum on a Monday in April. It was nice (read: not raining) but very windy.....and just in time to meet the deadline for the Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition.

Trees

Original Watercolor
7"x10" center of foldout
Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition

Here's another page from my sketchbook. It's the center section of an accordion foldout. It has another section either side of it, each 7"x5".

We had a long winter and the transition was almost immediate into spring. Another day in early April, and I don't think I would have caught the change.

I'll post more about this series of three sketches soon.

Moleskine Rebinding, Accordion Style

I've added a new YouTube video, demonstrating how to replace the thinner paper from a Moleskine sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition, with #140 Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. This is necessary for me because I often do ink & wash or watercolor sketches in my sketchbook and I need the proper absorbency of the real watercolor paper.

I bind it accordion style so that more paper can fit without stacking too thickly into the binding.
This also gives me the option of several format choices, running across more than one fold at a time.

I have another video here, showing exactly how to sew the paper onto the cover and the materials used.

The Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition

Original Sketches from my Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition
7"x18" Accordion Fold Section

Now that this has been sent in, and the deadline has passed, I thought you might like to get a peek inside my sketchbook. Visit here for more information on the whole project.

I removed the thin paper from the original Moleskine sketchbook provided by the project and replaced it with 140 lb. CP Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. Directions on how to rebind your sketchbook here.

Every contributor to the Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol. 1 will be included in a series of art books documenting the project. Together, the series will provide insight into the imagination and process of each artist participating in the project. Bound by the Brooklyn Art Library Press and hand-finished in our Brooklyn workshop, the book series will be published in the fall of 2012.

Morning Shadows

Original Watercolor
7x10"

This little sketch is included in my contribution to the Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition.