Greens

I played hooky from Sketch Club today. Instead I spent a relaxing morning at Thomas Mitchell Park.

I also played with some watercolor in my sketch journal. How can there be so many shades of green in one small section of woods???? Holy smokes...and everytime I looked up they changed! lol

The weeds were a beautiful silver blue but changed as often as the trees! First they would be back lit, then they would silhouette as the clouds played with the sun....

Here is a snippet from my journal.

Sketch Journal

A Sketch Journal
Can a moleskin journal make a difference?

I understand the importance of drawing every day. And there are many times I get stuck on a concept that I want to write down and find I don't have paper with me. I keep a writing journal but it has lined paper in it and doesn't feel like a place to sketch in. I have tried many different varieties and flavors of sketch books; large, small, thick, thin. I haven't seemed to find the right combination of a portable writing & sketching book that let's me play....until now.

I finally broke down and purchased my first moleskin journal. http://www.moleskines.com/klmbl13.html I purchased the large sketchbook style 5.25x8.25.

The size is wonderful and the paper is thick.

Here are just a couple of pages from my journal. Most of what I've been doing is experimental yet - but I've been more successful than in any previous attempt. Is it the size? Is it the paper? Is it the medium? Or the combination of the three?

New materials are always fun and can lead to great experimentation and creativity. Here are the materials that I currently have in my little black carry bag:

I stumbled upon a new technical pen by Staedtler that uses a permanent ink and flows very smoothly. Much better than the Kohinoor pens I have been trying. http://www.artstuff.net/staedtler_technical_pens.htm

Watercolor pencils seem to work much better than watercolor paints. I use Primacolor Watercolor pencils with a Niji Water Brush. It is a pen barrel that holds water. Perfect for travel and just enough water on the brush to bring the colors out.

http://www.cheapjoes.com/art-supplies/5239_niji-water-brushes.asp

A carpenter pencil. The big flat pencils that carpenter's use. It is great to do fast sketches with. http://www.victorystore.com/business/pencils/carpenter.htm

A .7mm mechanical pencil with HB lead. I can't be without a mechanical pencil!