Tag: ink sketch

Colorado Cactus Flowers

My sister lives outside Durango, CO, on 40 acres of high desert. Scrub oak, cacti, deer, and all sorts of things roam about. Today she sent some photos of the flowers in bloom around her place. Some prickly pears were in bloom, so here is the photo she took.

The plants in her area are similar to the ones here in California where we live. There are hillsides covered with prickly pear cacti out here, and as our climate is warmer, they bloom earlier than in Colorado at 8000 feet. This is my painting of her photo.

I outlined the big cactus plant on the left with ink and then painted it. The others I did with direct watercolor. Combining outlines with free form painting is rather fun, and a good way to continue practicing. I think the outlines made for a more successful cactus but not having outlines also makes it very important to look at shape and value. Practicing both in the same painting is rather an interesting process.

Somewhere in Wyoming

Last summer we spent a couple of weeks traveling around the western part of the US, visiting states such as Wyoming and Arizona and Utah.  Open space, loneliness, long drives through incredible country.  This is a photo I took out of the car window on the way from Laramie, WY, to Grand Teton National Park, where we stayed for several days.

I pushed the colors in post production, to pull out greens, reds, and blues.  The view of the house / barn was fascinating – and I expect the view from it is even better, rather than zipping by in a car.   Anyway, I’ve decided to do some sketches, in ink then color, and hopefully an unlined watercolor based on elements of this photo.  Below is this morning’s sketch.