Sketchbook – Page 7 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

Les Fleurs Sont Belles

Yesterday was one of those days where everything else got in the way of painting. Today is one of those, too. However, painting shall prevail!

I have a lot of different paper and sketchbooks, but I have decided that I do want to have a sketchbook going all the time and to use it when nothing else seems to be do-able. This book is a book more for ink and pencil as the paper is very smooth and has a creamy color. For watercolor, I want more texture, and a different type of paper altogether, but it is a sketchbook, and that means it is a playground. So, I played.

Until you try something, you don’t know what will happen. Same with this sketch book. I sat on the concrete of the patio and looked around at the potted plants. Here, rosemary and milkweed mixed together.

Behind the rosemary and milkweed is the beginning of a giant sunflower plant, one which I expect to grow about 10 feet tall!

Felicias are always fun to find in pots as they droop over the edge and provide a lovely accent to anything they are planted with. The ones above were done with a pencil outline and the ones below just rather free-form with the brush.

I like these felicias a bit more as they are less constrained and stiff.

Finally, one of the last daffodils of the spring. I focused on the leaves and flower shape, trying to keep the flower simple but expressive. The dappled light and shadow on the leaves, and their shadows, especially caught my eye.

Besides just being a study of flowers, I decided to be minimalist with art supplies out on the patio and use this as an opportunity to see just what few things might make for a nice plein air kit. Sitting on the concrete was rather chilly and hard on my old bones. I brought out my camp stool, and that helped, but then I didn’t know where to put my water or pan paints as nothing nearby was convenient. What to do? Well, I did stick things on the ground, but my u.go pochade box will be the next addition to the adventure.

What a fun way to pass some time in the sun! We are hitting some nice weather – in the upper 60s to mid 70s F – before it plummets to 55 F or so later on. And, time to work a bit on plein air – the less I have to lug around the happier I am, as long as I like what I do where I am – and that means liking doing, not just making pictures I like!

Sky Above the Owens Valley

Another sketch from a photo I took, this one snapped out of the rear car window! Having a camera can get some great stuff when you don’t have time to stop every 5 minutes.

Sky Above the Owens Valley – Quill Pen and Iron Gall Ink

This was my initial sketch, done with a quill cut with a finer nib as well as done with more attention to detail. After the sketch dried for a few hours, I laid in the watercolor. Some ink was still damp even after a couple of hours drying outdoors and blotting. Below is the original photo.

A Few Trees

I am rather enjoying sketching as part of my morning routine. Today’s sketch is still in Independence, California. There is a trail that connects the native plant garden to a small park, Dehy Park, and I think I took this picture along the pathway. I found the repeated curved rhythm of the trees to be utterly charming – I expect the wind has a lot to do with the way the trees are bent.

Anyway, I decided to not use my Micron pens, as I have for the past three days, but to use a quill I cut myself from a turkey or goose feather and my homemade iron gall ink. First, I sketched the grove.

Then, I let the ink dry – or thought I did! – before adding the watercolor. Areas of ink were still wet. One of the drawbacks of iron gall ink is that it does take a bit of time to dry. The wet ink messed up some of the paints by blending in with the colors, muddying them.

Once I noticed that I decided to use dots and such with the watercolor, especially for the foliage toward the top of the trees. I dabbed the paint on, in between the black, inky branches.

I mixed colors with a water brush, stronger than the paler colors I have been using, and just applied them. The effect wasn’t too bad. In between the leaves I used blue, again, tapping the paint in, avoiding the dark of the ink.

After the paint dried, I went through a second time with the iron gall ink, both with the quill and then a defunct water brush. I think it helped out, but overall, the sketch is still quite messy, and certainly not what I intended. What I do like is the sense of dappled sunlight in the leafy canopy.

A Few Trees – Iron Gall Ink, Quill Pen, Watercolor

Takeaway points: First, the ink needs to dry before applying the watercolor paint. My quill has a wider tip on it than your standard dip pen, and thus makes bold lines. However, a bit more care could create a better combination of lines, and perhaps render the sketch more interesting. Adding brushwork and stronger lines after the first ink and paint applications helped to strengthen some areas. After I did that, I went about the morning chores while the sketchbook dried outdoors in the morning sun. I had to wait an hour at least – and then, the scan of the final sketch!

Dry Wash

One of the nicest things about spending 2-3 nights at a place is that you get to explore. Independence, CA, is along Hwy 395 and is a town you would zip right by if your weren’t staying there. However, you really can miss a few things!

We stayed at the Winnedumah Hotel, in a room at the back. Out the door and down the road a few blocks is the local museum, and although it was closed the days we were there, we plan to go back. Outside the museum is a rather wonderful native plant garden. It faces west, so it is in the shadow of the Eastern Sierras. There is a creek running through it, complete with trickling water. Winter rains swell it and it obviously flows over its banks.

The sandy shore and rocky bottom depicted here create a dry wash. In canyon country these smooth areas are tempting for campers because the smooth soil makes pitching a tent and sleeping bag comfortable and easy, but if a rain happens upstream, a flash flood creates a swirling death trap. Even locally – where I live – people are drawn to these washes in the rainy season (if there still is one . . . ) and get washed away in the event. I had a wonderful friend who died in such a flash flood because the ground he was standing on probably got abruptly eroded from underneath. Even peaceful streams need to be treated with respect.

Near Olancha

Even though our trip was stopped by Covid-19, I did get a number of photos along the way. Olancha, CA, is one of those little towns without a lot of amenities, but big in different ways. Here are some – and were some – nice little restaurants that provide comfort to the hungry and a much-needed break from the car. Little dirt roads catch the eye, and trees and houses break up the flat land leading to the grandeur of the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. So, even though my trip was canceled, I d intend to create sketches of what I saw along the way . . .