Thursday, July 07, 2005

Sketchin'



Here is a little sketch I did this morning as a warm-up. I have a whole bunch of small scraps of nice Arches watercolor paper sitting around. It is great stuff to draw on-- wonderful texture. It's not my normal way of sketching. I normally draw on some heavy, very white, 8.5x11 copy paper (cougar opaque). It is also great paper. I like to use the copy paper instead of a sketchbook because there is no stupid spine to get in the way and If I do a crappy sketch, which I do quite often, I don't have the feeling that I ruined a whole book. Then at the end of the year I take my stack of drawings down to Kinko's and have them bound together. See, I still end up with a sketchbook, I just don't have as much crap filling it's pages. So, the cougar opaque is the only stuff I use--except for the little scraps. I'm a sort of paper snob. I think I got way off track here. My point is that while I'm working on paintings I'm not sitting next to my copy paper so when I am bored or have the urge to sketch, I reach for the little scraps. And, because I'm sitting at my drawing table next to my paints, It's easy to do little color studies. It is a really refreshing break and sometimes it gives me just enough of a boost to make my normal work tolerable. These sketches are usually quick. anywhere from 5-20 minutes from start to finish. That way I don't feel like I'm wasting too much time. That is until I waste a hour trying to put it in a blog that was only meant to be a couple pictures and a quick comment. Oh well..

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

very cool - but where's Pompey, and Charbonneau, and Seaman, and the rest of the gang?? uh, yeah, i know, wrong Native American Princess, but any opportunity for a Lewis & Clark reference, and you know I'll be there.

Lorien said...

I like her. Mighty stretchy rawhide. Did they make lycra back then? :)

paige said...

OH! I'm so happy you have a blog, Guy! Count on me visiting regularly!

Beautiful sketch. All your work is beautiful. And I love your idea of taking all the copy paper sketches and having them bound in a book. I might do the same now. I'm not familiar with Cougar Paper...sounds intriguing.

All best!

Kactiguy said...

Paige- I'm so glad you came to visit. I'll be visiting yours regularly too. Right after checking out your blog I went a did my first Illustration Friday. It was fun. You are so good.

You'll love the sketchbook thing. I bought a little aluminum clipboard that holds extra paper inside of it. I take it with me to sketch. Paper inside, nice drawing surface on top... ahhh, now thats the life.

Karen said...

That is such a good idea! having the good sketches bound together instead of buying a sketch book. I always hate having to rip the paper out of the sketch book after doing a crappy drawing and then consequently having a really skinny book, and of course those wires are especially awful when your left handed like me.

Anna said...

I am glad I discovered this blog. Thanks for the sketch "book" idea. Your drawings are really good. I am an amateur artist myself and I love getting ideas and techniques from any source available. By the way, I am Otto's sister (just so you know).