One Veteran

"Veteran" sketch on grey toned paper, ©Laura Gable

Hi Friends. I finally accepted Jim's invitation to post on your blog. So I'm making my maiden entry here. This is the sketch I did of the Korean Veteran who was sharing coffee with his other veteran friend in the sunny coffee shop of the new Yokes's Fresh Market on Keene Road. Was that in November? It was an enjoyable time shared sketching and sharing art stories, art foibles and various joys & woes with my artist friends. I used my graphite pencils, on a Faber Casteel grey toned sketch tablet. The darker tones were added using a black china marker (grease pencil), and highlights were made with a white china-marker (my favorite tool). Some small strokes of colored pencils were added at the end to liven it with a touch of color. He really wasn't sleeping, tho the sketch does tend to have that somber quality. Enjoy;-)

I welcome your comments.
--Laura Gable

Drawing the Santa at Columbia Center Mall, Richland / Kennewick WA, lapoynte

"Wednesday Morning Sketchers"

L to R:  Dave Poynter, Patty Kirch, Cindy Rutherford, Jimmy Butts, Nancy Thurston

 

After the sketching we met up in the food court for our "sharing" of our sketches. 

Great conversation with new ideas and thoughts. 

 

 

"Christmas in the Mall"

A couple of quick sketches from this morning's Christmas Sketchabout with the

USkTC's group.  The one on top captures how I am always thinking bout, and

working on, perspective; and capturing only the essence of what is before me. 

 

  

This one doesn't have much to do with perspective except maybe in the boxes lying about at the base of the tree.  This one represents my interpretation of the excitement of Christmas to a child:  Santa, the tree, the presents are a part of that image, but so are the bright, jump-off-the-page colors.  To a child, Christmas is a smashing event, larger than anything - and that's what I am depicting here.

 

 

 

9x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Noodler's ink, watercolors

Black & White or Color?

I can see that I am probably going to be trying something new each week.  I keep getting all these idea's from all the other sketchers. New paper to try, new pens, and inks...so fun.    I tried toned paper this week.  Next I want to try some of those neat pen's Jim uses.

 

 I am really enjoying the practice and the community of artists.  Sorry I had to scoot today for the after gathering.  Come January I will be able to hang around a bit more and I am looking forward to doing that!

PALLET

I got my pallet from a great artist, Ovanes Berberian, when I signed up for his workshop.  He is the BEST colorist and the pallet has served me well over the years!  I purchased a plastic watercolor pallet holder (EMPTY!) and then bought these watercolors in tube form.  I squirt the empty squares full of paint in the order he lists them here and let them dry overnight.  This is SO much better than the little watercolor kits that have the paints already in them - some of the colors are yucky...

1.Titanium White

2.Yellow Ochre

3.Cadmium Yellow Light

4.Cadmium Yellow Medium

5.Cadmium Orange

6.Cadmium Red Light

7.Quinacridone Red (this it the bright red you liked, Dave)

8.Alizarin Crimson

9.Platinum Violet

10.Thalo Blue

11.Ultramarine Blue 

12.Thalo Green 

13.Green gold

14.Cadmium Green

15.Burnt Siena

16.Burnt Umber

17.Ivory or Mars Black

If there are colors you prefer over what is listed here - let me know!  Have Fun!

WEDNESDAY SKETCHING!

This morning The Great Group met at the Columbia Center Mall

and drew around the Santa Claus area.

We did this last year as well (there was only Jim and I) and I remembered:

the area is HUGE and BUSY and CROWDED.

My drawing reflected that (and SILLY, I might add).

This first drawing was a warm up to keep me focused on ONE thing - a wrapped gift.

The last drawing - I was ready!  I started with the soldier's hat and went from there.  

Lots of detail and lots of steady as she goes round and round to the edges of the tree.

It made little sense until I painted it.

Again, Great Group - so fun!!!

Roaster's Coffee - 12/11/13

With the gang at another coffee shop today. I'm finding that sketching folks is fun!

Learning the Sketch Crawl

Trying to find my grove! Simple or detailed?  Not sure what my style will be, but I am learning a lot from the more experienced gang of Tri City Sketchers.

At Roaster's in Richland today.  I kind of really enjoy my coffee just a tad bit more with the smell of graphite and ink.  

Hey Dave what was that eraser you suggested again?

Wednesday Sketching!

 This first drawing was inspired by Jim's wild painting!

I figured a crooked lamp on a table at Roasters fit the style...

Here are a few of the TONS of Sketchers who showed up today - WHOO HOO!  

What a group!  

Cyndi is on the left (a little over-sized), then there's Regular Dave, and the new Patti.  

Welcome everyone!

These coffee cups were all over the tables we were drawing on - lovely!
 

"Roaster's"

 

Sketching at Roaster's, Richland WA, with Urban Sketchers, lapoynte

"Post-Industrial Coffee Complex"

I saw this coffee maker this morning in Roaster's Coffee where the Wednesday Morning USkTC group met to do some sketching.  It reminded me of some industrial complex sitting on a hilltop so I tried to portray it as such.  Then I added the watercolors in this splotchy style hoping to lend some atmosphere to the piece.  I'm liking the energy and expressive qualities I'm getting with this splotchy painting thing.  For me, it seems to free the image to move about the page, sorta.   

 

  

 

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, ink, watercolors

 

"Being Loose in the Coffee Shop"

 

As I continue on my journey into looseness, some really interesting and fun things sometimes happen.  Such was the case with these two sketches.

The one of the bottom was the first, and the one that took the most amount of time in both laying down the lines and the color. Each person is represented in totality however, no compositing of multiple people to each figure as I used to do frequently.  

The one on top was a blast: both in the fun doing it, and in the speed of laying it down - the main group of four people in the middle in just over 4 minutes - really fast.  The other three people and the background were added afterwards.  Adding the color may have taken 3 minutes.

 

 

One of the fastest sketches I have ever done, and one of the most joyful to do.





Slower sketching, but quick enough to capture the whole person. 

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, ink, and watercolors




At The Local on Gage - 12/4/13

Another fun day with the 509 Urban Sketchers group!  And what made it extra special was that my good friend Jimmy Butts joined us!