Scratchings From the Sketchpad

The morning dawned bright and crisp as a Colorado day in June should.  After weeks of rain native grasses stood tall and dappled sunlight pierced a canopy of cottonwood leaves.  It was a perfect morning for plein air painting . . . one that would surely stimulate the creative juices of an artist.  I was helping to organize the Governor’s Art Show’s Plein Air and Auction event that was hosted at the beautiful and historic Osborn Farm near Loveland.  Fifteen artists, whose work was featured in the opening ceremony of the Governor’s Art Show the night before, fanned over the farm to find their muse and a beautiful painting.  After two hours, the Swiss bell rang and participants framed their work and hung them in the venerable, Osborn barn which served as an art gallery for prospective buyers to peruse the gem-like pictures.  At twelve o’clock noon, John Kinkade used his professional skills to auction each painting to happy buyers.

In Lesson One I discussed how to select the right sketchbook for your purpose.  Here is a check list of items you may wish to carry in your pack.

BASIC SUPPLIES:

• Your favorite graphite pencil (No. 2 will work), a kneaded eraser, and a black gel or rollerball pen.  A pen with permanent ink is preferred with a nib size of .5 mm. (extra fine).  I like to make ink drawings when traveling.  They can be finished pieces in themselves, or I can add watercolor to enhance the pictures.
• Bring some paper clamps along to hold down the extra pages from flapping in the breeze.
• A Watercolor travel set is a basic requirement for a journal artist.  Check out these brands: Da Vinci Watercolor Set in Travel Tin, Winsor & Newton’s Cotman Pocket Travel Set, Schmincke, and Sennelier travel sets.
• Brushes:  Some travel sets include a small brush.  I prefer the travel brushes that have covers to protect the sable points.  They are more expensive but are worth the price for protection.  Start with a No. 6 brush and add others as you find the need.
• A small plastic folding water cup and a small bottle of water.  If you have none, be creative.  Find a paper cup or something nearby that will hold a small amount of water.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST

• TomBow Dual Brushes:  These are watercolors that are delivered from individually colored brushes.  They do not contain alcohol as many others do.  Individual colors can be selected, or a “Landscape Series” pack may be purchased.  The colors can be intense.  I would suggest selecting 6 or 8 single brushes that are not dark in chroma.
• Dr. Ph. Martin’s Fine Art Watercolor:  I suggest carrying a small bottle of Burnt Umber and a small brush to add shading and 3-dimension to ink sketches.  It can be very effective.
• A tablet of watercolor postcard blanks and a few postcard postage stamps.

HAVE FUN, BUT DO NOT BE TOO CRITICAL OF YOUR WORK.  IT IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK!