Outdoor Sketches
The weather shifted a bit this week, trading the frigid wind for hints for sunshine.
In celebration of not having to wear 16 layers to go outside I thought I would take a little sketchbook, a stick of water-soluble graphite and the pup, and head out into nature.
As we were walking in the woods I kept an eye out for interesting forms and textures. Having the dog with me requires I make these sketches quickly, so I worked with mostly blind/semi-blind contours.
I’ll take these back into the studio and add water and color next. Follow me over on instagram to see the final product!
Materials Used:
Mid-Winter Color and Contour Studies
The snow has been melting (slowly!) and revealing just the most beautiful ochres and ruddy browns recently.
On our walks I’ve been trying to take photos when I can (or mentally capture the tones when I’m preoccupied) to bring back into the studio and explore.
I’m interested in layering these with the contour drawings I’ve been making from area landscape features and presenting a sort-of cross sectional exploration into these last weeks of winter.
I’m using acrylic and water-soluble graphite on roll canvas for most of these - but may switch to watercolor as I continue.
An Afternoon with Contours - at the MSU Broad Art Lab
On October 13th I had the honor of leading a workshop at the MSU Broad Art Lab.
The class was an intro to using contour lines as the basis for an abstract painting, using still life setups as the starting point. (Materials found at The Scrap Box! Read about re-visiting my childhood paradise here!)
It was also an especially meaningful class to teach, as I am a graduate of the MSU Fine Art program. It was just a ‘few’ years ago that I was a student and was a major honor to be invited to back in an instructor role! <3
Our group began by surveying the 3 setups, finding moments in the chaos that interested and intrigued us - and then began to sketch. For the sketches we used water soluble graphite*, so that we could work back into our sketches later as we expand and explore.
Once we had gathered a collection of contour sketches to pull from, we moved into the front area and began to paint. Watching and helping the attendees respond to the sketches with color was an absolute joy.
The workshop was so much fun and I really enjoyed getting to work one-on-one with so many people and watch their paintings come to life. Huge thanks to MSU Broad Art Lab for setting it up!
I’m hoping to offer another class like this soon, but if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see from me feel free to message me or leave a comment.
<3
* Link contains an affiliate code. If you purchase the product from my Amazon shop they send a little money my way! No cost difference to you, just helps support my work and keep me able to find new materials for you to try <3