limited palette with a challenge

new color chart in sketchbook based on David Barker's limited travel palette

Several years ago, there was an article in Artist's Sketchbook magazine on artist David Barker's limited palette and how he used it in his travel sketchbooks. What really caught my attention was that he first used only ultramarine blue and burnt umber to establish values and temperatures in his sketches, then added color only as needed. Sounds like an interesting challenge to me!

the original color chart and my Bijou box

 At the time, I worked out his colors in a color chart which I recently found while cleaning out old art supplies. I decided to try a similar palette in my Bijou box, substituting a quinacridone version of alizarin crimson, goethite brown ochre for raw umber, and quinacridone burnt orange for burnt sienna. I don't use yellow ochre or aureolin anymore -- these are leftover pans. When they are empty, I will probably replace them with quinacridone gold and Hansa yellow medium.

accordian-fold 'granny nanny' journal

I just returned from the second of two trips to Texas to provide childcare for some of our grandkids. For each trip, I sketched in one side of this accordian-fold journal, which I bought from Cathy 'Kate' Johnson on eBay last year -- I call it my 'granny nanny' journal.

The first side was done in March when our eldest son took a group of students to Alaska on a mission trip and I helped out at home with his kids, Jayna, Josiah, and Judah. Now I have just returned from Texas again -- this time staying with our daughter's daughter, Mikala, while her parents were in Scotland.

side 1 - early March in Richmond, TX

side 2 - June in northwest Houston

This journal form especially worked well when Mikala wanted me to draw her new kitten, Oreo. At 9 months old, this Maine Coon cat is already as large as my over-sized 11 year old Maine Coon, Bearcat! We decided that he was too big for one page to contain him . . . . so he takes up 3 pages, along with sketches from her volleyball workshop and a day we picked blackberries:

Individual sketches can be seen on my blog, in the March 2013 and June / July 2013 entries. I also took a watercolor Moleskine with me --- haven't finished posting the sketches from it yet.

last journal pages

last journal pages, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

Lots of people know I begin each of my artist's journals with some kind of illustration of my palette. Lately, I have used the last page as a place to collect memorable quotes or thoughts. These are usually gathered over a period of time, so they are generally scattered in a hap-hazard fashion.

I've also seen a journal artist using the last page or two as a calendar, drawing in the calendar themselves with a splash of color or tiny motifs. Maybe I might try that in the future, if the journal has lots of pages.

frustration

frustration, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

I had an appointment with a doctor Tuesday to discuss the results of x-rays and MRI on my hip and back --- only to find out that the MRI department had imaged my hip but not my back, even though both were ordered. So a pointless appointment and once more being stuffed like a sausage in the tube . . .

I was determined not to sketch more waiting rooms, but drew this decoration as I waited out of sheer frustration. His goofy grin helped me calm down and even laugh about the mistake. Good use of an art journal.

a new beginning

a new beginning, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

I've started a new sketchbook, with cleaned up palette and re-filled watercolor pans . . .

This handbound journal contains mostly Fabriano Artistico 140# hot press paper, plus a sample of Canson Dual 140# (cold press on one side, rough on the other). In the binding process, I forgot to add end papers . . . and found that I actually prefer it this way, using the same watercolor paper for end paper as well.

Though I'm no longer limiting myself to 3 primaries + 2 neutrals, I have larger pans of them in this palette. But I dropped Payne's Grey, switching to Monte Amiata Natural Sienna as my second neutral --- mixed grays and blacks are so much more interesting.

calendar in sketchbook

calendar in sketchbook, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

Through the last 3 months of medical stuff, I have tried to keep a record for doctors on when, how often, and how severe. At first I folded the calendar sheets and tucked them in the pocket at the end of my sketchbook.

Then I thought, for convenience, why not tape them flat on the last page, using this removable double-sided tape? There are 4 month pages here, taped on top of each other at the upper edge --- I can easily flip to see other months. And when I fill this sketchbook, the whole thing removes to be placed in the new sketchbook.

I found the blank calendar sheets at Walmart, but they could also be easily printed at home. The tape was found in the scrapbook section of Hobby Lobby.

on joining the gypsies . . .

on joining the gypsies . . ., a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

If I run away and join the gypsies, I need to learn how to tie a decent scarf head-covering, right?

Actually, I was working out my tears and frustration in my journal over losing my hair. An eczema scalp-rash plus the trauma the vertigo put my body through the past 3 months is causing my hair to fall out. The dermatologist thinks it will all come back in, but in the meantime I'm pretty upset about it. Drawing some possible temporary solutions helps me deal with it -- an excellent reason to keep an art journal, I've found.

BTW, I have not had any more vertigo or dizziness for the past 3 weeks. Looks like it is gone, thank God.

new handbound sketchbooks

new sketchbooks, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

Well they are together at least . . . I made so many mistakes while adding covers to these Coptic-bound book blocks! I had originally planned on different colors of book-cloth for contrast spines. But I'm still dealing with some vertigo/dizziness, so I kept it as simple as possible. I may add some small bit of embellishment to the front of each as I use them --- that helps to easily tell the front from the back. I may shorten those ribbon bookmarks a bit as well.

The first two covers were glued on before I remembered end papers . . . they seem to work fine with just the first and last pages of the book block used as end papers. Another one has a major folded ripple in one end paper . . . pure carelessness. One book's spine board was too wide. Oh, well . . . .

Most of my previous sketchbooks are the size reached when simply folding/tearing down from the original full-size paper -- ending with 5.5 x 7.5" book blocks. These are a bit bigger this time, about 7 x 9". Three are Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold-press watercolor paper from Cheap Joe's, one is Fabriano Artistico 140 # hot-press, and the last one is a combination of Fabriano Artistico 90 lb. soft-press and Mi Tientes toned papers. Oh . . . and making my own bookcloth worked great! Cotton fabric and white tissue paper put together with Heat & Bond iron-on adhesive.

antidote for anger

back to my sketchbook, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

Our local tulip thieves are at it again with the blooming of our late tulips. This time they didn't even carry them to the next block (as was done with our early tulips) --- after picking them, they just threw them down in our yard.

I was so angry . . . . I came right in and sketched them before they wilted anymore, and in the process of observing their beauty up-close lost my anger. Sketching is a wonderful antidote!

fun sketch kit

(55) Jill's sandwich bag, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

This was just too fun to not share! At watercolor class last night, we covered some pretty basic stuff; it is a beginner's class, after all. (But I love hanging out with these people!)

So part of the time, I did a quick sketch of Jill's wee sketch kit. A two-sided purse holding all she needs, including 2 tiny sketchpads --- in the form of a peanut butter & jelly sandwich! The whole thing, filled, measures only 4 x 5 x 1 1/2 inches. Her paint box is a used mint tin and easily fits inside.

Oh --- and Jill carries this treasure in her everyday purse . . . which is in the shape of a big chicken!

new year, 2 new journals (a post from my blog)

new year, two new journals, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

My latest hand-bound journal is filled with Niddigan print paper, which works better with gouache or ink work than watercolor. The paper is very light-weight, with an interesting texture -- I'm not sure if I can paint on both sides of a sheet or not yet. I bought two full sheets, the normal amount used per sketchbook, but the paper is so much thinner than the watercolor paper I normally use I added some pages of toned Fabriano Tiziano paper.

I also started a watercolor Moleskine, bought very cheaply at Border's ending-business sale, for those times when I want to use watercolor. It fits in my purse easier. The paper makes watercolors look a bit dull, but it's just to play in.



The above is the first page of the Niddigan journal -- I always include a palette sketch on the first page of each new journal. It seems to make the journal less "new" and easier to pick up for simple sketches. This shows my updated gouache palette, with some recently purchased colors. I especially love the cool red (quinacridone rose) from M. Graham, but it seems to stay sticky instead of drying in the pan. My other color choices were largely inspired by those of Roz Stendahl -- she does amazing gouache works in her artist journals!

 Using gouache is so different from watercolor, but I am determined to learn more about using it this year. I bought two teaching DVDs from talented artist Sandy Williams. I'm looking forward to learning from Sandy . . . just as soon as I shake this horrible head cold with it's blocked ears and headaches.

UPDATE: Taking the advice of others, I went ahead and painted on the back of this page . . . works great! And watercolor seems to work fine also; the toned paper just adds an "antique" feel. Fun paper!

where the fun begins . . .

where the fun begins . . ., a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

Finally finished binding some new art journals this week. I've actually felt a bit "lost" not having one to grab and sketch in.

The two upper ones are Coptic stitched, both having a heavier 140 # watercolor paper in them which holds up well with this open binding.

The lower left one contains nideggen paper, a print paper I've always wanted to try. Because it is so much thinner, I also added some pages of Fabriano Tiziano toned paper --- scraps of both were used to bind the mini journal.

The landscape oriented journal is Fabriano 90 # soft press --- a paper I love but it's grain runs opposite, so I bind it in this format to get the most pages out of a sheet of paper.

I found some cardstock stickers at Hobby Lobby to stick to the fronts, making it easy to tell front from back. But some actually covers goofs --- The cover paper was from a Daniel Smith sale and was a bit thin, showing glue spots in places. The upper part of the tan bookcloth stained as well, perhaps from the green paper's dye running. Maybe it gives the book character??

sketching from photos

last pages . . ., a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

One morning in Arkansas, Bill called me out to the backyard, which slopes down to a heavily forested area between our friends' home and Norfolk Lake. On the other side of the fence was this newborn fawn, still a bit damp. Bill had noticed a movement and briefly saw the mother, then found this baby laying against the fence.

We kept an eye on the little deer all day but no more sign of the mother. We know she was watching us; we just did not see her. Early the next morning, both were gone. There was an impression in the grass where the mother had lain next to the fawn during the night before moving it to a more hidden spot.

I sketched this from a photograph instead of working on the spot. I didn't want to hang around the baby deer too long to avoid upsetting the mother. So I took photos and moved on. Though working plein air is preferable, I've given myself permission to work from photos also. I used to feel "condemned" or less authentic as an artist if working from photos, but sometimes it works better for me.

The Amish buggy was also from a photo, taken from a moving car.

time for a new journal . . .from Vicky Williamson

new journal a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

. . . another one I bound myself. It's hard to find sturdy cover papers locally. I used a heavy scrapbook paper on this cover but it still seemed like it would wear out long before I finish sketching within its pages.

Kate told me of a neat trick she uses on some journal covers: Future floor wax! Actually I couldn't find any, but Pledge had one that had the Future logo on the label. And it seems to have worked well. Just a bit of shine but it feels much sturdier.

At first the cover was plain, but since I am picking up my new Scottie puppy this coming weekend, I just had to add a bit of Scots to the journal. I'm sure there will be many sketches of her coming . . .

But true to my own tradition, the first pages were palette sketches.

sketching at church . . .

sketching at church . . .
Originally uploaded by vickylw

. . . while listening to the message. Drawing helps me concentrate on what is being said (rather than my eyes wandering around -- I'm such a visual person!) When I look through the sketchbooks later, I find myself remembering what was taught because I was more fully "in the moment".

(I add color later at home.)

Ours is a small, non-traditional church that started as a house-church. We don't sit in pews facing one direction --- we sit in a circle. So everyone can guess that I'm sketching as I write down sermon notes.

Intimidating.

Interview #3--Vicky Williamson

Vicky Williamson is one of our correspondents that I've actually had the privilege to meet and get to know in person. Click on her name to see her wonderful Flickr images, or see her blog for much more information!

Talented, dedicated, funny, she's become one of my favorite people as well as favorite journalers. She lives in Kansas, and often makes the long trip to Missouri for our intermittent sketchcrawls.

(Click on any of these images to enlarge them.)

This spread is from a spring sketchcrawl in East Valley Park...

 
She and husband Bill are lots of fun--we met them up in Weston once, a small, Missouri river town with a somewhat Irish flavor, and it was a delight to see her sketches. I used some of those in the book!

This one is in Chapter 3, on Types of Journals--fun, eh??

 She met up with us and Liz Steel last fall, too--love her sketches of Borromini Bear!

Vicky enjoys testing her materials and exploring the possibilities in her journal...always an inspiration!  (She remembers to put NOTES on hers too, so she can remember what she's tested, years later.)

She got a lot of mileage from this tiny set, don't you think?

So let's get started--meet Vicky Williamson! 

This is my sketch of Vicky from one of our sketchcrawls...she had the sense to bring a CHAIR!

Q. How did you get started sketch journaling? 

A. In my early 50s, I thought that it was too late for me to re-learn how to draw. Then I found your book, "The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature" at the local library. You made it seem so attainable, giving me hope that I could draw again, which I had loved to do all through childhood. I looked you up on-line, and from there, I first learned about keeping a sketch journal.

About 6 months later, I began drawing the Everyday Matters challenges, which gave me the courage to begin keeping one myself. I still remember how terrified I felt to actually post my first sketch on-line!

Q. What interests you most, what catches your eye?

A. I try to sketch things that imply a story behind them, whether actual or imaginary. For example, I would not choose to draw just any building; it would be one showing a history, possibly with signs of decay. If sketching my grandchildren, I don't want it to look like a posed photograph; I'd rather capture a memory of a moment in time.

Q. How do you find (or make) time?

A.  At first I had to push myself to sketch something, regardless of how "unimportant" the subject. Now it has become a habit --- I find myself looking for something to sketch as I go about daily tasks, sometimes even forming a thought or two about some text to add.When I find a few moments, it's easier to get a sketch down because I've already been thinking about it.

I tend to be a hermit and have to push myself to get out to sketch anything special. When out with others , I tend to take photographs to sketch from later. It's just easier for me to focus on the subject that way. In the evenings, sketching whatever happens to be in view, whether a pile of books, a pet, or even my palette, is a good way to relax.




Q. Where do you see this taking you?

A.  I have no idea! Since I began to sketch and post the sketches on-line, I've received attention that I didn't expect. What a surprise it was to find that others actually like what I draw!

I have received a couple of requests to illustrate childrens' books from people who both plan on self-publishing. Botanica, the city gardens in nearby Wichita, expressed an interest in my teaching a future workshop on keeping a nature sketchbook. The plans fell through after budget cut-backs, but maybe it will happen someday.

For now, I enjoy posting sketches on my blog, along with a few written thoughts. It still amazes me when something will catch someone's eye and bring a smile to their day. Sometimes something I've written brings someone else encouragement during a rough time in their life --- I love that!

Vicky also does wonderful sketches of her watercolor palettes and supplies.

Q. You do some color samples in your journal; tell us a bit about that.

A.  Since my journal pages grow from whatever I've doing each day, it seems a natural place to play with colors, comparing pigments and mixes. It becomes a good reference later on when I'm trying to get just the right color mix. Following the example of Liz Steel, I always do some kind of palette illustration or grid for the first page in each journal. An excellent way to get past that scary white page!


Q. How do you arrange your colors? You've been interested in various triads, how are you enjoying those?

A.  From the start, I've arranged my paints in "rainbow" order, from cool reds to blue-purples, followed by neutrals, light to dark. Even when the pigments change, the order remains the same, making it quicker to find the color I'm after.

I experiment with various triads, trying them out in limited palettes, after seeing your successes with them. But I just can't settle on any triad for long . . . . colors mesmerize me and I always have to sneak in some greens and maybe an orange or purple! Working in limited triads is a trial in progress, one I am losing!

Here, an ink and watercolor sketch with the plants that inspired it.

Q. What is your favorite medium?

A.  Ink & watercolor wash! I would someday love to paint "real" watercolor paintings, but the immediacy of a permanent ink sketch followed by a splash of watercolor just brings me joy!


Q. What's your most memorable journaling experience?

A.  There have been many special moments with my journals --- it's still a wonderful surprise when a page or spread turns out especially well.

Last spring, I especially loved a three-day period of sketching in church services while visiting Houston. Saturday was Shabbat at our eldest son's Messianic synagogue, Sunday was Palm Sunday with our daughter's church, and Monday was at a Passover Seder. Each one different, yet all celebrating the same Lord. All captured in some small way in my sketchbook.


Q. Have you taken any classes on journaling, or given any?

A.  I took your first on-line class on keeping an artist's journal, which evolved into this current book. Other than my on-line artist pals, I know of no one else even keeping journals.

Opportunities for art classes locally are very limited, so I doubt there would be much interest in a journaling class.

This one is a handmade folder, rather than a casebound journal as she usually makes--but it was beautiful when finished!

Q. Tell us a little about making your own journals, and why

A.  Though I continue to try out various purchased sketchbooks and journals, I always go back to those I made myself --- you just can't beat working in a book in your chosen size and shape, filled with paper you love to work on. At first, I tried to cram in too many pages or sewed the signatures too tight, preventing the open pages from laying flat. My covers are often a bit crooked, unless I'm using an old hardback book that the insides have been removed from. I'm still learning the whole process, which is satisfying in itself even with a less-than-perfect outcome.

I first learned the process from Martha at Trumpetvine Travels website, showing how to reload a Moleskine sketchbook with better paper: http://www.trumpetvine.com/sketchblog/moleskine-
reloaded/

From here, it was an easy jump to reloading larger books, then trying to make my own book covers. I printed out Martha's instructions and always refer back to them when sewing new journals together.


Q. Other thoughts? Whatever else you think is important...

A.  A hard lesson for me to learn has been that keeping these sketchbook journals is for ME, not anyone else (though I freely share them with anyone who is interested). Some of my family seem to think that it has no value, that I'm just wasting my time when I should go out and get a "real" job. I've had to accept that this is what I am SUPPOSED to be doing at this time in my life, regardless of what others think. And I have been blessed with comments from others all over the world who my sketches have touched in some special way.

I believe that the Lord has given me some artistic ability and wants me to use it --- I'm still on a journey to discover how that works out but I'm trusting Him to show me as I go along.