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I’m always looking for faster ways to sketch with fewer tools to carry. This week I experimented with a variety of methods and materials and compared results.
The first thing I did was to try four different media in a new sketchbook.
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I sat on the back porch and sketched our geraniums. I did the first sketch with Sharpie pens. They bled through the page. The other media did not.
Upper left – ballpoint pen and Sharpie Fine Point markers;
Upper right – Faber-Castell PITT Artist pens and watercolor;
Lower left – Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils;
Lower right – Arteza Real Brush pens.
Stillman & Birn Beta Series Mixed Media Wirebound Sketchbook 6×8 inch (15.2×20.3 cm).
I like the combination of colored ballpoint pens and Sharpie markers. It’s clean and bold. The others seem weak in comparison.
The next day I went for a walk in the Oregon Garden. It’s a great place to walk and unwind. After walking I sat in the full sun on a bench and sketched what was in front of me for about a half hour.
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I started by drawing a line drawing with Sharpie and PITT markers. I then added watercolor and added the fountain with white ink. It’s an interest if somewhat unconventional combination of media. However, I’m finding that watercolor takes too long to do on location, and you have to carry too much.
Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor paper 5.5×8.5 inches (14×21.6 cm), Sharpie Fine Point markers, Faber-Castell PITT Artist pens, Daniel Smith watercolors, Arteza medium flat waterbrush, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Pen White ink in a Molotow 2mm marker, and pencil.
I took a few photos while I was there. Later I used one of them as a reference photo to make two sketches using different monochromatic media – one wet and one dry.
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I did this one with a homemade reed pen and small brush dipped into a plastic pop-top container filled with burnt umber watercolor from a tube mixed with water. It’s easy to carry and fun to use, but it takes time to dry. The medium by itself can capture four values.
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper, homemade reed pen, Arteza Medium flat waterbrush, and Daniel Smith Burnt Umber watercolor. Image is 4.5×7 inches (11.5×18 cm).
The next day I did a second sketch using a charcoal pencil.
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Charcoal pencil is easy to carry and fun to use, but it is easily smudged. Like the watercolor it can capture four values, but I was able to achieve more variation in the shadows because I could erase back to lighter values.
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper, General’s Charcoal Soft pencil 557-6B, a homemade blending stump, and Tombow MONO Zero ultra-fine 2.3mm Elastomer eraser. Image is 4.5×7 inches (11.5×18 cm).
I used another Oregon Garden reference photo for the week’s final sketch.
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I’ve never sketched with this combination of crayon and charcoal before. I wasn’t sure if they would go well together. From a sketching point of view, it is a nice combination. It’s fast because both media are dry. There is no waiting for the page to dry before adding a second layer. I used the crayons first and then I drew and shaded with the charcoal pencil. Shading is fast and easy when you use charcoal. You can just smudge it in with a blending stump or your finger.
Strathmore 400 Series Drawing paper 8×10 inches (20.3×25.4 cm), Neocolor II crayons, General’s Soft Charcoal pencil 557-6B, and homemade blending stump.
So, my quest for the perfect sketching solution continues.
Jim
