Windham High Peak --- Sketching and hiking

My husband and I hiked up Windham High Peak. It was a long way to cart art supplies, but I packed light, bringing just my Arches 140# Rough custom hardbound sketchbook and a watercolor pan set. I had pre-taped the page borders to speed the process along, and did the writing (shown below) after returning home.

Golden Airbrush Paints and Silverpoint Ground --- Who knew!

Golden Airbrush Acrylics on Silverpoint Ground
8.5x11 across a two page spread in a Stillman & Birn Beta (180 lb) hardbound sketchbook

A few weeks ago I went to the Golden Artist Colors factory for the day. In addition to other things, I was able to spend a few hours with tech staff to discuss some things I've been trying to achieve with acrylic paints, and possible alternative solutions to my mission. One of the things I was able to play with that day were the Golden Airbrush Paints and Silverpoint Ground. When one thinks of painting with brushes, Golden Airbrush Paints are not what come to mind! (Neither does painting on Silverpoint Ground, or using Silverpoint Ground to reclaim whites in a painting.)

Well, I was smitten with the possibilities of these paints! First of all, they are very highly pigmented, yet already in an ink-like consistency. This gives me an ideal solution to achieve watercolor-like pigmentation without the pigment disappearing on me. Furthermore, the Airbrush Paints have something that the Golden Fluids do not: retarder! Yep, the retarder is already added to the paint, so it stays workable longer on the paper, and can be lifted before it sets if you work quickly.

The down side to working with these has been finding an easy way to use them on location while out hiking. I've been experimenting with a few different ideas as I've carted them around. This sketch of Kaaterskill Falls was done on location in about 40 minutes. The pages were prepared in advance with Golden Silverpoint Ground. I applied two coats, drying with a hair dryer in between. The idea was that by sealing the surface, it would be easier for me to make use of the lifting capabilities of the Airbrush Paints. On location, I coated the entire sketch area with Transparent Red Oxide mixed with some Airbrush Medium. Then I used a piece of paper towel, sometimes dipped in water, to pull out my lights, as if I were doing an underpainting in oils. I continued to work transparently for awhile, adding darks and pulling out lights, then used more opaque paint toward the end. I used a little Silverpoint Ground for some highlights and light, opaque color mixtures. It has a very heavy Titanium Dioxide content and worked great! I'd put about 5ml into a small empty vial from an ink sample.

Transporting paints in a watery consistency has issues for sure. For one thing, I can't use the same palette that I can for oils or acrylics, nor any flat or disposable palette, for that matter. I ended up using two small, rectangular watercolor palettes that I taped together on one end so it could fold in half. I put velcro on the outside to affix it to my lap board with the sketchbook. That's worked out pretty well so far. I bring several of the small airbrush bottles of color with me, and pour them into the palette on location. Cleanup is a serious mess, and remains the biggest problem for me to resolve when out on location.

Here's a photo of the scene with my sketch. Unfortunately the sketch was in shadow and the scene in light, so it's a bit hard to see the sketch.

Experimenting with Grounds --- Watercolor on varnished paper

Watercolor on varnished paper
Stillman & Birn 5.5x8.5" Hardbound Sketchbook (180lb paper!)

I decided to use one of the brand new Stillman & Birn extra heavy weight Beta hardbound sketchbooks to experiment with various grounds and mediums. The size makes it easy to travel with, so I've prepared a bunch of pages in advance and I take the book out hiking with me. Since I have very little time to sketch on the hike outings, they serve double duty by allowing me to do my media experiments simultaneously.

For this page spread, I used two coats of Golden Polymer  UVLS Varnish  (Gloss), rubbing it in with a paper towel to make as smooth a surface as possible, and drying the paper between coats with a hair dryer. Then, off to Olana I went to do a rather monochromatic, tonal sketch of a sunset overlooking the Hudson River. I used four tubes of watercolor: Winsor Newton Burnt Sienna, Daniel Smith Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet, Daniel Smith Quinacridone Gold, and Holbein Permanent White (gouache). The idea was to use the watercolor the way I'd use oil paint, since the varnished surface would allow me to pull out my lights right down to the paper, and enable me to use the paints in both transparent and opaque ways. Landscape painter David Dunlop sketches this way a lot and does it very effectively!

It turned out to be more of a challenge than I thought it would be. The paint had to be used full strength because any water added caused it to bead up on the surface. It dried very quickly and was hard to lift without adding water, yet when the water was added, it all beaded up and came off immediately, right down to the white of the paper. I think this will have great potential for me as a sketching method --- it was fast to work with, and not having to carry solvents nor worry about the paint drying out on the brushes makes it ideal for travel. It also lets me use the same techniques I use in oils. However, I'm going to have to try to find some kind of medium that can thin the paints yet doesn't bead up. I'm open to suggestions! It also has to be able to dry quickly enough so that I can close the book and put it back into my backpack without worrying about sticking. I'm looking forward to experimenting more with this idea.

Summertime at the Beach

11x17" across a two page spread of a Stillman & Birn Beta Hardbound sketchbook

Golden Fluid Acrylics

I think this is one of the busiest summers I've ever had. In addition to lots of painting and taking a one week workshop, I've been having such a great time with my husband while he's been on vacation that it's been hard for me to keep up with photographing images and writing posts. I've been sketching like a madwoman, so I've got a lot of catching up to do!

This was sketched on location at North Lake Beach while out painting with my friend Nancy. Sometimes I just don't want the pressure of feeling like I need to turn out a "finished painting", so I relax and play in my sketchbook. This was one of those occasions when in spite of wanting to work larger, I knew I wouldn't have time to complete a large painting. I couldn't stand the thought of yet another large, unfinished painting hanging around in my studio, and I didn't want to work small. It was just what the doctor ordered for this summer day by the water. I'm liking this scene a lot and will probably go back and do a painting from here sometime soon.

I'm loving working in these Stillman & Birn Beta Hardbound sketchbooks. The 180 pound paper doesn't buckle at all, and it's possible to experiment with all sorts of grounds and surface preparation, as well as any medium. I have an 8.5x11", and also recently started a 5.5x8.5" version for when I'm out hiking and can't carry such a large book with me.

House Portrait Sketch

About 6x8", across the spread of a Stillman & Birn Epsilon hardbound book

Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft Ivory Black

This is a first compositional sketch for a house portrait commission. The client wants a painting that varies pretty significantly from the photos I was sent. In these situations, I like to be sure I'm on the same page with the client, so I do some preliminary sketches and color studies to find out if this is the direction the client wants for the piece. It always results in a very happy ending to work this way!

I really love working with these Supracolor Soft pencils for studies like this. I haven't pulled any of them out for quite some time, and I forgot how much fun they are! The S&B Epsilon surface is such a friendly support for pencil work. A wet brush with these pencils unifies the darks, and they wash beautifully. They don't erase well, but for preliminary work, I don't mind some stray lines here and there. For a more finished piece, I'd have made my initial marks in graphite, then switched over to the Supracolor when my lines were secure.

If you're concerned about lightfastness when using colored pencils/watercolor pencils (as I am), you can check out this PDF brochure, which contains lightfastness information for the individual pencils, and select ones from open stock with excellent ratings (***).

Sketching the Pinta in Acrylics

11x17" across a two page spread in a prototype Stillman & Birn Beta hardbound book

Golden Fluid Acrylics

Writing done with Pitt Big Brush Pen

Image can be clicked to enlarge it

It's so much fun to have these large pages that open flat to be able to spread out and sketch across a large expanse of paper. Since I have this extra heavyweight (180lb.) prototype book, I've been doing some sketches in acrylic too. Why be limited?!

The Nina and Pinta replica ships docked in Newburgh, and a number of us from Lower Hudson Valley Plein Air Painters went to sketch them. To our dismay, they were way out on a private marina dock, almost completely blocked from view by yachts in front of them. A restaurant next to the marina, Bill Joe's Ribworks, came to our rescue and allowed us to paint and sketch from their beautiful property, which had a perfect view of the Pinta. Bonus: We all treated ourselves to a fabulous lunch there! Be sure to check it out if you ever find yourself along the Hudson Riverfront in Newburgh.

When I closed the book, the paint in the gutter of the book was still a little damp, which is why it stuck together a bit as you can see in the center of the sketch. This book is really amazing for multi-media work and wet washes. It doesn't move at all!

Hike to the Overlook Mountain House Ruins

Watercolor, 7.5x15" across a two page spread 

of a handmade hardbound Arches 140# Rough watercolor book

Image can be clicked for a larger, sharper view.

Last weekend, my husband and I climbed two and a half miles up Overlook Mountain to the ruins of the old Overlook Mountain House. All that effort really does pay off once you arrive at the dramatic structures. I sat on a stone stairway opposite the main building to do this quick watercolor and enjoyed every second of it! I hope to do some paintings and sketches from photos I took there, but I wanted to do at least one on location. The bugs were horrendous, and in spite of using DEET spray that was 98% pure, I got bitten to pieces in the process. Hiking down was a lot easier than going up there. I am so glad that I have some really lightweight painting/sketching gear now to take along on trips like this one.

Fawn's Leap Watercolor Sketch

As if the hike up to Codfish point the day before wasn't thrilling enough for one weekend, the following morning, we finally made it to Fawn's Leap. This is one of the most painted and sketched waterfalls of the Hudson River School artists. It lies deep in a ravine along Kaaterskill Creek. The steep slopes on either side make access challenging. Then just for good measure, you have to pick your way across rocks in the rushing water to get to a point where you can see the whole waterfall. Fortunately for me, there was a downed tree trunk there, supported by a rock. That's where I sat, mid-stream, to do this little watercolor sketch. Even though the water levels are pretty low this spring, while I was painting with my legs dangling down from the suspended tree trunk, one of my boots got soaked when I wasn't paying attention. I was sure I was going to lose a few brushes in the process, but seemed to arrive back home with all my gear (and myself) intact!

Here's the full two-page spread (7.5x15") in my custom Arches sketchbook:

This location is to die for, and I am definitely going to have to figure out a way to go back with a large panel and acrylics or oils, though I have no idea how I'd set it all up there. Where there's a will......

Up on Plattekill Mountain

 7.5x15", watercolor on Arches Rough

Text is Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng ink in a Platinum Preppy fountain pen

Back in December, I placed an order with Small Oak Press for two custom sketchbooks --- one to be made out of Arches Bright White Rough 140 pound paper, and the other of Stonehenge white. They were my holiday gift to myself, and they arrived last week. I took the Arches book out hiking over the weekend. I expected it to be difficult to dive into the first page spread of an $80 sketchbook, but when the time came, I found it surprisingly easy to let it happen. Perhaps I felt I deserved to paint on great rag paper after hiking two and a half miles uphill!

We hiked up Plattekill Mountain to Codfish Point. There was a stone throne that somebody made in an old quarry up there, facing Hudson Valley views that span 60 miles of the Hudson River off in the distance. It was the perfect spot for a weary painter to take a break, have lunch, and enjoy the vista. I pulled out my watercolors while my husband went off to take some photos and explore down the trail for a few minutes.

Outside My Window

This is another card I made for my mom a few weeks ago, but I never got around to adjusting and posting the photo. Sometimes when it's just too cold, as it was on this chilly morning in mid-March, I'd sketch something from my window. In this case, I selected a favorite tree and my awesome favorite TWSBI pen, filled with Noodler's La Reine Mauve ink. It's a great ink for sketching cards because it is totally waterproof. If the envelope happens to get wet on the way to its destination, the sketch will survive intact, and the writing inside the card too!

The card was made with Strathmore Aquarius II paper, and painted with diluted Golden Fluid Acrylics.

Black Locust Tree with Pitt Big Brush Pens

Pitt Big Brush Pens

Stillman & Birn Epsilon 5.5x8.5" hardbound sketchbook

Blue background prepared in advance with diluted acrylics

This was sketched at my friend Melissa's house. She has a back yard filled with bird feeders and beautiful trees to sketch from the windows. This Black Locust tree had interesting shapes and bark. I used my Pitt Big Brush Pens over a toned surface. I really liked the warm colors on the blue paper. I thought it would blend with the pens and make the warm grays more neutral, but actually it made them seem even warmer by comparison with the cool color of the background.

Driving Through the Garden State

I had some journaling templates tucked into my messenger bag on the way home from Maryland. By the time I finished my Maryland Montage, we'd crossed into New Jersey, and I wanted to do something different for the next page spread. I used the templates as stencils for the rectangular shapes -- about the only way to draw straight lines in a moving car! Then I did these little scene captures in ink and watercolor while driving through the state. The page background color and border had been previously painted with diluted acrylic.

This sketchbook is now finished! I have a couple of test pages that I haven't shown yet, but I'll be showing those soon, along with a couple of wrap-up review segments about this Stillman & Birn Alpha hardbound sketchbook.

Maryland Montage --- Sketching in a Moving Vehicle

Stillman & Birn Alpha 5.5x8.5" hardbound sketchbook

Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng ink in a 0.3 (fine) Platinum Preppy fountain pen

Private Reserve Sepia ink in a 1.5mm Pilot Parallel calligraphy pen

Noodler's Golden Brown ink in a Pilot Plumix italic pen

Brown Sharpie Calligraphy pen

Winsor Newton, Daniel Smith, Holbein and Schmincke watercolors

Background page toning done previously with diluted acrylic

I've done montage formats like this before in open studio life drawing, at the zoo, and other times when I was just grabbing images on the go. But this is the first time I did it in a moving car. (At least I wasn't driving!) We were on our way home from our niece's wedding in Maryland. With just two page spreads left to finish this sketchbook, I couldn't resist the temptation. It was quite an experience. I learned two important things:

1. Drawing straight lines, in a moving vehicle at a high rate of speed with potholes and curves, is not going to happen.
2. If you think you don't get carsick, try sketching for awhile!

Initially, I was having so much fun that all I could think about was, "Why didn't I try this sooner?" I even did another two page spread after this one, since one remaining page spread was even harder to resist than when there were two left.. By then my stomach was in knots and I was definitely done for the day. I think the next time I sketch in a car, it will be parked!

Hudson River and Palisades Pastel Sketch

This pastel sketch is about 7x9", in my Stillman & Birn Alpha book. It was done on a page with a prepared border, but for the first time, I encountered something that I think looks a whole lot better without the border. I coated the inside part of the two-page spread with Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels.

The sketch is based on these four sketches that I did on location plus photos I took there, as preparatory work for a large commissioned oil painting. When I was finished with the sketch, I was so glad that the pieces of glassine were already cut and tucked neatly into the book pocket! (Click here and then scroll down that page, to see the glassine pocket and instructions on making one.) That made it super easy to position them over the pages, glue down the edges with a glue stick, and close the book!

Here's what the sketch looks like with the full pages showing, including the border. You can see how the glassine covers get pulled aside to view the sketch. I had to glue the glassine down onto the side borders, so those became partially obscured .

Although I've done loads of pastel work, I don't think I've ever done it across a two page spread before. It was definitely a challenge getting those chunky sticks into the center, but it's a nice change of pace in leafing through the book. I was glad I gave it a try. I might try one on the plain paper too, without painting it first with the Pastel Ground.

Tree Study

This tree study was sketched from my studio window with my Stillman and Birn 5.5x8.5" Alpha book. I used Caran d'Ache Supracolor II Soft pencils in Umber and White. I felt I needed to be able to go just a hair darker, so I added a Wolff's Carbon 6B pencil toward the end. These are all water soluble. I wanted to keep the water option open, but I decided I liked it the way it was, and only worked dry.

There is gold acylic paint added to the Sepia background color. You can see a bit of that shimmer where the light glare is in the photo. A little touch of that glow on the pages is a beautiful thing, but it's hard to capture in a photograph.

The little bit of white on the top left is a lifted-up sheet of glassine that I glued to the page to protect the pencil work, to keep it from smudging onto the facing page when the book is closed or somebody's leafing through the it. I realized that if I do more work in pencil, charcoal, or pastel (and I intend to), I'll need to have some small glassine sheets on hand to put over the work as I do it; otherwise some of those pieces would be ruined before I even got home from my sketching location. I can also use a sheet under my hand as I sketch with smudgy media, to prevent my hand from smearing the page. I went on an anti-smudge campaign!

Yep, I made an envelope as part of the book to store sheets of glassine. I keep a glue stick in my messenger bag with my sketching supplies, so gluing it in on location whenever necessary will now be very easy. To make this pocket, here's what I did:

1. I knew this would take up extra space in the book, so to avoid bulging, I went to the very last signature in the book, and carefully removed the center page spread, tearing down the middle and removing both sides.
2. I selected the two pages I planned to use to make each side of the pocket, and cut a semi-circle out of the top of the first page, to make it easier to remove the glassine. (To do that, I drew the arc, then put a cutting mat underneath the sheet, and cut it out with an xacto knive.)
3. Using one of the pieces of paper that I removed from the book, I made a one-inch wide "tape" the height of the page, and folded it lengthwise with a bone folder. I did the same for the width of the page. Holding those two so that they overlapped on the lower right corner at a right angle, I placed them on a cutting board and made a 45 degree cut through all four layers. That way, when glued into the book, there would be no overlapping, and they would lie flat.
4. I used a glue stick to coat the paper "tape" and the outside page edges, and glued it all together.
5. I cut a 16x20" sheet of glassine into eight, 5x8" pieces, which fit exactly into the little envelope holder.

Voila! It's worked perfectly. The only thing I'll add is that when you glue glassine onto the pages, it's better to glue it from the side than from the top. The page curls at the top and bottom, so it's easier to lift the glassine from the side than it is from the bottom.

Four Sketches of the Hudson River

Click image for a larger view.

I have a large oil painting commission to do of a scene along the Hudson. The other day, I grabbed my sketchbook and watercolors and headed down to the location to do some preliminary sketches to discuss with the client, before proceeding on the large piece. It was freezing cold along the river early in the morning, but I know from experience that the light on the cliffs of the Palisades leaves early. By the time the sun is well overhead, they are all in shadow. I bundled up with my warmest coat, hat, scarf and mittens, and worked as fast as I could! Word from the client: "I love them all!" So, I'll be combining some elements for the final painting.

I taped off the rectangles to do the sketches while I was out on location. That kept my borders clean. I already knew what the dimensions of the large painting would be, so I stuck to those proportions. Once I got home, I drew in the borders around each sketch with a calligraphy pen, and used acrylic paints on the outside border, mixing colors to match the inside border's ink color. When finished, I painted a layer of Golden Interference Gold Fluid Acrylic, diluted with gloss medium, over the outer brown border. Although it doesn't show in the photo, there is a beautifully subtle gold sheen on the outside edge of the page.

Kaaterskill High Peak from Across the Beaver Pond

This is my second-to-last sketch in my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project 2012. It's a view from across the beaver pond behind my house, with Kaaterskill High Peak in the background, and the fall foliage reflecting in the water. There is a high bank there, shaped like a peninsula, with a beautiful grove of pine trees. Walking on the several inches of pine needles that have been accumulating for who knows how many hundreds of years, and smelling the pine smell, is really a magical experience.  This was painted on location with gouache. It is 7x10" across the two page spread in the sketchbook. I didn't date stamp or write on this entry yet, but I'll do so before sending in the book. All sketchbooks for this project will go on a world tour, and then be housed permanently in the Brooklyn Art Library in New York City.

Sketching the Lynx at the Newburgh NY Waterfront

Today I went to sketch with my friend Virginia along the Hudson River at the Newburgh Waterfront. My plan was to sketch the cafes along the boardwalk and views of the Hudson Highlands. I was pleasantly surprised to find this gorgeous ship, Lynx, docked there to model for me. The angle of the masts is really striking. As usual, I didn't remember to get a photo while at my sketching location, but I got this one later from closer to my car, so the angle is a bit different. Still, you can get an idea of the beautiful scene there. I thought probably nobody would believe the angle of the masts without a photo! It's amazing how slanted they are.

The sketch of the ship and docks was done directly with ink and a black Sakura brush pen. Then I used Noodler's Lexington Gray in a Lami Safari "F" for the rigging, and a Platinum Preppy 0.5 filled with J. Herbin Gris Nuage for the mountains in the background. Even when working in monochrome, it's nice to have some value options at your disposal! I was especially glad to have the Gris Nuage along for those soft mountains in the distance, made even softer today by the atmospheric conditions. Using the light gray ink for the mountains allowed the ship stand out in the foreground, while providing a nice backdrop shape.

Study of an Old Maple Tree Trunk

This was done out in my yard, using a 6B pencil in my Fabriano Venezia book. This old Maple has so much character from every angle. I did another drawing of it on Stonehenge, using a light and a dark on a colored ground. You can see that on this post on my Hudson Valley Painter website. Yesterday, I did yet another sketch of it from a different angle in watercolor. I'll be posting that one tomorrow on http://hudsonvalleypainter.com. 

Hiking to North Point

I'm still trying to catch up on photographing sketches and paintings and getting them posted! It's been hard to get that done on vacation, but it's quickly approaching "Back to Work" time! This watercolor sketch was done on a hike to North Point in the Catskill Mountains. North Point offers 270 degree views facing south, east, and north. This is the south-facing view, which overlooks North South Lake and the old Catskill Mountain House site. We were hoping for better visibility, but it was quite overcast that day. The trail was wet, rocky and slippery almost the entire way. Next time I'll definitely go when the trail is dry, but of course we were rewarded by the fabulous location at the top.