☀ Sketching-On-Location ☂

This is a drawing/ wash technique that I developed over the years of Drawing Everyday. I love this technique because it gives wonderful results with very little physical effort. One of the reasons I love watercolor so much is that once you know the technique, it literally paints itself. Often, if I am sketching on location, all I take with me is my sketchbook, pencil and eraser and I am set to go. I can always add the wash later.

I recommend a good quality spiral sketchbook, 6" x 8" for traveling or 9" x 12" or bigger for home with a medium weight drawing paper. You'll also need a soft drawing pencil (2B - 4B) and a kneaded eraser.

Here's a photo of my little traveling sketch box and sketch book with everything I need except water to do my Simple Sketching Technique.

I went out sketching today "en plein air" ("in the open air"). This is a gesture drawing of a tree up the road from me. It's one of my favorites! The flies were biting me so bad I had to draw fast and get the H___ out of there!!

Here I added a watercolor wash to the gesture sketch I did outdoors

Since I've started up my daily drawing blog, I've been seeing things differently. Today I noticed more beauty in my life and have become more aware of visual details. I think it is a benefit of this discipline. Sketching also provides a time to go within; whether for a minute or an extended amount of time. In drawing, we can carry on a happy, intimate dialogue with ourselves. I got a little carried away on this one. That's OK because I was having fun and with sketching you don't always have to stick to a plan. Let your muse be your guide!

"A sixty second sketch is worth more than a week of good intentions!" ~ Sandy

Here's the palm tree drawing with the watercolor wash applied. I tried to make the two foreground trees more sharp and dominant by using harder lines and sharper value contrast.