Yesterday afternoon I carried my sketchbook and Sharpie extra-fine point pen up to the forest part of Lake Forest Park. Quiet and beautiful Grace Cole Park was almost deserted except for one couple hiking a trail. I sat on a bench in the bright sunshine and inked in a quick drawing of the trees, trail, and walkers. Later at my studio I brushed in my “Northwest colors”: ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, raw and burnt sienna and a touch of alizarin crimson. The ink is water-proof, so does not smear.
Some dos and don’ts for drawing: watch the spacing between shadows to evoke the illusion of distance, ie note the large space between the lower right shadow and that of the figures, and the small distance between their shadow and that of the next tree; always keep the heads small because a too-large head can resemble aliens (I’m not sure exactly why, but watch people from a distance and their heads do look small); don’t worry too much about your technique–it’s just a piece of paper in your sketchbook!
KC