Texture test

I did this line drawing early one evening, while waiting to pick up a pizza, adding watercolor pencil and watercolor later. I experimented with adding texture by scraping through it with a piece of old, cut-up credit card.

I have seen several urban sketchers use this technique--most recently, Paul Wang, from Singapore.

St. Brigid's in July

Drawn from Brigid's Green, across the road—looking west.

I finished the Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook about a month ago. This is drawn in my new “everyday carry,” a Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5.5” x 5.5”. I’m still getting used to the change in size, shape, and paper.

Rogation Days

Dublin Community Church, May 2018

This week, we come once again to Rogationtide*, when clergy and members of the English church historically "beat the bounds" of the parish, both to pray for God's blessing on the crops and to remind people where the perimeter lay. Contemporary observances may be found on Youtube.

Given the time of year, it was fitting to focus on a church when I joined local urban sketchers downtown, a few days ago. (Note to self: next time, bring a chair.)

Below is an earlier sketch of the building, done from a different perspective.

*These are the dates observed by the Western Rite Orthodox Church. Since western Catholics and Protestants celebrated Easter a week earlier this year, rogation days (set just before Ascension Day) will be found May 7-9, on their calendar.

Dublin Community Church, July 2014

Breathing space

Philodendron, dentist's office

A few weeks ago, I had a dentist's appointment. The philodendron in the waiting room was more interesting than the television.

Church of Jesus Christ, LDS (from back parking lot)

A few days later, we had another appointment, near a green space bordered by two church parking lots. We arrived early, so waited briefly in one of them.

I painted the first sketch after I returned home.  I was still in colored pencil mode, from January’s pattern practice, so went over the watercolor with colored pencil, on both of these, at home.

Churches

Fellowship Baptist Church, after the rain, 6/23

St. Brigid's Catholic Church, 6/26

Northwest Presbyterian Church, 6/28

First Presbyterian Church, Ada, Ohio
7/2



I find the churches in this area the most interesting buildings to draw, because architects seemed to place a higher value on beauty than with other modern buildings.

As usual, when I change sketchbooks, I find it difficult to adjust to the new paper. I liked the large Stillman & Birn Alpha I used a few years ago. The size of this Stillman & Birn A5 feels a bit cramped, and the paper doesn't take as much water as the Pentallic Nature Sketch I had been using. I used a little colored pencil over the watercolor on St. Brigid's, and a little pastel pencil on Northwest Presbyterian. (It was difficult to add watercolor layers, to get an even wash with a water brush, and to get pages to lie flat while photographing.)

I have learned from ArtTutor.com, that in order to improve my sketches, I will have to:
(1) Use heavier weight watercolor paper
(2) Give up the water brush
(3) Dedicate larger blocks of time to a piece
(4) Sometimes practice specific techniques working from photographs, where I can focus on difficult elements of a scene, over a period of time.
(5) Stay out of art supply stores; use the time to practice and improve
(6) Clear a space on my art table to actually work
(7) Get over my fear of masking fluid
(8) Become more comfortable working wet-in-wet
(9) Reduce dependence on ink lines to establish form
(10) Hold mark making tool further from the tip
(11) Try mixing more on the paper and less on the palette
(12) Experiment with glazing
(13) Consider negative shapes
(14) Try to fit sketching into a time of day when there are more shadows
(15) Draw thumbnails before sketching; consider options
(16) Experiment with limited palettes
(17) Be willing to sacrifice a great deal of pigment in the Pencil sharpener and the water jar.
(18) Work larger
(19) Use fresh paint

St. Patrick's Episcopal Church

Mental health drawing the last day before the election. St. Patrick is reputed to have chased all the snakes from Ireland into the sea.

Plain City Florist

Once upon a time, this corner housed the public library.
There's a slight warp in this Pentallic paper, since the spill, that affects the photos. Wonder if it can be ironed out.

Mellow Mushroom

Looking out the window, from the bar room area,  past the giant mushroom by the hostess/cash register.

The water I spilled last evening buckled some pages of the sketchbook, and may have caused the paint on previous sketches to move a little. The brown seems most affected. Some colors stain; others "lift" easily. The brown, probably burnt sienna, must be one that lifts.

Faith Community Church

Local Evangelical Free church.

This paper is a bit rougher to draw on with a fountain pen than any other I've used so far. It's difficult to photograph without a yellow cast (under the lighting I'm using, at least). Also, sketched on site and painted later, which always sacrifices a little veracity.

Still, it's fun to see how it (the Pentalic Nature Sketch book) takes watercolor. It's the smallest mixed media sketchbook I've drawn in (5x7), and some of the sketches are feeling a little truncated. The spiral binding inhibits sketching across the gutter.

St. Brigid's, thumbnail sketches

Golf Club

Elevation view.

Community Church Window

January 2015

July 2015

St. Brigid's (thumbnails)