More Sketchbook Skool and Urban Sketching

The addition of the online course, Sketchbook Skool has really kept me hopping the last month. It is not just the time sketching, it is keeping up with the incredible community of students and faculty from all over the world. Of course I could just do my assignments and not spend all the time online keeping up with others work and comments but the atmosphere and excitement of communicating with so many of similar interest and die hard attitude is hard to resist.

The instructor for the second week was Koesje Koerne and she encouraged everyone to get outside and sketch on location. My Garden Center Sketch from the last post was one of the assignments for her and shortly after another occasion to do some urban sketching came up. on the way to my haircut I had a flat tire so I sketched while my husband changed it for me. This was fountain pen and watercolor.

The second assignment that week was to do a slow layered colored pencil drawing. Here is my sketch. I always think Pears look like people and that Golden Pear does remind me of a reclining figure!

As we were starting the third week with Prashant Miranda I decided to do a little synopsis of the highlights of each weeks classes while also practicing the washes that Prashant demonstrated. I will have to finish the last three after the six week semester is over.

Our next assignment from Prashant was to paint the sky at different times of the day for the week.

I also did a sketch trip in Downtown Tulsa with a friend and did a little more urban sketching.

We started at the Phoenix Coffee Shop and I did a sketch of a girl sitting by the window reading one of the Phoenix journals that are available for use in the coffee shop.

 Fountain pen and watercolor.

Then we walked across the street and did some sketching in Centennial Park. It was the Saturday before Easter and while we were sketching Easter eggs were planted all around us. We looked up and children were running down the hill straight towards us for the hunt.

Brown pen and watercolor.

Later, I sketched Margaret with a colored pencil.

The second assigment from Prashant to paint watercolor skies at different times and conditions for the week had to be postponed because I was getting ready to go out of town with some friends for the weekend.

I decided to make a little folding journal from Cathy Johnson's video,
http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/2014/04/make-super-quick-no-sew-folding-journal.html

It turned out very nice with 90 lb hot press watercolor paper and covers of mat board with origami paper. I made several as gifts for friends.

I decided I would try to sketch during the weekend and get some practice with on location sketching.






I did the sketches with an Ahab fountain pen and Lexington gray ink and hope to add some watercolor soon. Here is the Friday we left for Lawrence, Kansas with my luggage, a walk in the park, shopping, lunch and pizza with some wine back at the Bed and Breakfast.

Second day, and walks around Lawrence, lunch and music, spinning, knitting and relaxing.

Sunday morning I tried to do some sketching before my first cup of coffee. That was a mistake but fun anyway!

We had a wonderful dinner at Mariscos and then I did some small sketches that ended with a spinning wheel packed in the car for the trip home. It was a great weekend and worth getting behind on my homework for.

When I returned home Purrlie Cat had been sick and so I missed most of that weeks class. I will have a chance to go back to it after the six weeks are over.

The fifth week was Roz Stendahl on drawing animals. What an amazing class! She had so much wonderful information and was so giving of her time.

I decided to sketch Purrlie with a Safari fountain pen and brown ink.

My other available animal model Laddie was next. Rotring Art Pen and watercolor.

Then she asked us to sketch our sketching kit and set out to draw some more live animals.

She suggested we spend the week trying out a tool that we had bought but not used much or at all. How did she know that I has purchased a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and had not sketched with it al all because I knew it was going to be hard to get comfortable with?

So I made a commitment to give it a fair trial.

By that time Purrlie was feeling better and I set out to practice with the brush pen while trying to keep up with her movements. I was right, getting control of the new tool and keeping up with her at the same time was a challenge.

The sketches are rough but I thought the pen could be interesting if I could get the hang of it so I kept trying.

and trying...

more Purrlie Cat, I can't really say how the petite Purrlie got so curvy in the bottom sketch.

More quick gesture sketches,

and more.

Then Mack,

and my feet.

By this time I am making some progress with the Brush pen. It may never be my favorite sketch tool but there are an amazing variety of strokes that it will make from very black and thick to an airy dry brush.

Then back to Laddie and Purrlie with a little colored pencil added,

and finally a little playing around late one afternoon with the backyard birds and squirrels.

It has been a busy 5 weeks and now I am anxious to get started on the last weeks lessons with Tommy Kane. It should be fun!

Just when I thought I had pushed, pulled and challenged myself out of my comfort zone

I was challenged to do it all with my non dominant hand.

I have really enjoyed Sketchbook Skool so much that even though my summer is really busy I decided to sign up for the second semester starting July 4. Cathy Johnson is going to be one of the instructors in the second semester and I always find her inspirational.

Just hoping I have a chance to catch up with Prashant Miranda and Jane LaFozio's class before then.
www.sketchbookskool.com