Beach Sketching
Hello, my friends. I’m delighted to be with you again. This weekend I was lucky enough to spend time in Mendocino, CA, on the beach.
We started out with breakfast at a local cafe, enjoying each other’s company and the delights of the town. The crisp, cool air surrounded us as we ambled down the narrow streets enjoying the familiar sights and smells. Our final goal was the beach.
Coastal Roses
This month I want to talk about pen and ink sketching. I’ve tended to be a purist in watercolor, and it is only lately that I’ve ventured out and added some other artistic elements to my work. It’s been fun to explore using pastel, gouache, acrylic, and now ink to my watercolor.
I’m not sure what finally convinced me to try pen and ink work, but I know that I’ve certainly been inspired by artists on YouTube, such as Ian Fennelly, Marc Taro, and ColourartZ. Here’s a link to one of Ian Fennelly’s postings.
I was certainly excited to be headed down to one of our favorite beaches in the area where we had watched our kids grow up and where we had spent much time with friends and family. I felt the lure of plein air sketching coming over me and was eager to get my toes in the sand and to discover what composition would come my way.
Heading down the path towards the beach
Enjoying the coastal roses along the path
The first glimpses of the beach
Final coastal staircase before we reach our destination
“Don’t worry if people think you’re crazy. You are crazy. You have that kind of intoxicating insanity that lets other people dream outside of the lines and become who they’re destined to be”
And now comes the hard part. This blog is not a travel log of my journeys. Rather it is an attempt to give to you, the reader, a glimpse into my creative world such that it inspires your own creative experiences.
When it comes to plein air painting or sketching, one of the most immediate challenges to get over is the fear of being watched. Gone are the protective walls of your own home, office, studio. Many artists talk about having to overcome the fear of someone looking over their shoulder at an inopportune moment in the creative process.
Unfortunately, yes, that is something you may have to contend with. However, oftentimes you are also ignored, and you can enjoy a blissful experience, such as I had. Be brave, embrace the crazy, and explore your options.
We were able to find a sheltered place on the beach. We threw our quilt down and sunk our toes in the warm sand. Vern’s thoughts immediately went to taking a nap, and mine to creating art.
Another challenge to the would-be outdoor artist is what to take along for the purpose of creating. I had hastily thrown in a few bits and bobs in the hopes that this moment would come true, and my setup was something that any of you have and could replicate in your own way.
Most of us these days have an odd water bottle that we can dedicate to painting. This is very essential for the watercolorist.
Here is a photo of most of the tools I had with me. You’ll need a pencil, eraser, paint, an ink pen, and rag.
Realizing I had forgotten a palette, I was able to use the pencil container. Worked just fine.
The paper I chose was 300lb Saunders Waterford, a quality paper from Cuthberts Mill in England.
The next issue is what to paint. It’s very easy to be overwhelmed by the vastness of the sea. The sand stretches in every direction. Often the beach is teeming with people running and walking.
How do you decide what composition to go with? Some people use small viewfinders to try to focus in on one particular spot. On this day I spotted a man on the horizon. I went with his basic shape, the basic view I was looking at, and the log that was not far away.
What joy it was to sit and sketch. I used the Pigma Micron archival ink pen in sepia. It was a size one.
What fun it was to let the pen skip over the page. The delicate line of the pen was interesting. I felt freed from exactness that I sometimes feel with pencil and eraser. All mistakes had to be embraced.
When it came to the actual painting stage, I only had a basic triad of colors. I think I used for my red, rose madder; for yellow, raw sienna; and for my blue, I chose a warm, Prussian blue, and a cool, ultramarine blue. From these four colors, I was able to mix the colors I needed.
This is my final sketch. I was delighted with the way it turned out. It looked nothing at all like the scene I was looking at, except for the barest outline. It was a sketch from my imagination. I didn’t know what I would create, and it was fun to see the result.
I hope my artistic journey has inspired your own. I would love to hear your stories. Please feel free to share them with me. I cherish the comments you have left me here on the blog, on Facebook, and by email.
Thanks for your interest in this blog. May you find a way to gorge yourself on the beauty that surrounds you.
