Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sketching

I've been spending my evenings lately with some old photos and a sketchbook, trying to see what might be in the photos that I could use for some paintings.
This watercolor sketch is from a photo taken several years ago when we drove up the Columbia River Gorge to buy peaches. A lineup of unmatched lawn chairs alongside the shed caught my eye and I snapped the picture.
I've sketched the scene several times, doing value studies and rearranging the elements for a better composition. This is a first attempt to determine color placement, but still I'm struggling. The big red barn in the background was ready to topple in a strong wind and my drawing gives it more presence. I like that and I'll try some more drawings to see if this painting will be more about the buildings than about the chairs. And it still is too realistic for me. I think severe abstraction is the key.



3 comments:

  1. I love the watercolor in your sketchbook! It'll be interesting to see what you come up with for your painting!

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  2. This is a fun one. You do realism well! I look forward to seeing where you take this.

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  3. I don't know, Jo - but I *love* this watercolor. I love color in general - but the feel of it is - well lovely.

    So beautifully done! Thank you for sharing!

    *smootch*

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I appreciate comments and questions.

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