Fall has gotten me out driving around looking for sketch subjects. I am usually on an unknown quest. I don’t know what I’ll sketch until I see it. One such subject was a barge and several stacked covers at the Upper Landing Park in St. Paul.
I have sketched barges before, but there was something about the design and shapes of several covers stacked on top of one another. I also liked the value contrasts– the darks and lights of the stack.
The finished sketch after I added some writing and accents:
A couple days ago it was cold and windy, but I was determined to find something to sketch. I found myself in a construction storage site where new apartments were being built. It had rained the night before, so the ground had puddles and was muddy. Stuff was strewn around. I plopped my stool near a yellow truck with blue cables and began to sketch. The wind and an eerie call of a killdeer kept me company as I sketched.
Once done with the yellow truck, I moved on to a red vehicle with fat tires. The texture of the tires got my attention, I just like those grooves on the surface!
I also noticed the Biffs sitting in a row nearby. I just had to sketch them as well! These were a boring brown (I have sketched others that were blue or green). But OK, there was already enough color in my sketch!
After returning home and deepening values of paint colors and adding some accents and text, here is my final sketch:
I love those unknown sketch quests when I go out by myself– just packing my kit and sketchbook and going out into the world to see what I see. Having no idea what I’ll sketch. And something always grabs my attention. And I always remember– I am the only one on the planet in that space, at that precise time, that is recording what I see in my sketchbook. I invite you try the same thing and see what unknown quests you discover. Have fun!