I don’t know about you, but I tend to have a few sketchbooks going at one time. Currently I have 5 unfinished books, and I pick and choose from them depending on where I am going, what I want to try, or where my mood is at the time.
The blue Canson mixed media book is one with a jumble of stuff in it from several years. I typically avoid this sketchbook because the paper isn’t as heavy to handle watercolor. But in recent weeks, I’ve wanted to work more loosely, so have chosen to use it.
Our sketching group has been out and about this winter, so I used it to experiment with color and other fun things. Here is a sketch in the Canson book in a coffee house, done with pen and variations of purple, gray-purples, and pink watercolors. It was a fun lively piece to do.
Here are some fun things I saw on the counter tops too, I worked very loosely with my pen and added watercolor washes after that.
I found myself at Cossetta’s restaurant in St. Paul and just had to sketch the chef statue as you enter their door. After that, I looked around for other fun things to add, including a chicken decoration and someone else’s pizza at another table. I chose warm colors for this sketch too.
I don’t know what it is with chickens, but I sketched the big blue rooster at the Minneapolis Sculpture garden a few weeks later. I watched how so many people took pictures of this sculpture with their phones– it amused me. The Basilica was across the freeway behind me, so I added that. I noticed no one taking pictures of that, only the chicken!
Finished sketch:
Finally, in this same sketchbook, I sketched at the MN Firefighters Museum at one of our sketch meets. I liked the front of a fire truck and also did sketches of other items I saw in the museum.
For some reason, I find this paper less precious, and I’m more willing to experiment on it. I slathered all sorts of colors for the gas mask, hydrant, and boots and let colors run together. I love the loose effects.
A quick sketch with my pen of a uniformed mannequin…
There are lots of things you can do to work more loosely, if you find yourself doing tight, detailed sketches. For me using a different type of paper helped a lot. There’s something about an inexpensive sketch book that makes you feel more freedom. I have one page to go, and plan to buy another one. I’ve so enjoyed loosening up my sketches. They are just more lively and fun to me!