Harmony of Dark and Light...

Planning my workshop for the Singapore Urban Sketchers Symposium actually began many months in advance.  I've been giving a lot of thought to what makes a sketch (or perhaps any artwork) a success--and it seems to me that it's composition--a dynamic composition has the power to grab the eye and hold it!  Without a strong composition a great idea or lovely rendering just doesn't come across.

In studying composition, I began reading about Notan--a Japanese word meaning the harmony of light and dark.  There really isn't a word in English that means quite the same thing.  Suddenly a light came on for me, as I saw how well it could work as a way to create strong compositions by first seeing shapes of light and dark in a subject, and then composing those shapes on a page.

So--how does this relate to sketching on location?  Composing with Notan begins with seeing the patterns of light and dark in your subject--such as light and shadow on a building surface or foliage, but it means much more than that.  As you develop your sketch, what becomes important is the harmony of tones--how the lights and darks are balanced on your page.  In other words, you make choices of what to "push" as you interpret and compose the patterns of light and dark that you see.

My first workshop using this idea was at the Los Angeles Arboretum with its lovely Queen Anne Cottage, enormous palm trees, and a wonderful variety of birds everywhere.  I took participants through a process of 3 steps:  creating a pattern of black and white, then adding a mid-value wash to follow the rhythm of the black and white shapes and add some depth, and then the final step of adding a punch of color for fun--and emphasis.

So, here are some of the sketches that I did at The Los Angeles Arboretum...


Initially I began with line...then adding, massing shapes with a black brush pen...

With practice, I began jumping in with the brush pen, to commit to the large shapes right away...

Then, adding a mid-value wash...

And finally, adding color for emphasis--doing this selectively.  At this point, I ask--Where do you want to draw the eye?  Notice how color can become another element to lead the eye in your composition...

Sketching Los Angeles...

Sketching at some favorite locations around my home town...

Quick sketching at the historic Grand Central Market downtown in ink and watercolor... I come to buy chiles for making mole, have lunch and sketch!

With more time, I like to try to tell a more complete story with pencil, watercolor and gouache--observing here the changes taking place at the Grand Central Market.  I love this downtown institution, and as I watch it change, I hope with more upscale vendors and cafes moving in that what gives the mark its character will remain.  The traffic here has certainly increased, and that seems to be a good thing for everyone.

Another story here, sketching around Bunker Hill downtown on a cloudy day, across from the magnificent Central Library.  The sculpture by Robert Graham stands atop a fountain at the top of Bunker Hill Steps.  Prosperous looking bankers cross paths with homeless people wrapped in blankets and patrons of the library.  I love the tower of the Central Library with its tiled mosaic pyramid and golden hand holding a torch representing the "Light of Learning"...

Sketching here at an annual event celebrating Los Angeles history...Museums of the Arroyo Day.  The beautiful Southwest Museum sits on a hill with fantastic views.  At the entrance is a large totem pole.

Then, to Heritage Square--a "living history museum" of 8 historic 19th century buildings (rarities in Los Angeles!).  For this event, the old Ford was on display and lots of visitors were dressed in Victorian finery...

Sketching here with pencil and watercolor

This is a Turner-inspired panorama...sketched from the Getty Center, where I visited the fantastic exhibition:  "JMW Turner: Painting Set Free"--it was very inspiring, especially when I walked out of the exhibition into late afternoon light, and saw this panoramic view of Santa Monica with Catalina Island in the distance engulfed by "Turner-esque" atmosphere.  Layering a watercolor, gouache and pencil here...

Really though, this is my favorite kind of sketching...having some time on a weekday to make a lunchtime drawing of "ordinary" life...here in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on a cloudy day...pencil, watercolor and gouache on tan paper.

More Desert Travels...

I've recently returned from Singapore, where I was very fortunate to teach a workshop at the 6th Annual Urban Sketchers Symposium.  I've been encouraged and inspired to be much more frequent in making blog posts, so will be catching up this week!

In June I made another desert trip--to Joshua Tree National Park and Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert.  These trips always begin and end with lots of passenger sketching!  I love doing this--it's a great way to warm up with quick sketching, seeing how much I can record as we breeze along at freeway speed.

I like experimenting with materials in these sketches...here, layering watercolor, gouache and ink with a calligraphy brush pen...

Sketching time often begins for me with small thumbnails...having just arrived in the desert town of Twentynine Palms, I sat on the front porch of my friend's lovely old adobe house and sketched the view in pencil, watercolor and gouache--a wonderful change of view from my Los Angeles city life...

 More views from the front porch...seem to often include durable desert cars...

Playing back and forth with different media--pencil, watercolor and gouache on tan paper, or quick sketching with ink and watercolor...

Meanwhile there's the wonderful sound of doves, quail or quail and other birds who come to feed under the nearby trees...ink and watercolor

And then some time at Joshua Tree National Park, where I visited some favorite spots...always different with the season's light and atmosphere.  This spot is known as Split Rock...

Sketching here with watercolor and gouache on tan paper, and below--water soluble pencil and watercolor...

On this trip, I spent more time sketching in Twentynine Palms...just enjoying the desert views and pace of life at different times of day...the old wood frame house here reputed to be a place that actor James Cagney came to paint (I always like to think so, anyway!)

The panorama is an experiment with ink and bamboo pen on top of watercolor and gouache...

And here, a night view made with the help of my head lamp...being careful as I sketch not to tread on any night-crawling creatures!

No desert visit is complete without a visit to the the Country Kitchen in Joshua Tree for a good breakfast.  I love the very eclectic decor, and there's always an array of customers--Joshua Tree locals, families and soldiers from the nearby Marine base.  As I'm preparing for my trip to Singapore, I notice especially the pictures of Angkor Wat...the Cambodian owner tells me that I must plan lots of time to see it...that will be another trip.

And finally, there's the drive home, and more passenger sketching!  I am playing fast and loose now with a variety of media on tan paper...mostly pencil, watercolor and gouache...

Sketching in Black and White...

When planning workshops I go back to what are for me, the basics--like quick line studies, and value studies in black and white--I never get tired of doing these!  I love watching classic black and white movies of the 30's and 40's made by the masters of lighting.  They understood the dramatic power of beautifully composed shots of dark and light, and all the gradations in between--something I always aspire to!  I also believe that it's key to working in color as well...





A quick study in late afternoon in a Los Feliz parking lot...I can never resist a view of my favorite Los Angeles building, the Griffith Observatory...

 Quick sketching over coffee on a Saturday morning...

From a recent train trip down to Mission San Juan Capistrano, with my sketching friends Shiho, John and Chris--to meet Gail Wong and Frank Ching here from Seattle to do a workshop.  This has to be the loveliest of missions!  I wanted to study the light that day--and now look forward to returning to do more work in color...

A quick sketch waiting at the train tracks for the trip back to Los Angeles...

Sketching Around Town...

...and some from out of town too...from a trip to old town Orange with sketching friends on the train from Union Station...
























Sketching with the LA Worldwide Sketchcrawl group in January at the La Brea Tarpits...

...and in April at the Venice Canals...

Happening upon a wonderful orange truck in Glendale...

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And some neighborhood sketching at train crossing in South Pasadena, and on Los Angeles streets...

...and on a gray day with balloons...