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 in the garden

...at Descanso Gardens, in La Canada...where I recently had the great pleasure of teaching a "Sketching on Location" workshop series.  One of the things I enjoy most is the preparation.  I try out ways to do things with simple means--just with line, just with values, and move on from there...as I plan, I hope everyone who comes will discover something, and have a great time!

Some quick sketching at Descanso Gardens

...thinking again about the meat and potatoes of sketching...some quick studies in line and tone...

...before moving on to some color...the range between a warm yellow and deep Indranthene blue...

...and then more recently a large study of light and shade in a favorite spot, the Japanese Garden...

...and a few more studies in black and white...on the road to Santa Barbara...

 ...and from a cafe window in Pasadena...

Sketching at Descanso...

I recently taught a sketching workshop at Descanso Gardens.  In preparing for the workshop, I did a lot of sketching and thinking about things like how to start...what's important to me in a sketch...why sketch in a sketchbook?  It took me back to the basics of choosing a subject by focusing and framing...and making lots of quick thumbnail sketches.  Also...seeing in line versus seeing shape...and how seeing tone and value is key to working with color.  So much to try and convey in a few hours!

Many pages of thumbnails....here are a few--in the Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden...and near the entrance.  

Things were constantly swooping, flying or running across my path...reminding me how a sketchbook can serve to catch those unexpected surprises--moments of opportunity!

Seeing and drawing in line...seeing and drawing in value and tone...

 Studies in value and color...

What to include, what to leave out...

More past studies from Descanso Gardens...