Light and Dark with a Punch of Color...

I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach a workshop at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore last month!

My workshop, "Light and Dark with a Punch of Color" focuses on ways to create dynamically composed sketches by exploring the idea of "Notan"--a Japanese word meaning the harmony of light and dark.  Understanding Notan gives us a way to grasp and compose the essentials of a subject.

We start with exploring ways to see the rhythm of light and dark in an urban landscape, and bring that to the sketchbook page--and then add a punch of color for emphasis!

I'd like to offer you a PDF of the workshop handout--It would be great if you could let me know if you find this helpful!

click here:
Light and Dark with a Punch of Color

A sketch made at the Los Angeles Arboretum prior to Singapore...

In Singapore, our workshop site was the Singapore Art Museum, which gave us a great variety of subjects--the beautiful architecture and grounds, people and foliage.  Creating a dynamic composition starts with discovering and selecting the visual story that you want to tell--and it's as much about what's left out as what is left in!  Another key to a strong composition is creating paths for the eye to follow...

While there are many ways to do this, for this workshop we practice creating paths of light and dark, adding the element of watercolor washes, and then use color selectively for emphasis in the visual story.

So, what does Notan have to do with working in color?
I find that practice in making strong value choices in black and white helps you more instinctively create a bolder, richer range of values when you're working with full color!

Sketches from Singapore to follow!

Olvera Street

...is a place I return to sketch again and again, and as I continued to prepare to teach my workshop at the Urban Sketchers Singapore Symposium, I spent several days sketching here.  One of my favorite locations, Olvera Street is the oldest part of Los Angeles--at the center of El Pueblo de Los Angeles.  It's certainly popular with tourists who arrive by the busloads and quickly leave after buying something from the colorful market stalls, but the visitor in a hurry might miss the real sense of community here!

At one end of the street is the Plaza, graced by several large Moreton Bay Fig trees...this particular tree feels like the heart of the Plaza, and I notice that besides the tourists who visit, there are lots of "regulars" who come to sit here in the shade.  Sketched here with pencil, watercolor and gouache on tan paper...

On some afternoons, Aztec Dancers perform in the center of the Plaza, to the delight of children who visit in large school groups...a quick pencil sketch...
















One afternoon as I sat sketching, a fancy black tour bus pulled up nearby with "La Adictiva" emblazoned on the side...and 17 or so men in spectacular studded suits jumped out and lined up in front of me to be interviewed by a glamorous reporter from Spanish language TV Telemundo.  I sketched as fast as I could, while others took photos of what I discovered is a very popular Mexican banda.  I was pointed out to the reporter, and was suddenly pulled off my stool with my sketchbook to have my picture taken with the Banda!

I did lots of thumbnail sketches of visitors and the beautiful architecture at Olvera Street, preparing for my Singapore workshop--in black and white...

...Practicing massing light and dark with ink, then adding mid-tone watercolor wash...

...and adding a punch of color for emphasis...





Sometimes working from the outside in (starting with a border) to frame a little composition, and sometimes working from inside out (starting with an interesting spot and moving out, composing in a freeform pattern)

Here, a relaxed sketch in pencil, watercolor and gouache over lunch as I watch a stream of visitors posing on the stuffed donkey to have their pictures taken in fancy sombreros...as I child I had my picture taken here on a real donkey!

And finally, my favorite Olvera Street moment--late afternoon on Friday in the Plaza, wonderful cumbia music begins to play and couples start dancing in the shade of the huge fig tree--first just a few, then lots of them...

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...