Traveler's Urban Sketchbook 4: Adding Watercolors

In this Lecture I discuss the four topics I will use to create my sketching series and how borders enhance these topics:

1. Compilation Sketch (summary sketch of your location)

2. Sketch that Tells a Story (Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe)

3. Sketch of a Unique Building (El Santuario de Chimayo)

4. Sketch of an Iconic Location (Art Gallery on Canyon Road)

In each of these sketches I choose different, simple items that I draw thumbnail sketches of and include in my borders around the sketches.  I explain how the items sum up the location, tell more of the story, add something important but missing to a sketch, or give more information about the sketch.

I also give you some more information about Santa Fe and the particular symbols of this historic and unique city.

In this lecture I go through the choice of my border object, what items I choose to create a compilation sketch and I provide prompts throughout the lecture to walk you through the process of creating a compilation sketch.  Your compilation sketch can be the same as mine if you work off of my photos from RESOURCES, or you may be creating your own compilation sketch that summarizes your location.

In this lecture I give you some interesting history and information about Santa Fe and in particular, Canyon Road, the famous art walk street of Santa Fe.  Canyon Road is a favorite place of Santa Fe residents as well as visitors.  The most famous galleries are located here and holiday festivities often happen here as well, making it a really heart of Santa Fe.

I will be sketching a gallery framed by Cottonwood and Mesquite trees, a common site in Santa Fe.  The building sketch is pretty straight forward since I am lined up square to the front facade so there is no perspective involved, but the landscape is a big part of the sketch so watch how I use knowledge from TS2 to help me create symbols that both simplify as well as give intimate detail of the trees and shrubs. 

This sketch is also a good example of how to capture shadows in a sketch.  The clear and bright light in Santa Fe is famous and no painting or sketch would be accurate of the place without numerous and intricate shadow patterns.  Watch as I sketch these patterns on walls and other surfaces in the drawing.

There is a prompt at the end of the lecture encouraging you to create a "Sketch of an Iconic Location".

In this lecture I give you a very brief history of New Mexico which is a fascinating state with a long, complicated and very interesting history.  I highly recommend the book Great River by Paul Horgan if you want a complete history of New Mexico and Texas, both states that began as Mexican territory!  I also give you a very brief history of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the significance of her shrine within the Chimayo gardens.

Then this video primarily focuses on sketching the Shrine.  I move through the sketch pretty quickly since I expect you to have some sketching experience, but I point out key developments and give explanations for why and what I am sketching.

There is a prompt at the end of the sketch for you to do your own sketch of a "Sketch that Tells a Story".

This is the final ink sketch in the course that captures the chapel of El Santuario de Chimayo, a pilgrimage location just 30 minutes north of Santa Fe.  This sketch uses all of the skills accumulated in the Traveler's Sketchbook Series without overwhelming you with detail. 

You will use Contours and Proportions to measure and sketch the size of the building accurately, Landscape and Line Weight to draw the shrub in the foreground and then pull items forward and push them backward using different line weight, and then 2 Point Perspective to layout and ink in the chapel.  I give you some diagrams to aid and demonstrate how I use vanishing points when I sketch in the field and then I finish off the sketch to music.

This is a good review of all the sketching skills you may have accumulated by now and a prompt to help you find for your series: A Sketch of a Unique Building

In this lecture, watch and follow along as I introduce you to watercolors.  The topics I cover in this important lecture are:

• Choosing your color palette for your thematic location

• Creating value charts for each set of objects in your sketch.  I will find the light to dark colors for the shrubs, trees, sky and adobe on the buildings.  I also discuss "VALUE" (the lightness to darkness in an image) which is the key to any great painting!

• Painting on your sketchbook paper (cut out a sheet and practice on this paper or your practice is useless).

• Flat Wash:  How to layer to make a GLAZE

• Brush technique to create a Flat Wash

• Segmented Values:  Values that have a definite line or edge between them

This is the first step to being able to successfully paint your sketches!!

In this lecture, watch and follow along as we complete value charts that have blended values.  The topics covered in this lecture are:

• How to achieve a Graded Wash on your sketchbook paper (an area of paint that goes from a light value to a dark value in a BLENDED fashion).

• Brush technique to create a Graded Wash

• Discussion of Value 4's in place of Black in a painting

This is a really helpful lecture because I show you how I do a little test painting before I paint my finished sketch.  As you get better at painting your sketches you will be able to skip this step, but as you learn, there are never enough preliminary steps you can take with watercolors.  Because watercolors are permanent when they are applied to your sketch paper and because you can only paint over, making darker each stroke you apply, it's good to have a plan in mind before you apply color. 

One of the important things to think about when you ink in your sketch is how much ink to apply to your sketch if you are planning to watercolor it.  My goal was to create finished "Watercolor Paintings" of my sketches, so I used a minimal amount of ink, relying upon my range of values to create my lights and darks. 

If you like to use a lot of ink in your sketches, it's best to just lay down Value 0-2's on the objects in your sketches.  Darker values compete with the ink.  Let the ink create the Value Charts in your sketches if you like to sketch this way.

So watch as I show you how I combine the techniques like flat and graded washes as well as glazes to create the painting I am looking for on my sketches. 

I highly recommend that you do this process, ESPECIALLY, on your sketchbook paper to see how the paint lays down on the paper, and what adjustments you need to make to your plan before you paint your final sketch.

In this lecture I go through how to set up for your first painting using the sketch of the Guadalupe Shrine.  I'm painting this sketch in my studio which is a pretty common practice of mine.  My sketches often take an hour or two to complete and usually the light has changed and I'm tired, so I rely upon a photograph of the area to add the color.  It is best practice to watercolor on site, but remember that this is about having fun so do what works best for you and no apologies!!

I actually do another little practice painting before going after the final sketch of the Shrine.  There is a complicated background to the statue of cut flagstone and I wanted to practice that area a little before going after the real sketch so watch how I layer multiple washes to create a pretty realistic version of the stone wall. 

I guide you through this process with narration and explanation of every step I work through. 

Enjoy!

PS>>>This is a good time for me to tell you how I flatten warped paper in my sketchbook.  Even good sketchbook paper warps a little.

1. Use a spray bottle to mist the back side of your sketchbook paper.

2. Place wax paper between the wet paper and the next sheet in your sketchbook.

3. Close the book and place heavy books to weight it down overnight.  It should be perfectly flat the next morning!  If not, try again.  I have even done this carefully on the painted side when I've don't paintings on both sides of the paper!