Fishery Sketch, 5x7" watercolor sketch, plein air, ©Diane Mannion
Fearless Sketching
The reason I'm so obsessed with watercolor lately is because I'm treating these little studies like sketches... nothing serious, simply practice, thus NOTHING TO FEAR. If you're not an artist, you would not understand this silly nervousness. Like stage fright, it happens every time an artist approaches a blank space to fill. Depending on the artist's experience, it may last from a few seconds to minutes or until the artist gives up.
I've been studying the work of Marc Taro Holmes on his blog and in his new book, THE URBAN SKETCHER. An inspiration! He describes his journey of sketching with pencils, ink, and watercolor up to his current achievement of painting with watercolor while leaving the pencils behind, drawing with the brush, instead. A great challenge for a watercolorist!
I approach my oil paintings this way, drawing with the brush, but watercolor is a lot more unforgiving. So today I painted the Fishery Sketch without the aid of a pencil. A lot of planning went into a tiny thumbnail sketch first, using a pencil, but the painting was brush only. Felt like a tightrope walker without a net, but a good way to become a bold and fearless painter!
Thumbnail sketch about 2" wide
4 comments:
Lovely painting.
Thanks, Linda! Sometimes it's nice to just let go and sketch... not worrying about how it turns out. So, it's nice when someone likes it!
Impressive stuff Diane! I too had been drawing with the brush with my acrylics, and like oils, it was very forgiving. So I am amazed at how well you've managed the same approach in watercolour which is VERY unforgiving! I am doing the same thing at the moment by sketching directly in ink. It's been a revelation that even with so many errors, one can still channel the essence of a scene or subject.
Thanks for sharing your process so thoroughly!
P.S. When I mentioned mistakes I was referring to my own, not yours Diane! :)
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