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Washington - DC - USA [RESULTS]

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:48 pm
by Studio-1-F
Everyone who decided NOT to meet downtown on the Mall was a genius! All in one day we had Smithsonian Kite Festival, opening day of the Cherry Blossom Festival (and the blossoms are supposed to be all open by now), the Cherry Blossom Festival Marathon, and the Circus! All downtown, and all today. Thank goodness the first game in the Nats' new stadium (also downtown) was later this evening. Or I'd still be down there, waiting for Metro. Whew!!

Anyway, because of traffic I was a half hour late at the rendezvous spot, but, as I said, I was all alone. So no harm done!

First is a view of some kite-flyers on the Mall, with the Nat'l Gallery of Art behind, and then some faces inside the Cafe in the National Museum of the American Indian. (Excellent food in that place! Note: Arrive before 11:30am!)

Jan

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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:13 am
by PaintMonster
Studio-1-F
wow nice sketch style!!
I like 2nd one very much!!

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:04 pm
by donnam
lots of expression in your sketches-nicely done

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:05 pm
by shawn
Nice sketches! I like the one with the bit of color behind it.

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:32 pm
by Studio-1-F
WOW!! Thanks everyone for your kind comments. I had a good time. In a metro area of almost six million souls, I was kinda surprised no one else joined in. Clearly I need to beat the bushes more efficiently.

Next time!

Jan

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:46 pm
by marcello
bellissimo the first skecth , is very nice to have an impression of the place.
http://www.marcellomurru.blogspot.com/ :D

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:09 pm
by JamieWG
Jan, I really like your abstract touches of color on that second sketch.

It seems you have a variety of mediums and paper with you. How have you worked out the paper issue? Do you keep it all in some kind of a book, or just pull out individual pieces of different papers? What were the mediums you used in the last one, on the blue (canson?) paper.

Thanks...Loved seeing your work and hearing about sketching in DC, something I hope to do in April!

Jamie from the Hudson Valley

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:44 pm
by Studio-1-F
JamieWG wrote:Jan, I really like your abstract touches of color on that second sketch.
Thanks! Sometimes I just get carried away with the watercolor washes and stick a big square of wash on one of the blank pages in my sketchbook and then put that page back in among the other blank pages. And so I just come across that page when I get to that point in the sketchbook! Sometimes it makes a nice backdrop for a drawing. I like it. Glad you do too!

I am thinking that these wash blocks might be a good way to organize a page in the big travel sketchbook. I may experiment with that, in place of other ways of blocking out areas on a page. Just thinking out loud here, sorry!
JamieWG wrote:It seems you have a variety of mediums and paper with you. How have you worked out the paper issue? Do you keep it all in some kind of a book, or just pull out individual pieces of different papers?
I make my sketchbooks myself, almost entirely with Strathmore Aquarius II, which I like a lot. I also mingle in sheets (here and there) of that Canson Mi-Teintes Drawing Paper (good catch!). It is okay with heavy watercolor washes, but not great. I sometimes like to play around with the white Neocolor II crayon, to get highlights on the tinted paper. I carry a few stumps of that crayon in my sketch kit. Just in case.

(I use the Rollabind binding system for my sketchbooks, so I can re-arrange the pages, pull some out and add others, use different kinds of paper, weights, thicknesses, colors, types, whatever I want. It works very well for me. You can see the Rollabind hole punches on the edge of the blue Canson sketch page. Let me know if you'd like more info on the sketchbooks. It's on my blog.)
JamieWG wrote:What were the mediums you used in the last one, on the blue (canson?) paper.
I first sketched with water soluble ink (Private Reserve Velvet Black) in my Lamy Vista fountain pen. Then I put on the highlights with the white Neocolor II crayon. Then glopped it all up with watercolors. The peacock color watercolor wash on her sweater collar really ran and mingled with the black ink. It's kinda neat!
JamieWG wrote:Thanks...Loved seeing your work and hearing about sketching in DC, something I hope to do in April!
Visiting in April? Beautiful time here, with all the spring flowers and the trees leafing out. Great city! I love it!!!!

Jan