A Sketch Everyday

What's the Difference Between a Sketch and a Painting? Attitude is the biggest difference. The picture below is of a colorful watercolor sketch in my sketchbook. It was done on regular drawing paper. There are far more opportunities for discovery and looseness when your expectations are not too great. It's just a sketch. It's a tool to take you further down the path of exploration and artistic development. The good ones often do turn into paintings later on. My summer drawing blog has come to an end for another year. Be sure to check back here every so often though. I may just sneak a few more in here and there!


Thanks so much to everybody who has written in and supported me in my efforts! Your replies mean a lot to me.
Wishing You Health and Every Happiness! ~ Sandy

Blue Morpho Butterfly

I watched a movie last night called "The Blue Butterfly". It was about a sick boy who goes into the rain forest in South America in search of the beautiful rare Blue Morpho Butterfly. The movie was very good and I enjoyed it very much. I just happen to have a real Blue Morpho Butterfly specimen mounted under glass, so I did this quick color sketch of it for you tonight.

Wildflower Bouquet Sketch

These flowers are some taken from a bouquet jerry brought me last weekend for our anniversary. He got them from a local lady who grows them in her yard and sells them from a cute little antique cart that's set up by her driveway at the edge of a sharp curve in the road. You can't help but slow down there and check out what she's got. I've been meaning to sketch these flowers all week. They're starting to wilt and make a mess. I'm going to go by this weekend and see if she's got any fresh ones out.

Only two days left until the end of this summer blog!
How time flies when you're having fun.

CARDINAL AWARENESS

Today's sketch was used as reference for several Cardinal paintings I'm working on.

VALUES ADDED

Today I added a watercolor wash to yesterday's sketch. This approach really helps prepare me for painting and using color. I feel that value is the most important element that makes up any painting.


"My paintings cannot be a negation of what has always been and always will be necessary – drawing and search for values." ~ Theodore Robinson

See the seven elements of design here!

The Great Alaskan Wilderness

I watched a show on PBS last night about remote resort lodges in the United States. The ones located in Alaska won out as favorites in my book, hands down.

SOMEWHERE IN THE ROCKIES

I sketched this scene today using reference from two different Colorado photos I took last month. I didn't copy either picture, merely used them for inspiration, while adding a healthy heaping helping of Artistic License to the mix.

Take Three / Hummingbird Sketch

I've been trying to put together a sketching video. So far, I'm not happy with it. Here is the drawing from take three! It's harder than you would think. On to take four later.

Baby Polar Bear

For a polar bear, life's mostly all uphill. These days the hills just keep getting steeper all the time.

Another Orca

BABY ORCA

My sister, Gaile works at Sea World in Florida. Her birthday's this Sunday.
This one's for her. AUGHHHHH, sooo cute!

THE LION AND THE LAMB

"And the lion shall lie down with the Lamb."
Lee came over for a private lesson today. We worked on a project she is undertaking. She wants to do a "Spirit Art" painting for her daughter of a lion and a lamb. We talked a lot about mixing colors and did some preliminary drawings today. I wish I had taken a picture of her drawings. They came out very good! Here's mine.


I like the way this one scanned with the rays radiating from the figure. It's just the buckling of the drawing paper really, but I like the effect.

This summer has FLOWN BY!! There's less than two weeks left of my drawing everyday summer sketching blog to go!

Dressage at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta

I attended the 1996 Equestrian Olympics in Atlanta Georgia with three friends. It was a glorious week of Dressage! I video taped most of the rides. I got out the tape and sketched from it today. For people who don't know Dressage, it's very much like watching the grass grow. For enthusiasts, it's exhilarating!

A HORSE OF COURSE

As most of you know, I often work in sets, so here today is another horse sketch. I wish they would show some of the Olympic Equestrian Events on TV! Seems like beach volleyball, gymnastics, swimming, diving and track is dominating the coverage here.

Mare In Moonlight

The Olympics have got me thinking about Chinese horoscopes. I'm a horse, so I decided to sketch some.

Cat Napping

I took Tigger to the vet yesterday to get his hurt leg checked out. They said it probably will get better with rest. It was very stressful for him and a bit for me too. He's resting now. I did this sketch of him from life today.

Playful Orcas / Killer Whales

Here's yesterday's and today's daily sketch. We had a storm last night and I couldn't get online. I hope you enjoy these sketches I did of Orcas. Did you know that the average life expectancy for wild killer whales is about 30 years for males and 50 years for females?

Friesian Horse Portrait

A change of pace for today, here's a horse portrait using special paper and pencils.

The Killdeer

A widespread member of the Plover Family, this bird is found throughout most of the US year round and its range extends far north into Canada in the breeding season. Well known for it's "Broken Wing Act" and self proclaiming call; "kill-dee-dee-dee", this bird can be spotted in fields, meadows, mudflats and shorelines.

Jersey Devil Canoeing in the Pines

Last week I posted a "Hidden Pictures" illustration I did for the Cranberry Festival Program Booklet. I decided to put that picture inside and did this painting for the front cover. It is already sold to one of my "Jersey Devil" collectors!

Early Migration

The hummingbirds are starting to thin out here. I believe some of the males have already started to migrate back to Central America. Fall has certainly been in the air here the past couple of days!

More Rabbits and Bunnies, Oh My!

Couldn't get online last night, so here's Friday's and Saturday's drawings.
Have a Hoppy Day!

Fear and Worry

Rabbits remind us, "Don't worry, be hoppy!"

THE COMMON MOURNING DOVE

Probably everyone is familiar with the mournful sound of this common backyard bird. To me, it almost sounds like a recording that is winding down in slow speed.

WILDFLOWERS ON MY MIND

I went and got 51 bales of hay this morning. I noticed the Bachelor's Buttons, Queen Anne's Lace and something that looks like Pink Fireweed are in bloom on the sides of the road. Here's a sketch I did today from one of my CO photos that's posted on my web log. I'm still adding new Colorado pictures, so be sure to keep checking my web log or subscribe to it through RSS feed.

Hidden Pictures

Today I've been working on an illustration for the cover of a program booklet I do every year for the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival. The cover always features the Jersey Devil. This year I decided to do a "Hidden Picture" contest for the kids. There are over twenty hidden images here. How many can you find?

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

Things have slowed down a little at my hummingbird feeders the last couple of days. I'm guessing there is something with tasty nectar blooming in the surrounding woods. I could smell something similar to the fragrance of Honeysuckle when Jerry and I went out for a morning bike ride.

Quick like a Bunny

Yesterday I stressed the concept of working fast in my painting class. For some, it's a hard habit to get into. I think it allows the right, intuitive side of the brain to take over. ACCORDING TO BETTY EDWARDS, author of DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN; "The right brain perceives and processes visual information, in the way one needs to see in order to draw, and the left brain perceives in ways that seem to interfere with drawing."

Plane Drawing

This image is from my sketchbook. I did this drawing on the plane on my way to Crested Butte, CO last week. Sketching really made the time "FLY BY"! This is a native Rocky Mountain Wildflower, "Serviceberry Flowers".
See what I've been up to today on my web Log.