Woohoo

In Greensboro visiting family and just got my Open Sketchbook cards at Just Be. They are even better in person!!!

waiting for dinner and eating my lunch

 

I've wanted to draw this column for a long while. Since i only got lo mein it wasn't a long wait. i drew part of the column and added the paint at home.

The other is a quick sketch of my sweet potato fries. 

waiting and ornaments

Two sketches from last week

Canson Me Tienes

 

all are gouache

 

left is gouache right WC 

    

this one was done in the dark. the next morning i saw that everything was green and blue. no black in my palette :)

 

left is gouache right is WC

 

A few new sketch on Canson's Mi-Teintes paper. I really like this toned paper.
I have been using gouache on it mainly and it holds up really well to the water. No buckling at all!!
And my pens glide along the paper well. So far i like it's texture and ability to take water better than the Bogus paper i had been using.

first sketches in new book

Here are the first four spreads in my new book. These were done on the Canson Bristol paper. I really like the weight of the paper and it seems to handle a wash well, though i have done anything too wet.
I am finding a tiny amount of bleeding with my pen which doesn't happen on the 90lb Canson Foundation Series WC paper but i am not giving up on it yet :)

Did a few more sketches last night ( not post worthy ) and the next paper up is the Mi-Teintes paper (brown tone).
Hoping to have time tonight or tomorrow to sketch on that.

Newest Sketchbook

Here it is...

My newest sketchbook. Made using Canson Bristol and Mi-Teintes paper (grey and brown tones).

I have been playing around with a new test/ note strip on the bottom of the sketchbook. This is my second prototype. You may have seen the last one in the photos of my last few posts. I really liked having the strip, but not how it was secured and the quantity of paper. I used about half as much as i thought i would. So cut the quantity and came up with a new way to affix to the book.  We'll see how this one goes. I still have about 4 sheets to go in the current book.

The books overall dimensions are 7" x 4.875". The paper is 5.75" x 9" for a two page spread and test strip is 1" x 4.5".

I haven't use any of this papr in a book yet so i will post feedback as soon as i start sketching.

Getting ready to bind

A few posts ago I shared, that the great folks at Canson sent me a huge box filled with am amazing assortment of paper to test. 

Normally I bind my sketchbooks with 90lb Canson Foundation Series WC paper and enjoy it. I also will add toned paper. Either brown Bogus or grey tinted Strathmore. 

My current book is almost done so tonight I started cutting the paper for the signatures. I am using the 9x12 pads which works out perfect since I get two signature pages per one 9x12. 

I am using the Bristol and pastel paper( 1 from the gray tones and 1 from the earth tones) 

By the weekend I should be complete and ready to test!! I am really looking forward to trying out the new paper. 

Stay tuned :)

Back in Baltimore and then DC

I was in baltimore again , this time for a conference and tehn got to spend the day in DC and participate in the 41st sketchcrawl with their great group. Here are some of my sketches from last weeks trip.

Last Saturday in Baltimore

We were in Baltomire last weekend and i had quite the productive Saturday sketching.

I did these (painted the domino one at home since i drew it while sitting in Chipotle waiting for everyone to finish their food.

I have 3 un-scanned pages ( not post worthy :) ) and one more double spread i have to paint.
Stay tuned...

Canson Testing

While at the symposium this year I ran into Giulia the Canson Rep (we met the year before in the Dominican) after talking a bit about the paper I bind in my sketchbooks, Giulia offered to send me a few samples to test.

Never in my wildest, did I imagine what would arrive. 7 different types of paper. Toned and white!!!

Obviously I could not wait to start testing. I had about 20 minutes or so last night and began.

First with the Bristol, Mixed Media and Illustration. The Bristol surfaces are different on each side (the two in the middle). I’m curious how the different surfaces will take watercolor.

So with all this paper stay tuned…much more testing to come. :)

One day in Toronto

Shopping for my girl and sketching a few things while i wait.

Tuesday sketching with the ERA group

Labor Day in North Country

We had the best time this past weekend up in "North Country" such a relaxing weekend spent both indoors and on the water with our dearest friends. It was very productive creatively and comedically :)

Here are the post worthy sketches.

New Book

Just started the the Laloran  http://laloranstore.bigcartel.com/  i got at the symposium. Its alot smaller in size and fits in the kickin sketching apron Amber http://www.flickr.com/photos/47226058@N04/  made me.  Open the book is about the same size as one page of my last book so this will be an experiment in working across the gutter.

so below new book , color pallette, and a few sketches.

 

Sketches from Spain

These are the rest of my sketches from our two week trip to Spain. A fantastic trip, honeymoon and symposium. So many great memories in my sketchbook, on our camera and others like the sounds of the cow bells and tastes of amazing food left in our minds.

Urban Sketching Symposium 2013 BARCELONA

Below are sketches from the last two days of the symposium using the AMAZING accordion book given to us by Sennelier. I seriously love this book and paper. Now i just have to figure out what it is so i can buy more.

 

This was another amazing year. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones and learning so so much. I look forward to the weeks and months ahead when i can take my time to work on the new techniques learned from both the instructors and other participants.

 

A BIG thank you to everyone who organized this years symposium. It was spectacular