I sketched this scene of a lake near the beach last weekend. The house we were staying at had huge picture windows, so I got to sit on the couch in comfort while I painted. It almost seemed like cheating! The willows along the far shore were starting to change color and they glowed when the setting sun struck them.
I wasn’t too happy with how my first attempt at sketching the lake came out (see the panoramic view below) so I tried it again later from a photo. This is from a different perspective and the scene is cropped. I like it a lot better (see above). I also used Canson cold press wc paper rather than my moleskine, which I think helped me achieve a better outcome. I had a lot of fun trying out painting cumulus clouds. (I used The Watercolorists Essential Notebook by Gordon MacKenzie as a reference.)
I am looking forward to using better quality wc paper for my sketches more often, if I can ever manage to get around to making my own sketch books. Getting started is the hardest part, since I have never done it before.
Ooops, I see I spelled “Lytle” wrong in the moleskine sketch, grrr!
This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).
Both lovely Janene. I do like the top one the best though. The paper does make a difference (although I’ve found I even do my pencil sketches on heavy paper now)
I like them both! Lucky you to have such a comfortable seat to paint this view.
We never would have known that you were so comfy in the cabin. Nice piece.
I like both of them Janene
These are very nice. I like how you get the misty distant feel in them.
They are gorgeous! I absolutely love them. Love the control of water and colors =)
Awww–thanks so much Cathy, Sandra, Sue, and Alex!
Cathy, Imo the best thing about good paper is that when I mess-up, it’s more likely that I will be able to salvage the sketch by lifting paint. I find I need that perk all too often!
Florence, Thanks, it is misty a lot here in Oregon, especially along the coast.
Thats really beautiful, and it looks like so calm and peaceful there… What a great view.
very nice painting, I like the soft colours.
They are both beautiful! It does make a huge difference painting on paper that you like. It sounds like you had the perfect spot to sit and paint too – with a wonderful view.