David's "Sketching Utah" thread.

[Davkin]

Today was super-mega-sketcharama day! I made 5 sketches in three rural towns.

Kamas;



At a car show in Kamas;





In Heber City;



In Midway;



I started a four day weekend today, (Tuesday is a state holiday) and plan on sketching every day of it.

I wrote lots in my blog about today's sketches that you might find of interest so please check it out.

I have only five sheets left in this sketchbook! I'll almost definately be finishing it during my little vacation. I was real suprised so few sheets were left until I realized I misunderstood the cover. The cover says there are 44 "pages", not sheets. So I thought I was getting 44 sketches into this but instead it will only be 22, I better place an order with Blick! At this rate I'll use up my other sketchbook soon as well! I write notes about each sketch one the back of each sketch so sketching on both sides of each sheet is not an option.

David

David

[RainySea]

Very nice work and what a productive day! The car and the truck are my favorites as you just do those SOOOO well!

[doug105]

Nice new bunch of sketches!

DougN

[DrDebby]

Great bunch of sketches.

[Davkin]

Thanks Rainy, Doug, Debby.

I went on a hike today and did these two sketches;





David

[DrDebby]

Delightful sketches. The waterfall is great.

[Davkin]

Thanks Debby.

Today was a state holiday so I went out sketching. I visited a town I've never been to called Mountain Green and made two sketches of the same scene, one horizontal and one vertical. Do one of the compositions work better than the other?





David

[DrDebby]

They are both pastoral and well done. I like the vertical better with the road going where?

[poochemio]

Awesome bunch of sketches, love the waterfalls, and both of the sketches of the same subject look like totally different places, no favorite they are both super!

[urbanspinner]

They're both beautifully done. I do have a thought, though, about the second one. I love how the vertical format allows the really dramatic slice that separates earth from sky. The ground half of the painting is wonderful, with the color patterns and linework. But the sky looks... lonely in comparison. There isn't much detail -- just a vague suggestion of clouds and darker blue behind them -- and it feels oddly disappointing because of the beauty you evoked in the rest of the piece.

It's just a thought, though. Both pieces are lovely. I find landscapes like this to be some of the most challenging things to sketch.

[Davkin]

Thanks Debby, the vertical version certainly has that appeal, just a little more mysterious, showed these sketches to my family last night though and my brother hated the vertical version, felt too closed in.

Thanks Margo

Thanks Urbanspinner, I understand what you are saying, but don't blame the scene itself but rather my incompetence with watercolor. The sky was very dark behind the hills while I did the sketch as a storm had recently passed and in person it was a little more interesting. Just after I finished the sketch though the sky had changed to being very bright yet about 60% cloudy and so was much more interesting. I did take a photo of that sky and may use that sky instead if I do a painting. I might reduce the sky area also, move the horizon up. Right now the hills create a separation between land and sky that's a little too close to halfway for my comfort.

Thanks for the input guys, I really appreciate it.

David

[Joan T]

Great sketches!!! I'm impressed with the one of the water...nicely done. I like the details to the rustic barns as well as the cars. As for the 2 landscapes, I like the vertical one best. I like how that big sky gives it a feeling of depth.

[Davkin]

Thanks Joan, I agree, at least some sky is needed for that composition to work.

David

[Davkin]

I went on a "sketch and ride" this morning. I rode my bicycle, (first time in nearly a year! ) down to the Parkway with my sketching materials on my back. I made three sketches at three different ponds.







I rode on the Parkway about 7-8 miles and saw easily a hundred good compositions and a thousand tree studies waiting for me to sketch them. Gotta get out in the bicycle more often.

David

[DrDebby]

Lovely. I like the one with the water birds.