Now In Technicolor

Let's hear it for summer. Alright. I can't think of a better way to spend a summer morning in San Francisco than to get acquainted with a fresh sketchbook over a latte and a bagel at some neighborhood cafe.

A former teacher of mine always encouraged us to incorporate words in our sketchbooks whether in journalistic, poetic, or graphic form. I thought I'd try my hand at it. Dunno if I'll keep it up.

I was forced to abandon the drawing below when I started losing the light but I sort of like it better unfinished because it says something about my process here.

Below: Yes, his neck was really that thick. Yes, it was freaky.

Below is a leftover from Ye Olde Recycled Paper Sketchbook.

The new sketchbook is forcing me to think differently about how I compose images on a page and use various media. My old standby tools just don't work in this book and washes are out of the question so I'm mostly working with gouache and these really great Staedtler triplus fineliner pens I just discovered. The painting was all done with my dying water brushpen instead of an actual paintbrush... I can't tell you how difficult a time I had with the color sketches because of that.

I actually had too many sketchbook pages for one post... got a little overstocked due to a broken scanner. Regular updates from now on. Promise. I have backstock.