SketchCrawl 27 +++

I did this at the last SketchCrawl (May 15), sitting in front of San Francisco’s Ferry Building. I kind of like my unfinished paintings better than the finished ones. Here you can see I started with a warm brown wash, drew over it in pen, and painted over the drawing.

Above: This was done with watercolor, felt-tip pen, and gouache in a Moleskine sketchbook, which has paper similar to Bristol board except that it’s water-resistant. Why would anyone want to use water-based materials on water-resistant paper? If you’re anything like me, it’s because you’re a glutton for punishment. I enjoy the challenge and unpredictability of painting in these books because it yields interesting effects. Also, I just hate working in pencil.

Below: Drawings done mostly on BART or the bus.






I’ve been working through an artistic downturn these past couple months and it’s just now that I’m starting to feel somewhat satisfied with anything I’ve produced again. Whether my work quality has actually been degrading or just my opinion of it, I don’t know. Anyone else would be a better judge of that than I would. But I’m looking forward to spending more time outdoors drawing and painting now that the weather is finer and I seem to finally be pulling myself out of this funk I’ve been in.