Sketching Outdoors

This past weekend I had a great time sketching outdoors with my sketching club. The Swiftsure Yacht Race was on and our club started on the top of a hill. From the top of the hill, we got an expansive landscape view, and all the yachts waiting to start. I normally don't do landscapes, but this view was just too good to pass up. The shoreline, the water with the yachts, and the mountains in the background. There is just something about a perfectly clear day, fresh air, and the colours of nature that make sketching outdoors so wonderful.

After I completed my first sketch, I moved down the hill to the shoreline. There were still yatchs waiting to start, and people to draw as well. The real challenge with people at events is that they move alot and often get up and walk away. I love this challenge though, and try to rough in the sketch first, so if the people leave, I still can fill in the details from my imagination.

The second sketch I did was of a cluster of three people with a dog. I just got it roughed in when they decided to leave. As they passed me by, they commented on how nice the sketch was, especially with the dog. I guess they appreciated that I didn't leave their dog out of the drawing!

The third sketch I did was of about five people who arrived right after the first group left. I know I would have probably at least 10 minutes before they would leave, and roughed the sketch in quickly, as they still do wiggle about. In all these sketches I put the yachts and water and mountain in last, since these will still be there after the people go.

I really had fun with this as I did the first sketch in graphite, the second in charcoal, and the third was pen and ink. I use these sketching sessions as learning experiences. I used to create drawings that I could sell, but the learning experience is more important. Where I used to complete one drawing, now I am up to three sketches, and can try multiple medium. If my production drawings and paintings ever get caught up, I plan to try to create finished paintings from some of these sketches. I probably should have brought my camera to get reference photos as well, for color and details, but alas I didn't. I left it behind on the prior sketching weekend, and was nervous about bringing it along this time. I will next time.

I am hoping now that the weather is getting better to do some painting outdoors as well. Alla prima. Direct and complete.

I find that combining the beautiful weather with the wonders of drawing to be one of the most pleasurable things I can do. Hurray, Spring!

The image I am posting with this blog was done on another day out on my own. I drew this one, then painted it in. It was an alla prima painting in watercolour. Not a sketch, but it was fun anyway, and that is what art is really all about isn't it?

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