This weekend I led a sketch session with my students at the arboretum of the Reading Public Museum. We talked about framing out your composition, focusing on interesting composition of shapes and values, and several other things also covered in last week’s sketch newsletter.
I tried a very fast approach with my demo sketch this time, including a human figure, and wasn’t completely happy with the end result. In today’s video I show you how I returned to the arboretum to continue to refine the same sketch.
More sketch tips
Here are more tips for sketching from me and from students in the group.
Linda filled a page with several small sketches, focusing on accurate dark and light shapes within the frames. Tip: Look at the 2x2 inch landscapes of Tiffanie Mang.
Allan used written notes directly on his sketch if for reference in the studio later.
Lynn blurred her vision by squinting to see the “big picture” without getting lost in details right away. She also smeared graphite around to create tone, then refined it with some stronger pencil line work.
Abby tried a wide variety of fast sketches, focusing on contour lines rather than tone, including several human figures and different types of trees and shrubs.
Materials I used: Pocket DIY watercolor kit; self-build Gurney easel; Lilorosh Artie bag; Jack Richeson travel brush set; ordinary camera tripod with quick release plate for easel setup; Pentalic Aqua Journal.
When Is a Sketch Finished?