Daily Archives: April 5, 2014

Sketchbook Skool

sketch of blue mocassins

“Moccasins”, mixed media by Kerry McFall

I am taking an online course by Danny Gregory called Sketchbook Skool, and the above piece was the first assignment.  The idea was to use NO pencils for a first quick outline, but to draw directly with ink.  Then to write on the sketch, and to draw something that I feel strongly about –  it was fun!  It’s also just a bit overwhelming because at last count there were over 600 students taking the course.  This means that there are over 600 very talented and fascinating folks all over the world posting their sketches and sharing their lives and commenting back and forth, and it also means that I am not going to get the housework done this weekend like I had planned.  Oh dear… hee-hee!

Technique Notes:  Danny suggested doing a watercolor background wash (actually doing a bunch of pages in advance with random colors just so you don’t have to spend as much time waiting for paint to dry), then doing a filled shape of your subject (still no pencils!) in Gouache.  Of which I have none, so I improvised with a bit of acrylic thinned with water.  It worked nicely, but I would do it a bit lighter shade of blue next time.  Then do just the edge of the shape in ink, then off you go with whatever detail you want to add.