Realistic Colors are Over-Rated

2/13/14 Gel pens, Zig marker, Private Reserve Velvet Black ink, Canson XL 140 lb. paper

A large part of the fun I’m having when sketching with gel pens is that I’m forced to use the somewhat garish colors available, which means I never have to think about seeking realism. In their Urban Sketching Symposium workshops, both Lynne Chapman and Inma Serrano encouraged letting color express mood, energy or personal whim rather than trying to depict reality, so this is not a new lesson for me. But until I discovered gel pens, I didn’t quite get the message.

2/13/14 Gel pens, Zig marker, Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same ink

Today at Zoka Coffee, I found that Zig markers in contrasting colors (‘90s palette notwithstanding) gave a boost to shadows that I couldn’t get to be deep enough with gel pens alone.