Sketching, Listening and the S. S. Minnow

1/21/15 various inks, Canson XL 140 lb. paper

We had been invited to a presentation; the topic was of greater interest to Greg than to me. However, free refreshments were promised, so I tagged along – with my sketchbook, of course.

At some point I picked up a Bic ballpoint pen that had been provided for note-taking. I know some sketchers swear by the ubiquitous ballpoint for sketching, saying they can get all degrees of value with just one pen, just like some people are able to achieve with a pencil. I’ve never been a fan of ballpoint ink, but I started to see why it’s favored – it’s the kind of medium that you can keep building layers with.

1/21/15 various inks

I left that pen behind, but now I know that if I’m ever stuck on Gilligan’s Island, I’ll remember to grab a Bic that the S. S. Minnow would certainly have onboard.

P.S. Since I didn’t think I was very interested, I didn’t expect to pay much attention to the presentation while I sketched. I was surprised to find that I retained almost all of it. I find I can’t talk and sketch at the same time, but apparently some part of my brain is able to listen and pay full attention.

1/21/15 ballpoint pen