One Tree Two Ways

10/9/19 Maple Leaf neighborhood

My personal leaf-peeping tour continues, and once again, I didn’t have to go far to find this maple in the ‘hood. On a brisk but brilliant day, I first made a small fountain pen sketch in my pocket-size Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook (the one I’ve been carrying the past few weeks for times when I want to use graphite or ink) for InkTober. Of course, immediately after that, I sketched it again in full color in my larger S&B Beta.

Books and instructors often recommend making thumbnail value studies before tackling a larger work in full color, but I almost never do. I should, though, because the smaller ink sketch served that very purpose and made the values easier to see when I went in with color.

How’s this for a coincidence: Almost exactly two years ago, I sketched this same tree for InkTober, probably from the same parking spot.