Fabulous Weather, Usual Frustrations at the Quad

3/19/24 cherry trees, University of Washington Quad (watercolors in a primary triad plus Derwent Inktense pencils in pink and green in Hahnemuhle 100% cotton sketchbook. I love how easy it was to give texture to the blossoms with a pink pencil -- an ideal use of pencil in a mixed-media piece like this.)

Using the search term “Quad” on my blog, I pulled up posts as far back as 2013, which was probably the first time I attempted to sketch the blossoming cherry trees on the University of Washington campus. Other than the pandemic pause, I think I’ve sketched the blossoms there every year, usually with USk Seattle. It never gets easier – simplifying the massive complexity; trying to capture that ethereal near-white hue and sheer volume of dense blossoms; the inevitable crowds of people; the backdrop of the Quad’s stately buildings. Every year I come away feeling a bit disappointed that I still haven’t figured out how to nail them, which encourages me to try something different the following year.

Watercolor pencil, watercolor and gouache in
Hahnemuhle 100% cotton sketchbook

And so it was again last Tuesday, when USk Seattle was treated to phenomenal weather – clear skies and temps in the 60s – an ideal afternoon to meet my annual frustrations. I made a total of four sketches, each with a different mix of materials or approaches (materials listed in the cutlines), and all with a limited color palette. For one, I premixed pink gouache (mostly white with a touch of magenta and yellow, all from the Holbein CYMK primary set) before putting it in my new palette (I promise I’ll show it soon). I also used watercolor and Derwent Inktense Blocks. To push myself out of my comfort zone, I minimized use of my tried-and-true watercolor pencils. During the last 20 minutes or so before the throwdown, I ran out of steam and did a comic-style spread in my green Uglybook – ahhh, so familiar and comforting!

Overall, my goal was to emulate my main takeaway from Harumichi Shibasaki’s YouTube that I mentioned in yesterday’s post, which is to make the blossom shadows much darker than I would otherwise dare. Based on his principles, I could have gone even darker without going too far. I hope to have at least one more chance to give this principle a try before another fleeting Sakura season is over.

Derwent Inktense Blocks in Hahnemuhle 100% cotton sketchbook

Uni Pin brush pen and Pentel Milky acrylic paint marker in Uglybook

Despite my frustrations, it's impossible to walk through this spectacle without feeling the joy and freshness of spring!