Blazing Japanese Maples (and Mixed Media Whim)

 

10/28/24 Japanese maples, Maple Leaf neighborhood

Even these spectacular Japanese maples have not been spared the indignity of bad haircuts, but their brilliance still blazes through.

Media notes: Whenever I use watercolor pencils, I almost invariably use watercolor pencils only; the medium somehow urges me toward purity. On a whim, I pulled out my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen (a favorite for tonal sketches of street trees without color) to draw the tree trunks and limbs (and van), and then I applied watercolor pencils in my usual way: A generous spritz of water first, then color. I was still thinking about which color to apply for the shadow areas of the trees, when I noticed that the PlatinumCarbon Black ink (not completely dry, apparently) smudged a little from the water. I pushed it harder on the underside of the trees’ crowns, and the smeared ink was just the right shading I wanted. Easy-peasy!

Then, on another whim, I used a graphite pencil for the man, his dog, the utility pole and the wires, which I didn’t want to have as much prominence as the rest of the sketch.

Purism, schmurism. Bring on the mixed media.