Mixed Media on My Walk

 

2/4/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

After my experiments strategically combining water-soluble and non-soluble materials at home, I carried the same variety of tools with me on my fitness walk. It was certainly more than I would ever typically use on location, let alone while out for a walk, but I was eager to see how the experiment would go in the field.

I wanted to keep the house sharp, so I drew it with a non-soluble Derwent Drawing pencil. For everything else, I used nearly the full water-soluble arsenal I had with me: Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils and Neocolor II crayons, and Derwent Inktense pencils. I activated the tree trunk and fence first with a waterbrush so I could keep them fairly crisp, too. Then I used a spritzer to activate the foliage.

I had stood on the sidewalk as usual, but I used a low brick wall nearby to set down my tool pouch. It felt a little cumbersome, but I managed. I carried all the same materials the next day at the Volunteer Park USk outing, and it felt like a lot to hold then, too.

I’ll probably pare down the mixed-media arsenal with fewer colors of each and fewer types. Or I’ll again decide it’s just easier to leave the “mixed” for home use and stick with watercolor pencils on location. (I’ve been here before, and most likely I’ll keep cycling back as I continually test the balance between portability and my craving for variety!)