Breaking for Lunch

4/27/17 ink, water-soluble colored pencils

Rain was heading my way, so I figured I’d better not venture too far for a sketch. Just a couple blocks away is Seattle City Light’s North Substation. I had sketched this Erector Set-like eyesore a few years ago, so I thought I’d do it again from a different view. Just as I approached, a few workers were packing up their utility vehicle to break for lunch, and I liked the scale they gave to the nearby tower.

How about that sky? I used a technique similar to the one I had described last week, except I skipped the ink-filled waterbrush and used only water-soluble colored pencils for the blue sky as well as the gray clouds. Pencils don’t granulate beautifully the way paints do, but for their ease and versatility, I’m sure happy with colored pencils.

I wish I could say the same for the Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook I’ve been using this week. Since I just finished binding a sketchbook, and since I’ll be starting a fresh signature when I begin my travels, I didn’t want to start a new one this week. I decided to use this Alpha softcover, which I had abandoned after a few sketches last summer. As soon as I sprayed the page to prep for the sky, I remembered why I had abandoned it. I’m too spoiled by Canson XL and Beta papers when I use any kind of water.