Clutter

2/20/22 Studio clutter

The last time USk Seattle met on Zoom, I sketched out the west window. As you know, I don’t have a problem with sketching the same scene again (and again and again), but I was in the mood to try something different. I’m not much into drawing stuff in my own home, and especially not cluttered, messy areas. However, that was all I could see in either direction of my studio. We just got a new canister vacuum cleaner that I have not used yet, but the disassembled parts have been on the floor for several days. They add to the basic clutter that’s here all the time.

Technical note: The Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolor markers that I’ve been playing with lately are too bulky to carry around on location in large quantities, so this sketch outing at home was a good opportunity to give several colors a shot all at once. It’s quick and easy to put down rich, vibrant hues with these markers – much faster than with watercolor pencils. However, the hues are always rich and vibrant, whether I want them to be or not. One thing I love most about graphite and colored pencils is that tones can be modulated slowly and gradually. These markers are either on or off – not much in between. I’m having fun playing with a new medium, though – it’s been a while since I have.