“Unique Line” Class Catch-Up

3/13/24 minimalism (photo reference)

3/13/24 maximalism (photo reference)

I’ve been so busy with 100 People, life drawing, cherry blossoms and other fun what-not that I’m two weeks behind in talking about my Gage class with Gal Cohen, Find Your Unique Line. With only one more class left, I feel like I’m just getting started with having my eyes opened to new ways of seeing, imagining and drawing.

Minimalism/Maximalism

The topic two weeks ago was minimalism vs. maximalism. As always, Gal began class by showing us numerous examples of contemporary art that could be described as either minimal or maximal. She chose interior domestic scenes as the subject. How little can be drawn and still evoke a sense of “enough”? Conversely, is a drawing that is densely packed with linework, marks and color ever “too much”? The point was not to determine whether one or the other was preferable or better but simply to ask how well a piece accomplishes its objective by taking one approach or the other. As always, we also discussed how the specific materials and techniques used helped to accomplish the artist’s intentions.

During class we used photo references of a couple of interior scenes and drew them either minimally or maximally (top of post). My natural style is to tend toward minimalism, so that exercise was easy for me. Going the max was a greater challenge; I kept thinking, “This is enough,” but then I pushed myself to keep going.

The homework was to draw either a domestic scene from life or from a photo with minimalism or maximalism in mind (below). She encouraged us to use color if the drawings called for it. I sketched a cluttered corner of my studio twice, once with each approach. The minimal approach was easy (and I chuckled about how I wished it were as easy to clear the clutter from my studio as it was to simply avoid drawing it). As expected, the maximal approach was more challenging, perhaps especially because I did it after the minimal version and was tired of doing it a second time. Still, I pushed myself to keep adding more and more stuff. I even added more clutter than was actually there!

3/17/24 minimalism (from life)

3/18/24 maximalism (from life)

Landscapes

Last week’s class focused on landscapes as the subject and pushing them toward abstraction with values and shapes (below). Making somewhat abstract drawings from a realistic photo reference is a serious struggle for me, so I especially welcomed this exercise. 

Using photos was hard enough, but I tried to imagine doing the same exercise from life – it’s so much harder to abstract what I “really” see! My trepidation meant that the exercise was important for me to do. Stay tuned for the results.

3/20/24 photo reference

3/20/24 photo references

3/20/24 photo reference

The Olympics’ Dark Cave

 

12/20/21 The dark cave

At the base of a small section of the Olympic Mountains visible from Maple Leaf is an intriguing phenomenon: It’s a dark, cave-like shape that appears occasionally a bit north of The Brothers’ twin peaks. I had assumed it was a deep shadow that requires a certain angle of light to appear. The strange thing, though, is that whenever I’ve searched for Google images of the mountain range, I’ve never found one that shows this “cave” as prominently as I see it.  

Shortly after I posted this sketch on social media, a follower provided this link as explanation of what I was seeing: The “dark cave” is where trees are visible, and the lighter parts around it are clearcut areas. Mystery solved!

It was 37 degrees but dry where I stood on a traffic circle to sketch this quickly. Elsewhere in the region, snow was falling or expected even as my toes and fingertips grew numb.

The "cave" is clearly visible in my photo. The Brothers are at far left.

Green Lake Library: Earned, Not Learned

12/2/21 Seattle Public Library, Green Lake Branch

 

Drizzle again. I wasn’t in the mood for a damp walk, but I had a book to pick up at the Seattle Public Library’s Green Lake Branch, which gave my walk/sketch a purpose. Arriving a few minutes before the library opened, I walked across the street and stood under a large tree to keep my sketchbook and water-soluble ArtGraf carbon pencil as dry as possible. By the time I had finished, the drizzle had turned to full-on rain. I hardly needed the waterbrush! I closed the book quickly and dashed inside.

For several consecutive years, I had made it a project to sketch this library once a year. The last time was in 2016 (this post shows all of them). In the early years, I took as much as an hour to painstakingly measure the angles and lines, double-checking each one, trying to be as accurate as possible. I always chose a comfortable day because I knew it would take a while. By the time I did the last one, I was faster because I had learned to simplify the details, but since architecture is always a challenge, I still took some care to measure. With each of those sketches, I could not have worked more quickly, even if it had been my goal. I didn’t know how.

I had closed the sketchbook wet, and when I got home, I found this cool monoprint
on the opposite page.

Standing in the rain and knowing that the library would open soon, I took exactly nine minutes to make this sketch. No measuring, no double-checking, not even sight-sizing. Accuracy certainly wasn’t the goal (amusingly, I see now that one of the lamp posts is growing from the wrong end of the stairway!). Familiarity with the building probably helped, but it had still been five years since I had last sketched it.

Looking back at the series, this messy, less-accurate version is my favorite. It’s not much to look at, but it’s meaningful to me because I know it represents all the years behind it. Many beginning sketchers strive to be loose, fresh and fast, and if there were a way to teach this, I think an instructor could make a million bucks. Unfortunately, I think one needs many years of being tight, careful and slow before the apparent “looseness” and speed show up. You don’t learn the skill – you earn it.

Puddles

 

11/19/21 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Our recent deluge and wind caused flooding, downed trees, power outages and other devastation in some parts of the region, but we were thankfully safe in Maple Leaf. During a dry morning last week, I went out walking on First Avenue Northeast parallel to Interstate 5. Next to the freeway barrier, it’s gravel instead of paved sidewalk, and cars park in weird ways, making some of my favorite compositions. One benefit of rain is that it leaves behind puddles in the uneven gravel.

Green Lake Drive

 

5/26/21 W. Green Lake Drive N.

Kathleen and I have been walking around Green Lake together every Wednesday for well over a decade – probably closer to two decades by now. The only times we haven’t were when one of us was out of town – plus the past 14 months. Both of us now fully vaccinated, we have finally resumed our weekly walks. I had dearly missed her company and our conversations.

While Rip Van Winkle was asleep, Green Lake Drive went through a lengthy revision and pavement improvement project, so I also (thankfully) missed most of the traffic mess. Last Wednesday the whole street was being restriped, so I had to park several blocks from our usual meeting place. Heading back to my car after our walk, I liked the way a row of funny flat-topped trees followed the curve of the street. I stopped in my tracks to sketch the scene.

Unlike Trader Joe’s or Artist & Craftsman, this “nothing” view of Green Lake Drive is not a specific venue I had missed. It represents something I had missed even more: The sheer and simple joy of walking down a sidewalk and being able to stop anywhere for a sketch without a second thought. I will never again take that luxury for granted.

Snippets

 

4/29/21 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Here are a couple of snippets from my neighborhood walks – a pickup truck (sketched with the Moonman fude nib pen that I reviewed at the Well-Appointed Desk) and another basketball hoop.

The third wasn’t made in my ‘hood; I sketched a tree outside my ophthalmologist’s office in Renton while I waited for my ride. Fully dilated, I squinted hard, making it easier to see the values. Sometimes sunshine is such a joy that I can’t keep myself from sketching, even when it’s nearly impossible to keep my eyes open.

5/14/21 Renton

Cherry to the Southwest

4/29/21 Southwest corner of 4th NE and NE 85th

 One of many blossoming trees on my walking route that I didn’t get around to sketching this year was this cherry. It’s on the southwest corner of the same intersection where I’ve sketched from the traffic circle several times (most recently to the northeast and the northwest corners). The house on this corner is set back from the street behind a jungle of foliage, so this cherry is the only thing clearly visible.

Although its blossoms are gone, it has an intriguing “foot” – something I hadn’t noticed when I was dazzled by its pinkness. It’s one of the best benefits of sketching: I see so much more once I open my sketchbook.

Typically, this whole street and intersection are quiet; during previous sketches, maybe only one or two cars would go by the entire time. Unfortunately, I sketched this last Thursday, which is trash day. Both the garbage and the recycle trucks came by multiple times, sometimes stopping in the middle of the intersection for a quick corner pick-up. Even a truck hauling a huge, flat-bed trailer (empty) came through! All in only half an hour!

Also in my view... but not long enough to sketch!

Third Place Books

4/28/21 Third Place Books in Ravenna

Although Third Place Books in the Ravenna neighborhood is only about a mile away, I have spent more time and money at its other branch in Lake Forest Park. That’s because USk Seattle has met at Third Place Commons numerous times, and a stop at the book store is always fun.

To celebrate Independent Bookstore Day last Saturday, I ordered from three local shops – Phinney Books, Elliott Bay Book Company and Third Place Books in Ravenna – and they all kindly offered curbside pickup services. In addition, Blackwing put out a limited-edition pencil to commemorate the day, so of course I had to get some of those, too.

I scored an ideal parking spot at Third Place facing the trellised entryway to Café Arta and Pub, which is adjacent to the bookstore. The café has an inviting-looking patio (with heaters, a sign assured chilly potential patrons) that I hope to enjoy sometime soon.

Books and limited-edition pencils, too!

Our Neighbor’s Tree

 

4/18/21 Our neighbor's tree

Whenever we’re enjoying our backyard deck during warm weather, I see this tree, which is just on the other side of the fence we share with our neighbor. I don’t know what it looks like from their yard, but the side that faces us shows an amazing branching structure. When I follow certain branches with my eyes, they look like they have braided themselves. Every time I see it, I say to myself, I have to draw this tree sometime. For many years, however, I had no idea how to approach drawing its complex mass of trunk and branches. After taking Kathleen Moore’s class in drawing trees with graphite, I finally felt ready to take it on.

Last Sunday afternoon, the sky was perfectly blue, the temperature was 75 degrees, the deck was shady, and I had just poured myself an iced beverage. “Sometime” finally came.

Late Bloomer

4/14/21 cherry tree, Maple Leaf neighborhood

I had been watching this cherry on my morning walks for weeks. A late bloomer, it was still tightly in buds when other cherries around town were in full swing. A week ago Friday the buds were just beginning to open, so I thought I’d have at least a week to enjoy the blossoms. By Wednesday, though, I was afraid that the strong breezes we’ve been having might take them down prematurely, so I decided it was time to sketch.

It was 55 degrees in the sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. It was the kind of day sketchers long for all winter, and when it finally comes, it almost makes all those months of cold and dreary gray worthwhile. 

Technical note: This sketch was made on a sheet of Legion Stonehenge 140-pound Aqua Cold Press paper. After she saw my post on the Legion sample pack that I was reviewing, Kate offered me a couple of small sheets that she had cut down from a full-size watercolor sheet. She’s been using Stonehenge cold press for years. I stitched them into a signature along with the lighter-weight Stonehenge White that I’m also trying. The cold press tooth is a bit heavier than Stillman & Birn Beta’s, but my colored pencils and the ArtGraf carbon pencil took to it immediately. The 100-percent cotton, 140-pound weight and the sizing are fantastic, of course, with my spritzing technique. It’s excellent paper for any kind of wet media, I’m sure. No wonder Kate and other watercolor painters love it.

Hope and Heartbreak

 

My week began with hope and jubilance: Receiving my first jab symbolized the beginning of the end of a virus that has taken so many. Science wins, patience and good sense win, and those of us who have survived all win against a formidable foe.

The next day I received the news: After five months of fighting COVID-19, Toni had passed away of pneumonia. Just when we all thought she had turned the corner toward recovery, our hearts were broken.

There are no winners after all.

This week I focused mostly on giving my right hand a workout with a brush. Initially I had thought that a brush, which requires more control than a pencil or other dry materials, would be even more challenging for my nondominant hand. But it’s challenging with either hand, so my right is not disadvantaged by much. In fact, the brush requires less pressure than dry materials, so my right did about as well as the left. Even after a six-month break, my right hand apparently remembered how to ride a bike.

I received my first Pfizer dose on Day 386.

I think I’ll change it up again for the remainder of the series, which will end on Day 407 when I receive my second Pfizer dose.

Sitting on My Hands

 

After all the teeth-gnashing, hair-pulling frustration we went through to find Greg a vaccine appointment a month ago, my process seemed almost anti-climactic: I put myself on every available waiting list on the day I became eligible and then forced myself to sit on my hands. Two days later, I was invited to make an appointment. Dose No. 1 is tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my right hand continues its workout, now with a brush, relieved that it won’t be much longer than three weeks: As soon as I schedule the second dose, this series will have an end date.

April Foot's Day!

Review: Viarco ArtGraf Water-Soluble Soft Carbon Pencil

 

3/27/21 Northgate neighborhood (Viarco ArtGraf water-soluble carbon pencil in Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook)

The Viarco ArtGraf has been my favorite water-soluble graphite pencil ever since I first picked one up. It has a beautiful, dark wash, especially in 6B. Although I had tried the carbon version when I was in Portugal a few years ago, its scratchiness made it less appealing than graphite. When a pencil acquaintance in Portugal generously sent me several recently, I decided it was time to give the Viarco ArtGraf water-soluble soft carbon pencil another try.

Viarco ArtGraf water-soluble soft carbon pencil

Compared to graphite, carbon feels rougher, but the Viarco is also softer than some other carbon pencils I’ve tried. As such, it can be delicate to sharpen. Instead of a hand-crank, I use a handheld M+R brass sharpener, which does the job beautifully. Look at that thick core!

Thick core!

I made test swatches of the Viarco carbon next to the Viarco 6B water-soluble graphite and an Ivory Black Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle. For each swatch, I made one pass, heavily applied. I smudged each swatch with a finger (seen toward the top of the swatches). Then I gave each a swipe with a waterbrush (no scrubbing). After the washed areas were completely dry, I gave each a swipe with a clean waterbrush to see whether the previously water-activated material would be reactivated with additional water (shown toward the bottom of the swatches).

Tests made on Canson XL 140 lb. mixed-media paper

The water-soluble carbon is the blackest of the three even when dry and clearly results in the darkest, richest wash. Carbon also doesn’t have the reflective sheen of graphite, which makes it appear darker that way, too. The downside is that dry carbon smudges even more than soft graphite does. The washed areas, however, are smudge-proof once dry.

3/27/21 ArtGraf carbon and Primo Bianco white
chalk pastel in Stillman & Birn Nova sketchbook

As for water-activation, dried washes of all three pencils show only traces of reactivation when more water was applied. I think all three would be safe to use with watercolor or other water-soluble materials after drying completely. The risk, though, is that if you have even one tiny particle that was inadvertently left unactivated initially, it may result in an undesirable spot of blackness.

My first test sketch with the Viarco carbon was my hand, which was also my first use of a waterbrush using my non-dominant right hand. Since wielding a brush requires more dexterity and control than a pencil, I was a bit tentative in my strokes and was startled by the solid blackness of the activated marks! It’s as dark and opaque as sumi ink! Yowza, this pencil is not for the faint of heart, but it emboldened me quickly.

Of course, for me, the most important test of any medium is taking it out in the field. After an errand in Northgate, I drove around looking for pink blossoms to sketch, but all I found was a white-blossomed apple tree (or perhaps a white plum, as suggested by an arboreally knowledgeable friend; sketch at top of page). Since the hand sketch had taught me that a little goes a long way with this pencil, I put in the shaded areas of the apple tree less aggressively than I might have with other media (such as a Museum Aquarelle). I used heavier elbow grease on the dark foliage behind the apple. Then I used my spritzer to activate all foliage. It would have been alarming to see the carbon explode with rich blackness if I didn’t love it so much!

My only caveat with Viarco pencils is that the company seems to have some issues with consistency. I’ve had several ArtGraf graphite pencils, and one had a core that was so badly shattered inside the wood that I had to toss it. Others have been fine. The photo of this carbon pencil’s backend shows that its core is slightly off-center, and another I received is further off-center. So far, it hasn’t been a problem when sharpening or using, but it’s something to consider, especially given the softness of the material.

Even so, Viarco’s pencils are the best I’ve used for the quality I adore in water-soluble products: A strong, rich wash, even with a light application. Whoa, baby – this pencil is hot!

Incidentally, I thought of instructor Kathleen Moore (of the graphite tree-drawing class I finished last month) at least twice as I made the apple tree sketch. A reminder that all of us in her class heard over and over was that our darkest values needed to be darker; we all suffered from some wimpiness in that regard. With this carbon pencil, wimpiness is not possible!

The second lesson that I heard in my head was equally important: The darker trees behind the apple were not of interest to me, so my first inclination was to make them vague, gray scribbles. But then I remembered Kathleen’s advice that the best way to bring a light-colored object forward is to emphasize the darkness around it and even exaggerate it. With the carbon pencil, it didn’t take long to lay in a heavy, dark scribble instead of a vague, gray one. And of course, Kathleen was right.