Recent sketches

Here are a few more of my recent sketches. I did this first one a couple days ago, in about half an hour, using a pen. I like using a pen because you can’t erase your mistakes, which makes me concentrate harder. As the saying goes, measure twice, draw once.

Geoff Watson, “Sketch of a living room,” pen on paper, 11” x 14,” 2020.

This next one I did a couple weeks ago, from life, at the Art Students League in New York. It was the last open-sketching session of the year, I think.

Geoff Watson, “Study of a nude,” ink on paper, about 6” x 8,” 2019.

And here’s a sketch from a couple weeks ago. About 10 or 15 minutes, from life. Nothing spectacular, but I like the diagonal construction lines that I inexplicably included.

Geoff Watson, “Sketch with construction lines,” ink on paper, about 6” x 8,” 2020.

And lastly, a sketch in oil paint, from today’s life class. Our instructor urged us to mass in shapes and worry less about contour lines and other niceties of precise drawing. My results were somewhat mixed, especially as I never got around to putting in the ear, but it was a good experiment. About 90 minutes.

Geoff Watson, “Unfinished sketch of Moe,” oil on linen panel, 11” x 14,” 2020.

On the train

The holiday rush is finally over, and it’s time to catch up on this blog. I visited my family in New York, and I did a lot of sketching on the trip. I’ll post a few over the next week or so. This one is of a fellow passenger on the train. I used pen, which meant no erasing! This sketch took about half an hour.

Geoff Watson, “On the train,” ink on paper, about 5” x 7,” 2020.

Gouache study

I’ve been busy learning to draw on the iPad and experimenting with gouache and watercolor, but while I have produced a lot of stuff, not much is worth sharing yet. This gouache study is sort of borderline, but I do like some things about it. The sky dried darker than I expected, as gouache is wont to do, and I had trouble making it lighter by painting over it, so I gave up and left it as it was. Other than that, there’s a lot to like here.

Geoff Watson, “Pool study,” gouache and ink on paper, about 5” x 8,” 2019.

Daily painting #87: Rehoboth sketches

Vacationing is trumping painting, but I still managed time to sketch a couple things, and I started a little oil study. First there was this scene, on the main street in Rehoboth. I drew this in about 10 minutes, while sitting in an outdoor table at a Mexican restaurant.

Geoff Watson, “Sketch of Rehoboth skyline,” ink on paper, about 2” x 3,” 2019.

I also started this little oil sketch of flowers at a swimming pool. Uh, I didn’t get to the flowers! So yeah, it needs work. We have one more day here, so maybe I’ll return to it tomorrow.

Geoff Watson, “Study in progress: Flowers at the swimming pool (with no flowers yet!),” oil on linen, 8” x 10,” 2019.

Just for grins, I wanted to see if I could recreate the mysterious filter I inadvertently added to my beach scene yesterday. Maybe?

Geoff Watson, “Study in progress: flowers at the pool, with no flowers yet,” oil on linen, 8” x 10,” 2019.

Norfolk Street

It was our first nice fall day of the year, or so it seemed, so I finally got a chance to search for some fall colors to paint. I found some muted ones on Norfolk Street, in Bethesda. My ink sketch was promising, but I dithered too long with the oil painting, and by the time I had settled on a composition, everything was basically in shadow. It’s a lot easier to convey form when things have both a light side and a shadow side! So this is one case in which I prefer my 5-minute sketch to my 3-hour painting.

Geoff Watson, “Norfolk Street,” ink on paper, 5” x 8,” 2018.

Geoff Watson, “Norfolk Street,” oil on panel, 16” x 20,” 2018.

The Old Campus

I did a number of fast sketches while I was at Yale for Family Weekend. Here’s a quick depiction of the Old Campus, looking west toward Connecticut Hall. It took about 5-10 minutes.

Geoff Watson, “Connecticut Hall (quick sketch),” ink on paper, 5” x 8,” 2018.

River Road House

It was the first nice day in months, or so it seemed, so I got out to do some drawing and painting. I started with an ink sketch of a nearby house, and then I sketched it in oils. This was my first session with my tiny new “Thumbbox,” a pochade box that holds only 6” x 8” panels. I hadn’t painted this small in a while, so it was an adjustment, but I still had fun. Here’s the ink study:

Geoff Watson, “River Road House,” ink on paper, about 3” x 5,” 2018.

Geoff Watson, “River Road House,” oil on panel, 6” x 8,” 2018.

Yale

We moved our daughter into Yale this past Friday -- almost exactly 40 years to the day after my parents moved me into Yale.  Friday also happened to be my birthday, which was cool too.  We stayed for much of the weekend, and we enjoyed the opening ceremony in Woolsey Hall. 

I found a few spare minutes to draw on Yale's Old Campus.  What a glorious abundance of subject-matter to choose from!  I wish I'd had time to do more.  I hope I will have more time in October, when I return for Family Weekend -- maybe this time with watercolors or even oils.

Geoff Watson, "McClellan Hall, Yale," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Harkness Tower, Yale," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Purple heads

I bought a jar of Noodler's Cactus Fruit Eel ink.  Just typing "cactus fruit eel" is fun, so imagine how much fun it is to draw with this stuff!  I put the ink into my new Duke 209 fountain pen.  Here are some results.

Geoff Watson, "Cactus fruit girl," ink and wash on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Cactus fruit dude," ink and wash on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Cactus Fruit Guy," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

New York sketches

I did a little urban sketching while in New York last weekend: street scenes, subway riders.

Geoff Watson, "View from hotel room," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Subway riders," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "58th Street," ink on paper, 5" x 8", 2018.

At the zoo

"Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo."  Simon & Garfunkel were right!  On Saturday I visited the Central Park Zoo with my family, and the place was hopping!  Here are some sketches.

Geoff Watson, "Penguins," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "More penguins," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Puffin," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Owl," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Trainer with sea lion," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Macaw," ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Two markets

Today I did some urban sketches at two markets in Washington, DC.  The first is a neighborhood store called the Broad Branch Market, on Broad Branch Street, NW.  A good friend recommended it, and I'm glad she did!  I was struck by the friendliness of the place. The customers all seemed to know each other, and several ate snacks on picnic benches in front of the shop.  Teenagers hung out with friends, and parents brought kids to the soda fountain and deli. This isn't my best drawing because I was struggling to adjust to a new fountain pen, but I still like it.

Geoff Watson, "Broad Branch Market," ink and watercolor on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

I then went to check out another recommendation, the Circle Yoga building, but I had trouble finding a spot with a good vantage point. Instead I sat in my car at the parking lot behind Magruder's liquor store and sketched that. I was struck by how quickly patrons arrived, purchased, and departed.  There was little of the interaction I saw at the Broad Branch Market. I suppose you don't go to a liquor store to socialize. I freely admit I bungled the lettering on this one! I was going to paint over it with gouache but didn't get around to it.

Geoff Watson, "Magruder's," ink and watercolor on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Primary Election Day

I voted and then spent a couple days hanging out at my polling place, talking to campaign volunteers and a couple candidates -- and sketching the proceedings.  Here are some of the political signs in the parking lot:

Geoff Watson, "Parking lot on primary day," watercolor and ink sketch on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

And here's the entrance to the polling place.  There was a steady trickle of people arriving to vote, but at any given moment, there were more campaigners than voters.

Geoff Watson, "Polling place on primary day," watercolor and ink sketch on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Stars and stripes

This is too late for Memorial Day, so we'll consider it a warm-up for Independence Day!  I just felt like painting the U.S. flag today, so I did.  I had to wait for the breeze to die down so that I could draw it correctly. I used ink and gouache -- opaque watercolor.

Geoff Watson, "Stars and Stripes," gouache and ink on paper, about 4" x 4," 2018.

Women at the pool

I went swimming today, and I noticed this group of women by the baby pool.  One dad did show up for a brief time, but other than him it was all women.  I did this quick pen-and-watercolor sketch of the scene.

Geoff Watson, "Women at the pool," ink and watercolor on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Swim team practice

The highlight of this swim practice was when the coaches insisted that little kids demonstrate dance moves while standing on the starter block.  It was so cute!  But dancers are tough to draw, so I focused instead on the coaches, who mostly stayed still.  

Geoff Watson, "Swim team practice," watercolor and ink on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Commencement

Today my son graduated from The Catholic University of America at its 129th Commencement ceremony!  Because I'm on the faculty at Catholic, I had the honor of greeting my son on stage and handing him his diploma.  That was great!  

Also, the theme of the ceremony was remarkable.  It was about immigration, and about welcoming.  First the University awarded several honorary degrees to immigrants from Cuba, Syria, Pakistan, Italy, and Lebanon.  Then we heard from the main speaker, Archbishop Jose Gomez, who spoke movingly of immigration's role in American history and culture.  President John Garvey described a painting he hangs in his home that welcomes guests, and he urged graduates to welcome guests into their own lives.  And one of the closing speakers quoted Emma Lazarus: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."   

I brought my sketchbook but forgot a writing implement.  My new best friend from the Drama Department loaned me a pen, and I drew the sketch below with it.  I'm pleased with it, though I got hot and tired by the time I reached the right half of the page, and my vertical lines there wandered off in the wrong direction.  Still and all, the picture captures the essence of the thing.  Hats off to CUA for a great Commencement! 

Geoff Watson, "Catholic University Commencement, 2018," pen on paper, 5" x 8," 2018.

Softball field

More softball!  This time I sketched the whole field across two pages of my sketchbook.  The game ended before I finished; I wanted to darken the darks, for example.  Still fun!

Geoff Watson, "Softball field," ink and watercolor on paper, 5" x 16," 2018.

More ink studies

I've been using my new fountain pen all over the place -- in the doctor's waiting room, on the softball field, at the shopping mall.  Here are a few more examples.

Geoff Watson, "Heads," ink wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Ballplayer," ink and wash on paper, 4" x 6," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Head," ink wash on paper, 5" x 7," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Doctor's waiting room," ink wash on paper, 5" x 7," 2018.

Ink sketches

I bought a Sailor fountain pen and decided to give it a whirl at Mazza Gallerie, in the Friendship Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC.  I brought along a waterbrush so that I could create ink washes -- diluted areas of ink used for shading and blending.  I started in the lobby area, which features big comfy chairs.  Lots of people flop in them to snooze or, more commonly, to use their phones.  

Geoff Watson, "Man at Mazza," ink and wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.

The fellow below didn't notice me, but his companion did.  They liked my drawing.  

Geoff Watson, "Another man at Mazza," ink and wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.

Here are a couple more guys with phones.

Geoff Watson, "Man on phone," ink and wash on paper, about 3" x 5," 2018.

Geoff Watson, "Mazza phoning," ink and wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.

I then wandered over to a nearby McDonald's and has a small order of fries.  While eating, I sketched a group of boisterous friends at the table next to mine.

Geoff Watson, "Friends at McDonald's," ink and wash on paper, about 5" x 7," 2018.

I also sketched people waiting in line to order.

Geoff Watson, "Waiting in line at McDonald's," ink and wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.

Then I wandered into TJ Max and sketched a few folks shopping.  Shoppers move around more than I expected, so this was more of a challenge.  Here's a shoe-shopper.

Geoff Watson, "Shoe shopping," ink and wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.

Finally I wandered back to my starting point and sketched one more person in a chair.  It was a nice afternoon!

Geoff Watson, "Lady at Mazza," ink and wash on paper, about 4" x 6," 2018.