Part 2. Drawing Lesson: Paint what you see . . .
In my previous Blog we locate a campsite along Mosquito Loop in the Warner Mountains, and I find the perfect place to sketch. The next afternoon while the crew is busy building a bird blind from the downed poles, I carry my art pack and stool past the bird–bath and set up in the shade near several large aspen. About 30 feet tall and at least 12 inches in diameter, these are some of the healthiest aspen we have seen in all our camping travels. This will be a grayscale ink and brush sketch. I clip my favorite Hot Press Arches watercolor paper to the drawing board. Precut to 11×14 inches, the paper has a smooth surface and takes on water with minimal warping. With a 2H drawing pencil, I lightly sketch the aspen trunks and branching pattern. I indicate the line of Hellebore that leads into the meadow and add guidelines for the deer silhouette. Trees and vegetation can absorb a degree of carefree brushwork, but animals need to be accurate.
I scoop water from the bird–bath into a can. With a wet brush I pick up a very light shade of charcoal grey from my makeshift paint pan. Being left–handed, I work from the right side of the trees to the left if possible, so that my hand won’t drag through wet paint. This time it works for my sketch because the right side is the shady side of the trunk. Right–handers can more easily work from the opposite direction if the light is right. I stroke medium grey from top to bottom on the right side of the aspen trunks. Using a different brush, made ready with clear water, I quickly stroke the central edge of grey color, which blurs the line, thins it, and spreads it to the left, yet still leaving the extreme left side of the trunk untouched and still white. The gradation of light to dark lends a sense of roundness to the trunk.
For clumps of leaves, I add darker swatches on the lower edges where leaves would be in shadow, painting some splotches lighter where the trees would be in sunlight. A bit of advice from my art instructor rings in my ear: “Paint what you see, not what you know.” I try to be strict with myself and render only what appears to my eye, yet looks logical. To finish the trunks, I dry my brush between layers of paper towel, then use the tip to absorb a puddle or two that got away from me. That’s watercolor rule #1 for wet–on-wet technique: pick up the puddles before they go awry.
When the trunks are dry I paint the mass of Hellebore with very dark grey, being careful to stay clear of the white tree trunks. I let the wash get lighter in color as I move the brush into the meadow, which should help it appear farther away. Very light touches on the background trees and pale ridge complete the brushwork, except for the deer. I’ll leave her for the very last.
The drawing is not yet finished. In my next Blog, Bird Blind and Thunder, I will ink the drawing and hustle back to camp.