Sketchbooks en plein air...

I've had a goal for years, yet to be fully realized, to paint large on location. Yet, for about a year and a half it's been the little 6x8 sketchbook...

…that has kept me more interested in going out to paint. About a year and a half ago, my partner Dottie (she really spurred my interest in the idea) and I decided to make a small, lightweight sketching easel for our tripods, similar to what James Gurney has made so popular on social media. I went about constructing a couple of them for us out of Baltic Birch and friction hinges. I added a fold out side board that holds a collapsable water cup, and made ours a little larger at just under 12”x12”. We didn’t know at the time if we’d only use them for sketchbooks, or maybe for panels too. Turns out that, other than my wandering astray with panels a few times, it’s the sketchbooks that make the most sense, are easiest to transport in a small backpack or bag and make the most sense. Here’s a photo of my set up using it for my most used medium in the field, acrylic…

I’ll talk more about acrylic in the future, but it comprises about 90% of my work now. I do paint with gouache in the sketchbooks too, but prefer the Golden Heavy Body acrylics. Materials wise, I use a little Masterson Sta-Wet palette and a Grey Matters paper palette pad to mix color in. It’s convenient, and can be disposed of the paper when it’s soiled. I have more recently just skipped the paper palette and painted directly onto the Sta-Wet palette. Both gouache and acrylic are so easy to clean up that it makes sense. A spray bottle loosens the paint and off it comes. I don’t use the sponge and wet paper because it waters down the acrylic too much for my use. But I have a couple of these little Sta-Wet palettes so I am putting them to use. The sketchbooks we use are the Strathmore Series 400 Mixed Media Toned Grey hard and soft cover books with 184lb paper. They take gouache and acrylic beautifully without buckling and come in a tan or grey. After going through all sorts of brushes, turns out that I have fallen in love with the Princeton Catalyst Polytip Bristle Brushes. They’re built like a tank, important for the abuse acrylic paint gives them, and they have a stiffness to their bristles that is ideal for how I use them. I’ll also have along a few hog bristle brushes, some water color flats. But that’s about it. All of these things fit, along with a travel tripod in a small back pack. Grab and go painting… any where, any time.

I more often than not take a limited 7 color palette. The limitation is due to bead holders and pill dispensers that only come with ‘7 Day’ sealed compartments! That’s probably a good thing, less is best. I will usually toss in a few tubes of some colors that I might want in addition to the basic 7 color palette of Titanium white, Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson Hue, Ultramarine Blue and usually, Bone Black. I may sub out Payne’s Gray or Raw Umber, or just carry those with me too. But, it’s freeing to limit the color so that I concern myself more with making a painting, than replicating faithfully what is in front of me. I keep the paint in these pill containers, or bead containers (when I want a larger amount of paint, they’re bigger) so that it’s not being wasted by drying up. These keep the paint wet for weeks, if I place them into a Zip-Loc bag with a damp paper towel in it, when I’m done. The paint doesn’t last that long, it gets used sooner, but you get the idea.

There’s nothing remarkable or unique about an artist with a sketchbook. For me there is, because it’s not ever become a habit for me to carry, and use one. I used to carry one around, but barely ever used it. In fact in a recent studio move, I realized just how many I have that have only a few pages scribbled on inside of them. Dottie has been a real trooper and has completed 6, 8… maybe more of them? I’m about 50% there!

What I do realize though is… that the fact that these are being painted in STRICTLY for personal reasons, no pages removed, no notion of sales involved, NO one even has to ever see them, if I want it that way… is incredibly liberating and freeing to the creative spirit that can at times become rut bound in the studio, or when the work has that ability to be marketed. No marketing here, only personal growth, creative open mindedness, and FUN! I highly recommend the practice if it’s not already part of your art life.

Thank you again,

Marc

ACRYLIC SKETCHES FROM MY BOOKS

Kayaking across to Little Tybee Island to paint with gouache and acrylic lightweight gear.

GOUACHE SKETCHES FROM MY BOOKS