Sebright Gardens Sketch
This morning I drove north to the Sebright Gardens for my first visit. Salem’s Artists in Action group was meeting there for one of their Paint the Town outings. So, in addition to checking out the garden I also wanted to meet the group. I talked with Melody and Merren and learned about the group and their activities and meetings. Both were very gracious and welcoming.
I wandered around for a bit and took a few picture with my iPod Touch to get the lay of the land. I picked a spot in the shade with Melody, sat on my travel stool, and wrote a quick note about my impressions and did a little pen sketch to get to know the scene. I then pulled out my lap board which had a 4×6 inch Strathmore watercolor paper postcard attached and sketched with my blue Sailor Fude bent nib fountain pen filled with Platinum Carbon Black ink. I then brushed in some grays with a new Pentel medium round waterbrush filled with diluted Platinum Carbon Black ink (about half ink, half water). I blotted with a tissue as I brushed on the ink in order to keep the ink brush marks a light gray. The ink dried fast because it was already heating up to be a hot day. Finally I added watercolor from my small homemade Altoids tin palette using another Pentel waterbrush filled with water. Total time was about a half hour.
Here’s the reference photo I took after I finished sketching.
Sebright Gardens Photo
A very fun morning.
Jim
