Outdoor Sketching in November

Wonderful weather this November allowed me to get outside sketching a few times. I sketched directly in ink and I painted the sketches soon after returning home, while the scene was still fresh in my memory. Yes, I occasionally work  from photos but  my heart sings when I am painting or sketching on location so I try to do it often. As you can imagine animals are a challenge as they are always moving this way and that. If you want to try it, you might consider working on several sketches of an animal or bird at once. The positions are often repeated so just keep working from one to another as they present themselves. 

This summer we had a wonderful quail sighting in Creston near Crusher Road. First out popped a colourful male and while we were admiring him out of the thick brush came the hen. Up close she was so beautifully patterned. Somehow they looked like they were decked out in their Sunday best, hats included, heading out on an outing. These quail were seen in a parking lot on one of our travels.

The scenery was easy to draw while the figure and the dog were challenging because of course they were moving!

More challenges of moving figures. I was fascinated by the movement of their shoes. 

A bit of a + composition here and with an almost hidden chickadee.

I had so much fun drawing these mallards. They have some many interesting positions.

The figures were placed first on this sketch. Did he have a red toque? I can't remember but I liked the blue, yellow and red colour scheme so he got a red hat. There is nothing wrong with editing your scene as you sketch or paint. After all you are putting your spin on things.

More ducks. Sketching really makes you look at details. 

I am not as fond of the thicker pen line in this sketch. It was a 0.5 whereas the other sketches were done with a 0.1 Pigma Micron pen. No the fence wasn't that ramshackle but I do like it. 

A Brea Reese: 50 piece, 105lb, 5 X 7" watercolor paper pad has turned out to be great for these quick sketches.