This may seen as an unusual entry, since it has two subjects
and no sketches in it. But I felt a warm feedback after my first entry, and I
want to write what comes next before going to Santo Domingo.
Two days ago a guy from Canada sent me an e-mail. He is visiting
Buenos Aires, and wanted someone to sketch with. Yesterday we met, spent the best part of the afternoon
sketching together and when the sun came down we had a drink and parted
friends. Magic!
I want to state a point about sketching: yes, it is an activity that at times when it
is all iPads, screens and all things digital, puts you in line with those guys
pressing their colored palms against the cave walls. But there is quite more to
it.
I have - at different times- been a drummer, an architecture
professor, and a photographer. And
through it all I’ve never found people so eager to share tips, encourage others
and be on a same level -instead of competing with each other- as others as you
guys.
One could think that it’s social networks –that did not
exist before- that allow people do it. But I have the impression it’s more than
that.
On one hand, we are entering an “Open Source” world, and
while 10 or 20 years ago everyone hid their secrets thinking that attitude gave
them some advantage. Now, it is clear that the exchange of ideas is at the end
more productive than hoarding one own's.
On the other, this thing of sketching on the streets with a
pad and a set of watercolors balancing precariously on one’s lap is one of the
less productive activities I’ve known of. That’s its beauty, and maybe the reason
all that practise it feel kind of “sharing a well kept secret” that somehow
binds you with others, as in the time of Alchemy.
Whatever reason it may be that makes people so open, I am
thankful I found it.
…
And this is why , after a year doing it, I want to share a
couple things I found, since I have not seen them in all these “The Tools
Artist Use” sites. Maybe something of it can be useful to someone. It may be
that all this is well known by veterans of the trade. But as I’ve not seen it
around I wanted to share it.
1) The watercolors.....I’ve seen many watercolor palettes. 12, 18, 24 panes, etc.
But all the panes are the same size!
I found that one uses some colors a lot and others not so
often. So I decided on 14 basic colors I use a lot and 12 I seldom use, but
like to have around. In an Altoids box I placed a rubber layer, perforated it
as seen in the image. Then inserted pieces of a plastic tube for the main
colors, and pieces of Starbucks green straws for the not-so-used colors. And I
can carry a lot of color, like that.
I have also a very small pad half the other size, I keep in
my pocket with a pencil and a waterbrush. For that mini-set I made also a 12
color mini-box out of a Starbucks Mint Drops box. It works…
2) The paper.....Many people paint in bound pads, but the pages in wirebound pads tend to curl. Others use pads that come glued on the side but after that it is difficult to organize the pages. I found better (And cheaper!) buying 100 x 70 cm (40” x 20”) sheets, cutting them to 17 x 24 cm, then perforating the small sheets in a shop (Not threading the wire coil but keeping it) , and THEN gluing them on the side and to a hard board. This way, one paints in a very firm block, and after finished, it is ready to bind. I leave one free corner to take the sheet off.
3) The Neocolor II....These are watersoluble artist crayons made by Caran d’Ache.
I found too that sometimes there is not even the space/chance/balance to take off the watercolors. I had these crayons, so I cut them and inserted part of each in another Altoids box. The colors are not so strong as in watercolor, but with these, you just lick the tip of the pastel with the waterbrush, and you are set to color a drawing.
