Helter Sketcher #003: I'm Blue
"But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them." ― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
Welcome back to the third Helter Sketcher! A weekly peek into my sketchbooks.
Blue Dragon & Yellow Aspens
This idea first appeared about a year ago when the Girlfriend and I went camping/painting in the Jemez mountains here in New Mexico. We go every 4th of July to give the dog Rey peace and quiet from all the fireworks exploding. As I was painting, and getting my ankles devoured by mosquitoes ad bugs, I imagined a large blue dragon sitting between these aspens as they turned yellow in fall.
This vision has been floating in my head for over a year now. The problem is getting it out onto the page, in tact, without it changing. Thus is the labor and love of making art. I started with just a vague misty idea in the brain, then moved on to a page of thumbnail sized layouts.
Larger sketches of the dragon are now happening. As I try to nail down the dragon’s look and the narrative of the piece, I’m constantly asking: What is going on here? What is the story? Is the Dragon asking for directions to a village to burnanate?
The blue dragon color study is the first page in a new mixed media sketchbook I’m calling “The Lab”. Having a dedicated sketchbook for experiments and musings is great. Keep one solid sketchbook just to play in. “Play” is the key word. Dont be precious. Give yourself the gift of play to cut loose. Good things show up when you’re your free to be you.
The Lab: a Strathmore 400 series, Toned Tan Mixed Media Art Journal. They are very well made. I was inspired to get one after seeing Daniel Landerman’s video of him making a creature. I’m using casein paints here and a stay wet palette. James Gurney , of Dinotopia fame, was the inspiration for using these paints. The pages are very heavy and also very absorbent. The absorbent part is rather new and challenging. But I like the toned paper and want to try it with different media. Gouache will likely be in several pages as well. Stay tuned. Go play in a sketchbook for an hour or two. You won’t regret it.
Go crack that sketchbook – You got this! – Sumrow & Rey
PS: ^Bonus joke item.
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Looking forward to the final piece!