Saturday, June 4, 2022

Breakwater in pen and ink

 Fragmentary pen and ink study of breakwater. I want to do more straight up pen and ink on white paper - a spartan discipline with no color or even gray scale, but very versatile as evidenced by the great 19th C illustrators. Not sure if I want to finish this, either from life or photo ref, or leave it.

Pen and ink sketch of breakwater made of piled up rocks.

I went back the next day and continued work on the pen and ink drawing of the breakwater. I don't know if it improved the image but it was good exercise in rendering shapes, values, and textures.

pen drawing of breakwater made of large rocks, jutting from beach into water.


Friday, June 3, 2022

Breakwater in black and white on toned paper

Another version of the breakwater, this time in overcast morning light. This is a tricky subject, because the tide is alway either coming in or going out, at a rate right on the edge of perceptibility, like the minute hand of a clock. Not only do parts of the structure disappear as the tide comes in, but the water's edge, which ordinarily would be a useful reference point, is always changing as well. The only constant is the horizon.

Ink on toned paper sketch of breakwater made of rocks extending from beach into water. Diffuse light from overcast sky.


Wednesday, June 1, 2022

View of Provincetown, MA from Truro

There was a many-layered cloudy sky behind the iconic Pilgrim Monument tower. Don't know if I'll work on this more - it might be better to leave it as is and possibly use it as the basis for a larger, more planned out painting.


Oil sketch of Provincetown skyline under cloudy sky with gray-green Bay water in foreground.


Sphinx

This breakwater of dark, seaweed encrusted boulders reaching into the sea from the beach was catching the late rays of the setting sun. The rocks were the most brilliant thing in the scene despite being also the darkest.

4" x 6" ink on bristol in sketchbook.

Sketch in black, gray and white ink of stone breakwater with bright sunlight on dark rocks. Sea with distant sailboat on horizon in background.horizon