Above Kimball Junction8.25'" x 10"
Pastel Sketch in Moleskine Book
August 6th, 2007
Casey Klahn
Pastel Sketch in Moleskine Book
August 6th, 2007
Casey Klahn
One can sketch with pastels, and it is very good fun. This image is done on sight, from the back of the WalMart parking lot near Park City, Utah. Probably the most beautiful WalMart parking lot view anywhere. If I remember correctly, you can turn 90 degrees to the right from this scene, and you will be looking at the monumental Olympic Ski Jump, from the 2002 Winter Olympics. Follow the highway to the right, and you are on the Tenth Mountain Division Memorial Highway (Highway 224), which honors the storied unit that my late father served in during WW II.
It helps to have meaning and context, I think, to realist art. Sort of "fills it out," in my opinion.
The sketch itself is something of a mess, which is the best start for many good pastels that will be finished later. As long one gets the composition of lines and masses looking like he wants, and a few color notes established, then he's good to go. And, I'll give myself points for being loose, goose.
Before I leave the story of this drawing, locals to Park City will wonder which body of water I must have seen from the Kimball Junction location. None, of course. I just wanted to establish a unified base of blue-violet in the middle ground here. Artist's prerogative, you know. If I ever finish this one, I'll probably go ahead and stick a lake in there, and change the title of the piece.
Of special interest to me is the materials used for this outing. The pastel sets included the Basic Values Set from Terry Ludwig Pastels, which happens to be way overkill for an on sight day of sketching, in my own opinion. I prefer a smallish set, which I may post about in the future.
The sketch book is the famous "Moleskine" of Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac fame. Those are two literary giants whose footprints I have crossed over this past year during my art travels. They are leather bound, for those who value permanency in their books, and they lay flat.
The Squidoo Lens on this spiffy little leather-bound sketchbook's form of biblophilia is:
Moleskinerie.com
It helps to have meaning and context, I think, to realist art. Sort of "fills it out," in my opinion.
The sketch itself is something of a mess, which is the best start for many good pastels that will be finished later. As long one gets the composition of lines and masses looking like he wants, and a few color notes established, then he's good to go. And, I'll give myself points for being loose, goose.
Before I leave the story of this drawing, locals to Park City will wonder which body of water I must have seen from the Kimball Junction location. None, of course. I just wanted to establish a unified base of blue-violet in the middle ground here. Artist's prerogative, you know. If I ever finish this one, I'll probably go ahead and stick a lake in there, and change the title of the piece.
Of special interest to me is the materials used for this outing. The pastel sets included the Basic Values Set from Terry Ludwig Pastels, which happens to be way overkill for an on sight day of sketching, in my own opinion. I prefer a smallish set, which I may post about in the future.
The sketch book is the famous "Moleskine" of Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac fame. Those are two literary giants whose footprints I have crossed over this past year during my art travels. They are leather bound, for those who value permanency in their books, and they lay flat.
The Squidoo Lens on this spiffy little leather-bound sketchbook's form of biblophilia is:
Moleskinerie.com
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5 comments:
I knew I was going to love you having a Moleskine, Casey. Already I'm getting a insight into the artist's thought process. I'd never have thought of using pastels in a moleskine - and, being Miss Prim, I probably never shall. But I'll be back for more.;)
Hmmm...I guess it is a lot of mess! I have so much confidence in pastels as a medium, that it doesn't bother me at all. The dust will only fall for a while, and the smudges caused by the pages closing will set themselves where they will, and then I will have a very permanent sketch.
I recommend the hard, square pastels that cost less, and smudge less. I like Sakura Carre (not oil pastel, but dry). The ones I used in this sketch are the soft kind, however.
Thanks for looking in, Robyn.
I could also put in an inter-leafing of Glassine, which is a good protection for pastels.
Funny - I wouldn't have thought of using my soft pastels in the moleskine - but your reasoning sounds about right... will give them a try as I'm getting a bit bored with watercolory stuff.
Many thanks for this!
Cue the ringing of bells soundtrack, as another pastel moleskinner is born...
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