The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

I'm not sure if this post is more about color or the sketch, but color definitely is playing a big part of this blog post.

Most of the time I sketch with pencil.  Just a plain ol' Ticonderoga #2 pencil we have all used one time or another. There are times I will use my drawing pencils but not as a routine.

With the sketches below I used the #2 and then used watercolor to emphasize certain things.

Living room sketch, with color, pencil & watercolor, © Nancy Van Blaricom

In the above sketch I used color on some things then left the rest alone.

Into the hall sketch, with color, pencil & watercolor, © Nancy Van Blaricom

Same as the second sketch with the sailboat  ... most of it is in pencil then just a hint of color.  

I like the look of color on a pencil sketch, it adds a little pazazz to a sketch I think.

Living room sketch, with color, pencil & watercolor, © Nancy Van Blaricom

This last sketch was just an experiment and it failed miserably.  I didn't like it at all.  The colors make it cold, and uninviting.  

If I were to re-sketch this I would leave out the lavender, a light shadow I thought.  Also I'd leave out most of the yellow that was emphasizing light and maybe concentrate my color mostly on the rug and maybe a pillow ... or maybe one of the vases along side the couch.

If you give this a try in your sketchbooks I think it may be wise to be selective with the colors you use as well as the amount of items you color.   

Even with an occasional mistake its still fun once in awhile to add just a touch of color here and there. Go ahead, give it a try.