The bull elk I saw very early one morning just inside the Gardiner entrance to Yellowstone inspired this journal sketch. I began by laying a yellow ochre wash over the entire page, dropping in some neutral greens and a deeper brown I mixed with carbazole violet and quinacridone burnt orange. After that dried I sketched the elk body on top, and painted his body with a slightly darker ochre mixture, laying in the beautiful neck ruff with a small paint brush once the first wash was almost but not entirely dry. I used a mixture of carbazole violet and quinacridone burnt orange for the deeper brown. Next I mixed a more saturated brown adding a little phthalo blue red shade for the dark shadows on the elk's hindquarters and underside as well as the long autumn shadow he cast.
These summer sights (captured in sketches and photos) keep me going during the long rainy Seattle winters. I'll be teaching a one day workshop in late January for Daniel Smith on travel journals--I'm really looking forward to showing how I incorporate quick sketching on location, and later more reflective entries like this one (done in the comfort of hotel rooms and home) in my travel journal. Students will bring their own photos so they can try out these methods using their own adventures as inspiration. We'll be using many quick-sketching techniques and materials for our journal entries, as well as more carefully planned techniques with watercolor.
Beautiful elk, Molly. Did you lift and then paint the rack, or just do negative painting? The recently posted student wildlife art is impressive, not to mention your own. You're obviously a good teacher, able to transfer your skills to others!
Posted by: Jack Oates | December 02, 2009 at 06:46 AM
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Jack, thanks for commenting. I used masking fluid on the rack after I had painted the first light glaze over all. How was Instanbul?
Have you sketched and written about it yet?
Posted by: Molly Hashimoto | December 03, 2009 at 06:21 AM