More Q&A answers

A few weeks ago I invited you to ask me anything you’d like, and I’ve answered some of those questions in detailed posts. I still have a few of your questions left, so I’ve bundled them together in one post. I hope you’ll find this mix of topics fun to read!

Q:
What’s your favorite blue? And your favorite earth color?

A:
Hard to decide. Based from what I go through the most, I would choose Cobalt blue and raw sienna. Cobalt blue creates the perfect sky for me and is a great mixer, and raw sienna is also very versatile – for landscapes, buildings, warming up mixes. Those two are workhorses in my palette.
I’ve also come to enjoy Raw Umber/Green Umber a lot, it looks like a mud pit at first but you can create very subtle natural mixes with it, and use it to tone down other colors.

Q:
Do you have suggestions for how to make time for regular practice? I start with good intentions then all my tasks and chores push my ‘unproductive’ art time aside.

A:
I understand this can be hard, it happens to me too (with art but also with other things that I consider „me time“).

I try to reserve a bit of time in the day, or in the week, and slip in these small pockets of art time that allow me to unwind a bit. This doesn’t have to be long, sometimes it’s just 10-15 minutes. Like an art date with myself.

What has really helped me is having a plan: what do I want to sketch, are there skills I want to make progress on? If you do this you don’t have to think about a new topic each time. Structured courses or books can also help with this. Keeping this time stress-free and focusing on exploring is also good.

Q:
I live in a town (in Florida) where there are no areas to find wild flowers or blooming trees. I keep trying to think of where I could go. […] What passes for woods around here, is close to swampy with all kinds of critters that I would rather avoid.

A:
Maybe you can simplify and just look for any kind of green that grows outside, even those weeds in the crack of the sidewalk (if there are any) could be worth a closer look. I would say public parks are also a good option if you have those anywhere near you. Botanical gardens, zoos?

And I hope you already saw this kind reply from Janet: „I remember the frustration of endless condominiums when I went to visit relatives–especially when the beach and the Everglades were within driving distance. Nonetheless, when I was stuck I sketched where I sat. What I ended up doing was a lot of what John Constable called “sky studies”. Florida may be the sunshine state but it certainly doesn’t lack for cloud formations and dramatic weather. My sketches from those times often included a tree top in the foreground of a picture of clouds.“

Q:
I am eagerly awaiting your new landscape painting course with feedback. Any word on when that might happen?

A:
I hope it’ll be ready in autumn. A good portion of it is finished, but I keep adding more to it because I want it to be useful for any skill level.

Q:
Also I’m especially interested in how to best set up my tools and space for working outside. I can no longer sit on the ground and keeping everything balanced on my lap is challenging. Any tips you have on how to do this would be helpful.

A:
I have a small travel chair (a three-legged folding stool) that works well for me. When I sketch in a place where I know there are benches, I just bring a small mat. I have a light plastic board that I fix the sketchbook and the palette on with clamps, the water container has a small magnet that goes on the palette. I hold that in my lap, with the board it seems to be a bit easier to balance.

Q:
On Skillshare you have some courses on more stylized, folk art. Do you still do that kind of art and, if so, how does it relate to your sketching and botanical art?

A:
The courses on folk art are from a time when I did more commercial and stylized work. I still enjoy looking at this kind of art, but rarely create it these days. But I still find it fun.

Q:
My drawing skills are holding me back from sketching more, and it feels frustrating at times. I know I need to practice more but is there anything else you would recommend to a beginner to improve?

A:
Practice more. No really, it’s a simple as that, you have to get through that phase somehow. Practice with things you find interesting and that hold your curiosity, that will make it more fun. And follow a structured approach, take a course, work through a book, whatever suits your learning style.

Q:
What art dreams or project would you like to accomplish?

A:
That is another really hard question. The honest answer is that right now all my goals are centered around my health, that has taken up a lot of my energy lately since I’ve struggled a bit.
I’m not thinking a lot about anything big right now. But I think I’d love to create a book one day. And I always want to get better at drawing.

I hope this Q&A was fun and insightful for you, it definitely was for me. :-)

And for those who made it to the end, here’s a small sketch from the landscape course: