Scribbling Away

My stopping point for today. Base layers down with some simple shadows. The building on the right needs to cool down like the left — just not so saturated and I’m going to improvise a beam of sunlight casting on the upper corner so the mall looks like it’s illuminated rather than just yellow. I’m pleased how the line work is coming along. I think I didn’t overdo the mall and the foreground will be cleaned up quite a bit when I get there.

Penciled everything I’m willing to. I know if I paint it now, the pencil will show through the painting; on the other hand, I worry about inking every line which will not do any favors on creating the illusion of depth.

The lines here are darker than reality, but they will definitely show through the yellow I plan to use for sunshine.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been sick and I’ve reached a point where I’m coughing all night long. I didn’t want to keep Elke up so I go to sleep in the guest room. An hour or so later, she comes in to sleep with me. Balu following closely behind.

Elke: “The boy was upset.”

Me: “Ah ok. We can go to the bigger bed if you want.”

Elke: “Merri has your side of the bed.”

Me: “haha, well Merri is going to enjoy that whole king sized bed tonight!”

Merri did not get to enjoy the whole bed.

Minutes later, Balu was again yelling. We then heard Merri sigh and slowly make her way to the guest bed with us… Balu shortly behind.

Please picture 2 grown women and a golden retriever all squeezed on this queen sized bed with a large boy sitting like a king on top of us all.

Today’s project. 2 hour “sketch”. I hesitate to call this a sketch because I was erasing guidelines as I go and see this more as a pre-outline. This took far longer than what I would like if I was to draw this on-site. This one is certainly not going to be practice for urban sketching, but rather intentional practice on 3 point perspective and painting.

The photo comes from our time in Crete and I just LOVE the story this little house tells. I see family, maybe young parents visiting grandpa and grandma. It was a hot day after lunch so everyone is probably inside taking a nap. What a lovely little scene and one I wanted to really dedicate some time to. If it goes well, I would really like to make an actual project out of it.

Ref:

Today was going to be a long run but I’m going to focus on some other activities that I’ve been neglecting. There’s an architectural sketch that I want to watercolor and a few piano pieces I need to practice. I’ve also gotten back into journaling which has been a pretty good outlet when I can go running.

So, it’ll be a lot of couch activities today but I’ve got some pretty good company.

All the old ladies shall assemble and by god I WILL keep up with them this year.

And by „old“, I’m not talking just retired. Oh no no no. We‘re talking mid 70s to early 90s.

„MILA NO!“

„But Mutti! Berry is SO HUNGRY. She starves!“

Mainz - 2026

Did I mention it was a very hot day? But regardless, we went out and about because there is (as the Germans say) no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.

Mainz - 2026

Mainz - 2026