Heidi Swapp Book Structure

 I took this #bookbinding course from @heidiswapp to learn a new #bookarts structure. Her book was a #memorybook made with #decorativepaper of different lengths. I made mine with my #vwbus #sticker old #watercolor #paintings and #pastepaper my book pages are all the same length and blank so that I can use it for a #sketchbook @ San Diego, California

Sketchbook Flip August 2019 thru October 2019

 

This is a sketchbook that was made for me by my friend Alicia Hallett. The sketchbook is made with watercolor paper and is 10 x 11 inches. 1:42 minutes.

Navel Orange Tree - Pen and Ink with Watercolor

It's been in the high 80s in San Diego lately. Yesterday when I felt a breeze and comfortable outside I decided it was time to sketch in the yard again.

I chose our navel orange tree. We have had it for years and it always produces oranges but I only remember one year that they were sweet and tasty. I did this sketch in pen and ink with watercolor.

Direct watercolor Day 1 and my definition of direct watercolor

It's #June! Working in #directwatercolor #nolines #onlypaint #chicken #sketchbook #30x30 #30x30directwatercolor2020

There are a few definitions out there about what Direct Watercolor IS. My definition is to paint directly in watercolor without doing a preliminary drawing. In direct watercolor you do not use pencil or any other drawing material in any amount. You can also paint as you wish, which in my case means glazing, painting one color over the other which is an effect I like to see in watercolor paintings. This is my first direct watercolor painting of the month.

Urban Sketch - Cactus Flower and Succulents

 Many of our flowers and succulents are blooming now so I decided to take myself out in the yard to sketch a few. Pencil and watercolor in a handmade book.

Lydia Velarde Sketchbook Flip March 2020 - May 2020

Sketchbook Flip in a Canson, Montval Field, Watercolor Book

March 2020 through May 2020

Too Many Sweets

Oh when will I ever learn. Eating a lot on isolation day 43. The problem is that this food makes me sleepy and robs my ambition. This last day was a completion of one of my pages of my sketchbook journal which is a 7x10 inch Canson Watercolor Sketchbook.

#100daysofsketchbookentries

#the100dayproject This gouache was done from a reference photo taken yesterday at Lake Hodges. I painted it in my homemade sketchbook.

Sketching in the Waiting Room

I was very active with my sketching habit for many years. I still carry my sketchbook with me but most days it stays in my purse. In an effort to get back to the sketching habit, I am participating in #The100DayProject by doing #100DaysofSketchbookEntries.

I started my first day by drawing people in the waiting room of my doctor's office. I used a Uniball Signo.

Urban Sketching in Old Town San Diego

The San Diego Urban Sketchers met on the corner of Twiggs Avenue and San Diego Avenue in Old Town to sketch and welcome 2 out of town sketchers. We had Urban Sketchers from France and New York join us for the morning. Making friends around the world is one of the benefits of urban sketching.

Lydia Velarde Sketchbook Flip - Homemade Book Sept. - Nov. 2018

This book was made in a workshop at the Mingei Art Museum in San Diego. I used the papers they gave us which was from various promotional material and stationery. It created a challenge with watercolor. I gessoed some of the pages and used various media in this book.

Flowers in Gouache

In the past, I have not been too fond of painting flowers but I have this lovely still life on my kitchen table and have taken on the challenge. This time I focused in on a section that had high contrast. Using its' negative shapes to create the little flowers. Painted in Gouache.

Sharpie september

Sketching with the San Diego Sketch Crawlers at Spanish Village.

Sharpie September using a Sharpie pen and watercolor paint.

Spectator at a chess game

A good opportunity to sketch when it isn't my turn at a chess game. This quick sketch was created with a Derwent Medium Wash Pencil. I used a water brush to shade and later used my finger (which wasn't a good idea). Gary moved his hands and arms a lot so even though I thought he was going to sit still, there was movement. I still need to remember to take my time to get an accurate drawing while sketching. 

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico

I have been working on daily painting since attending the Plein Air Convention. This Daler-Rowney Sketchbook is 11 x 14 and a little too large to carry around as a constant companion so I have been working from photos until I fill it up. I have taken notes each time I sketch so I can learn from my exercises instead of just daily painting. So far I have worked on using more pigment, making better drawings before painting, and keeping up my momentum and enthusiasm until I am done with the sketch.

San Diego Steam Punk Picnic 2018

I created this watercolor while attending a San Diego Urban Sketching Event at Old Poway Park. We met during the San Diego Steampunk Picnic which gave us many costumed figures to sketch. It was a fun exercise even though it was hard to find one sitting still.  My sketches were done in an 11 x 14 inch Daler Rowney Sketchbook with pencil and watercolor.

View the 3:46-minute Lydeo of the event below.

Sketching at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in La Jolla

This sketch was done on the back side of the watercolor paper. No matter how hard I tried to put in my darks they were soaked up by the paper. It was a fun morning anyway, I met with the San Diego Urban Sketchers. A 3:38 minute video of the morning is shown below.

This video shows the San Diego Urban Sketchers, their sketches, and views from the Monument.

Hotel Del Coronado Corner of RH Dana and Orange Avenue, Coronado

Weather report

File Folder Sketchbook

I spent the day working on my neighbor's website and making 2 file folder sketchbooks. The instructions for the sketchbooks are from Sue Bleiweiss.This is an easy project!