Mining Old Sketchbooks

A useful practice is to go back and look at old sketchbooks. Sometimes ideas that have been partly worked through may spark new work now. This past week I leafed through a number of old sketchbooks and ran onto these ideas and sketches from last summer.

When sketching and doing outdoor watercolors my practice is to start with a graphite or sometimes colored pencil sketch then paint, then detail with ink or pencil. Sometimes of course, time prevents going beyond a graphite beginning. Lately, looking through some old pocket sketchbooks I found some graphite and ink sketches from last year's Iowa State Fair that could lead to other works in other media. In many cases these sketches have been strengthened with ink, after the fact, when I reviewed them after a day at the Fair.

"State Fair Roofs," ink, 6.5x3.5

This is a page finished in ink. I drew the original with pencil and erased the lay in once the ink drawing was complete. This is the roof line of one of the buildings, as seen from the broad, shaded porch of the Administration Building (a favorite spot on a hot August day).

'Nut Rolls," graphite and ink, 7.5x3.5

Other areas of the fairgrounds are prime sketching territory too. These food concessions are under enormous old trees behind the Admin Building. In the sketch the pencil lay in is still visible under the ink lines. Sometimes after inking with waterproof pens I go back and apply watercolor.

"Figures at the Fair," graphite and ink, 6.5x3.5

The sketch here shows various figures and types seen while sitting on a bench in the shade of those enormous trees mentioned above. Although this looks at first as if it is a coherent drawing, in fact the figures are out of proportion to one another. The father and child in the left center were added later without regard to the first group of figures on the right, and the woman in overalls and hat on the left was added even later on. If this progresses to a new painting the perspective will obviously be corrected.

"In the Garden," ink and graphite 5.5x3.5

This final sketch is a view of the Discovery Garden near the Agriculture Building. The garden is a beautiful cooperative effort that is heavily visited. I sketched this couple strolling along a graveled walk inside the garden. My original intent was to paint this scene with it varying foliage going from a mass of bright yellow-green on the left into darker and bluer greens to the right, punctuated by reds. Perhaps this will eventually become a painting.


For anyone who wants to practice drawing, the common advice is to always carry a sketchbook. As beginners, many are shy and don't want to draw too much attention so a big sketching outfit is probably not popular. Luckily you can sketch with a pocket sketchbook, pencil, and an eraser. Pocket sketchbooks come in quite small sizes--I like the Moleskine
but there are many different kinds available. They come in 3.5x5.5 inches with binding along the short side. I slip one in a back pocket and pencils(s) in another along with a kneaded eraser.

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Related Posts
The Iowa State Fair
State Fair Sketchbook 2017