We went for a short hike by along the river by Point of Rocks, MD. As an experiment, I thought it would be interesting to invent some lighting coming from the east and casting across the scene to approximate a sunrise. This was with lemon yellow, cadmium red light, ultramarine, and sepia.
Had another business trip to Chicago and got to wander again just a little bit
I really like this part of the river, so am trying it out in different light and time scenarios. I should just finish the snowy version, but I started this while sitting on the couch this morning and got into it.
This is another sketch based on the trees out my back window that took just a few minutes. Trying drawing directly with a brush with Daniel Smith indigo on 90 lb Saunders Waterford paper. I got a big load of different papers earlier in the week and tore them down to 4×6 and 6×9. For watercolor I got some Saunders and Fabriano artistico, both in 90 lbs so I could have some good quality watercolor paper to sketch on and not worry about wasting paper. One $4.50 sheet can be torn down to 10 6×9 and 5 4×6 sheets. Great deal. For $2, you can do the same with Fabriano tiziano pastel paper, which is great for sketching as well. My goal for this year is to fit in sketching as much as I can. Finding time for longer term larger works will be difficult, hence the preference for toned papers and smaller value studies. Just looking for short cuts to cool looking works that can be a fun interlude. More on the other papers as I try them out.
Following through on the sketch from last weekend’s snowy hike along the Potomac. This will be all Prussian blue, brown madder, and yellow ochre.
3×4 drawing on sketch paper.
Yesterday it was snowing a bit in the middle of the day so we all went on a hike along the Potomac. The water was high, well above the base of many of the trees along the bank, which led to some very neat reflections. A few paintings might come out of this.
I spent some time today cutting paper down to make a 4×6 packet, this one including Tiziano Pale Felt Blue, Mi-Teintes Dawn Pink, and some Strathmore 400 series white sketch paper to keep with me during the week to do quick studies (a goal of mine for this year).
I had a scrap left over, and it was too dark out to draw something outside, so I made up this quick sketch. 
I’ve been enjoying this switch over to loose papers versus a sketchbook, in part because it gives me choice of paper, but mostly because it makes it feel like I’m just drawing on scraps, so relieves any pressure of permanence that a book gives. I’ve already done more quick drawings in the past few days than I had been doing previously.
Corey Aber 