While I was in Florida last month, I only had a chance to get to the beach once, but what a perfect beach day it was!
The day we were there, Coquina Beach definitely lived up to its name. As if the bright sunshine, sparkling water, and gentle waves weren’t enough, we also found millions of colorful coquina shells strewn along the tide line. Each butterfly-shaped shell sported its own unique coloring and pattern.
My friend Judy and I took a walk along the water, letting the chilly water lap across our toes and stopped to pick up the prettiest shells we could find, then we retreated to the shade and pulled out our sketchbooks.
First, I penciled in a line for a possible future page border, then I got to work on the small soft-edged vignette in the center of the page.
I sketched it with a Pigma Micron 01 pen and painted it onsite with watercolor. The coquina shells to the left and right of the vignette were added later at the house and painted with a small round brush.
I decided a border would complement the sketch nicely, but, instead of choosing a single color for it, I used a combination of colors, the same ones I had used to paint the coquina shells.
I worked my way around the page, painting on dry paper and applying one color at a time, allowing each new color to blend slightly with the one previously laid down. After the wash was dry, I laid a patterned plastic stencil over it and used a dampened Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to rub over the stencil and lift the paint, leaving a pattern of watery bubbles.
Here’s a helpful hint: I laid a clear plastic page protector along the edge of the border to cover my sketch and protect it while I was using the Magic Eraser. It was quicker and easier than taping inside the border with painter’s tape.
The title lettering was done with a calligraphy pen loaded with watercolor. Using watercolor in a dip pen enabled me to match the color of the lettering perfectly to my sketch. The lettering style used is Adelicia, and it can be downloaded for free from dafont.com.
I often confess to my students that I’m afflicted with a malady called horror vacui (fear of empty space). I tend to fill my sketchbook pages with lots of stuff. But for this sketch, I intentionally simplified my subject matter and left a lot of white space on the page. I love how it gives the eye a place to rest. It seems like a more leisurely, relaxing sketch than many of my others. I think being at the beach with nothing to do but enjoy the day had a lot to do with it. Don’t we all wish for more days like this one?
But maybe it’s not something we need to wish for. Maybe we need to choose to create days like this for ourselves. I’m setting an intention to leave more “white space” in my life…and (occasionally) in my sketches.
6 Comments
I love the white space. You are right – it gives me time to realize those are shells not butterflies, and admire the fun border. And all the time I keep coming back to the sketch in the center and wish I could enjoy it for myself 🙂
Leslie! Thank you for sharing that technique! Your paintings are awesome!
Nancy Hoffman
What a nice page! I used to go to Coquina Beach every year as a kid…(and later until I went to college, moved away & got married)…It’s such a wonderful place (I grew up in FL…and sometimes I truly miss it …particularly in January- March!).
Sounds like it’s time for a return visit!
Love how you did the border and the delicate colors you used. Thanks for sharing.
Leslie, you captured the day beautifully. As I read your bog I realized again how perfect that day was. For me the highlight was sitting next to you, toes in the sand, and collaborating about how to go about things…basically following your lead. Just the 2 of us, holding our breaths hoping our skies turned out. Yes, people, she still does that! Your page turned out so wonderfully sweet. I’m shopping for a bubble stencil.
Judy