Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Backlit Parked Car

Here's a quick impression in a mini-Moleskine watercolor sketchbook. What interested me was the ordinariness of a parked car alongside a canal. Because I was looking toward the hazy source of illumination, the challenge was to save out the little bits of rim lighting as I did my first overall wash over the dry paper surface.

In a contre-jour situation, it helps to keep those light bits crisp, and then let the shadowed areas——such as the areas around the wheels and the base of the car——relatively soft and out-of-focus.

If you like Moleskines, check out the creative showcase blog Moleskinerie.

2 comments:

i, me said...

mini as in pocket!? Wow great work.
Do you naturally feel comfortable working on a smaller scale?

James Gurney said...

Hi, I,Me--Thanks...yes, that's one of those pocket size moleskines. I love that size because it helps me overlook the maze of details--in this case a whole fleet of parked pleasure boats on the right side of the scene.