Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Train Sketching

A fun way to pass the time while riding in a train is to do very quick sketches of the changing landscapes.

These are tiny watercolor sketches, only an inch and a half by ¾ of an inch, about the size of a postage stamp. Since the landscape disappears as quickly as it appears, you’re forced to form a mental image of the characteristic landscape.

As you transition from one region to the other you can easily see how the big planes of color gradually change.

Working quickly from a combination of observation and memory builds your skills for seeing stationary but complex scenes in simple terms. like this train station.

12 comments:

  1. they are lovely James--you were quite close to us at Valence!

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  2. JIm,
    is that everthing you carried on your person, on the tray in front of you? Do you carry a small shoulder bag or can you fit everything in cargo- pants pockets?
    Thanks for documenting this trip, I have enjoyed it all!
    John

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  3. crazy, those are great, dont you have some dinotopia watercolor paintings that are just really small watercolor studies, those are actually my faviorite paintings of dinotopia,

    i would love to see a future post with those awsome tiny dinotopia paintings, i seem to remember them being in your slide show while you were at the smithosinan in washington dc...awsome stuff!

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  4. Wonderful, wonderful work. I love how you take advantage of every opportunity to make art. I am inspired! Connie

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  6. Those are just great. I agree with connie. It is very inspiring to see someone being so creative all the time!

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  7. vos yeux sont des caméras
    qui mémorisent
    et vos mains des projecteurs
    avec ce blog
    je voyage tous les jours
    merci james
    le bonjour à jeannette

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  8. You know, when looking at this post again, I suddenly noticed the unintentional selfportrait of Jeanette Gurney in the TGV [Train at Great Vitesse(=speed)] window.

    It illustrates perfectly the role she has in respect to this blog.

    Join me in cheeriowing the main spotlight avoiding reporter/photographer of the GJ blog !

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  9. yeah i agree, great work jeanette! without your hard work we would only have half a blog here, haha, it proably wouldnt look right with mr gurney constantly holding the camera up to himself...people would think he has a huge ego...

    instead jeanette can do it for him...and then when no one is looking she can tell him he has a huge ego...haha! just kidding,

    keep up the great work, i always enjoy reading and seeing what the gurney duo is up to!!!!!

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  10. I love those sketches...YOU DA HOMME!!!

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  11. Hello James.
    I'm a blurker but faithful reader of your blog. This is my first comment. I really loved your small train portraits. It's an idea I will have to try on my next time on Amtrak.
    But I wanted to mention that what I most appreciated was your including a photograph of your tools like you did on your "Kitchen Table Portraits" a few days back. I never would've known about using two waterpens with on filled with pre-mixed sepia. I've used waterpens for a few years and never thought of that. Anyway, my point is that those little behind the scene glimpses are SO helpful. I was curious to know what you used on that train journey. Many thanks for a marvelous and inspiring blog.

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  12. Wondermachine--thanks for reading, and I appreciate your comment. And Random York, too--I'll try to take a photo of the setup.

    The sketch stuff all fits in a fanny pack, but I'm so in dread of looking like a typical American tourist that I've got it down to stuff that fits in two pockets: a small sketchbook, four colored pencils, and a waterbrush.

    And thanks for the tip of the hat to Jeanette. She wields the camera and puts up with my ego. I'm not sure which is harder.

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