Author: Carolyn A Pappas

aechmea fasciata painting

Selection of Pink Watercolor Flowers

Thanks to my membership at the botanic garden (and multiple visits over the summer), I now have a huge collection of snapshots of beautiful, showy, and unusual (to me) flowers to paint. Today I’m taking a look back at some pink watercolor flowers that I painted this past August in my large moleskine sketchbook. I spent quite a bit of time painting these—on paper that isn’t even intended for watercolor. It’s almost a shame that I didn’t use proper watercolor paper, but I think that the fact that it was in my sketchbook helped me to relax and enjoy myself more than I would have otherwise.

aechmea fasciata painting
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Aechmea fasciata. Graphite and watercolor in large moleskine.
watercolor hibiscus
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Hibiscus in strong lighting. Graphite and watercolor in large moleskine.

stones drawing

Sticks and Stones

These are some of my daughter’s nature objects that found their way into my bedroom, and then my sketchbook. I made the drawings in watercolor pencils, and then instead of using plain water to activate the pencil marks, I used a brush loaded with watercolor paint as well. It was an interesting experiment and fun. I used the same colors for the two pages so they have a cohesive look.

sticks drawing
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Sticks (7/31/2016). Watercolor pencil, watercolor paint and rubber stamping in large moleskine.
stones drawing
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Stones (7/30/2016). Watercolor pencil, watercolor paint and rubber stamping in large moleskine.

pen and ink roadside sketch

Sketching Rural Scenery

pen and ink roadside sketch
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Roadside Sketch (8/27/2016). Pen and ink in large moleskine.
Crimson King Norway Maple sketch
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Acer Platanoides ‘Crimson King’ (8/27/2016). Pen and ink in large moleskine.
These are some pen and ink sketches I made while sitting on the porch of a beautifully renovated old farmhouse. The late afternoon/early evening light made it a very interesting landscape to draw and observe. When I was drawing the wires (not accurately, of course), I remembered this informational blog post from James Gurney, although I didn’t recall the specifics.

spring landscape

Experiment with Bold Ink

My favorite waterproof black fineliners are Staedtler Pigment Liners and I have the four pack in the plastic case. I find that I go for the 0.01 size most often and use the 0.03 size on a limited basis. I very rarely use the larger 0.05 and 0.07. For this sketch, I decided to do the opposite and use primarily the larger sizes and the smaller sizes only for the details. I also broke out my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen which is great for laying on black areas very quickly with juicy ink.*

spring landscape

©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, View from the end of the path in springtime. Ink, watercolor and colored pencil in large moleskine.
Interestingly, I just came across this blog post from Brenda Swenson, where she discusses taking risks and trying out new things.

*I found that the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen bleeds a bit on the new moleskine paper and saturated both sides of the paper, but it did not soak through to the page underneath.

moss steps tower hill

Working Plein Air at the Moss Steps

I took my watercolors to Tower Hill Botanic Garden to try out working plein air. It was a sunny day and I was worried about getting burned, so I went into the wooded areas. I settled down at the Moss Steps and did this pen drawing and then painted it in watercolor. Although there was a chain blocking the steps off from people, I did see a chipmunk running around as well as a wood frog hopping down.

I usually add the watercolor at home, but it was a welcome change to paint in person (and more of a challenge). I brought water with me in a bottle and poured it into a plastic cup, but I had to bend down to use it as I put my water cup on the ground. The pine needles falling down on my head were annoying, but a small price to pay for such a nice time.

Next time I would like to try painting in watercolor without such a detailed pen and ink drawing first because it took a very long time.

moss steps tower hill
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, At the edge of the Moss Steps (8/5/2016). Ink and watercolor in large moleskine.
moss steps photo
A photo of the moss steps. I conveniently removed the chain from my drawing.
Some of the other interesting photos I took while walking through the woods.
Some of the other interesting photos I took while walking through the woods.

outdoor plants

Valuable Time Alone for Nature Sketching

To be alone with nature is to be one with nature. -Peter Ewart

I was able to get out of the house by myself for a few hours today. I used my time well and made three sketches. It was lovely.


sleeping dogs painting

Sleeping Pups

sleeping dogs painting
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Sleeping Pups. Colored pencil over watercolor, 9 x 12 inches.
This is my most recent project—my first pet portrait commission. I originally was planning on painting it all in watercolor, but then decided to add colored pencil to give it some more texture. I also changed the color of the dog bed from seafoam green, cream and brown to Prussian Blue. I think the blue makes the dog’s fur “pop” a lot more against the background.

I’m glad I tackled this project, but it wasn’t what I would consider a relaxing painting to make. Still, I did find it rewarding when the owner was so pleased. Now, I am going to get back to a few projects of my own.

garden doodle

Decorated Endpapers

garden doodle
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Garden Medley (June 2016). Faber Castell PITT Pens and gouache in large moleskine.

I’ve never decorated the front endpapers in any of my previous sketchbooks, although some people make a tradition of it. I decided to give it a try in my new moleskine, by making a series of mini sketches out in the garden over the month of June. I went outside in the evenings before it got too buggy and made a quick sketch or two using my colored PITT artist pens. I managed to capture a lot of the wild and cultivated things out there.

My thoughts on the new moleskine paper

leaf shapes sketch
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Variety of Leaf Shapes and Sizes (6/26/2016). Ink and watercolor in large moleskine.
onion nature study
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, Uprooted Onions (6/25/2016). Ink in large moleskine.

These are the first two pages I did in my new moleskine (a black one, this time). I immediately noticed a difference in the paper (it was advertised to be improved for paint). A short time ago, Roz Stendahl wrote an extensive review of the new paper.

My thoughts were that the paper was definitely whiter than the previous version, which I appreciated. I also noticed less buckling with watercolor. The paper handled ink nicely. The only thing I dislike about this paper is that it is noticeably thinner and “see through,” so that I cannot comfortably draw on both sides of the page. The paper also seems to wrinkle more easily. I am planning on only using one side of the page and I probably won’t do many double page spreads.

The reason why I like moleskines are that they look neat when closed and the elastic band keeps everything well contained. The large size is the perfect size for me to carry in a purse while still having a decent enough area to work with. I also have had a number of moleskines over the years and I like how they look stacked up. In the past, I have disposed of old sketchbooks, but I have decided to keep new ones going forward as I think my daughter would like to have them when I am gone. Also, I have more space to store them now, thankfully.

red moleskine

A Well Used Book

red moleskineI always get a feeling of accomplishment when I finish a sketchbook, especially one that has been in progress for the better part of two years. I am so happy to move on from my red large moleskine. It was an unexpected gift that I originally began hesitantly. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I really got into a groove and began filling it up with more vigor. When I flip through the pages, I also see a real progression in my level of artistic risk taking, which pleases me.

Oftentimes, finishing a sketchbook coincides with moving onto a new season of my life. I have the rest of the summer before I start school again and I’m hoping to break in my new sketchbook by then.