Sketches from Maine, Part I

I’ve been finishing up some of the sketches I did while in Maine earlier this summer, and it’s been a lot of fun reliving that special time that I shared with my mother and five students. Three of them flew all the way from California to be there!

All sketches were done in a 9″ x 6″, Stillman and Birn Alpha series hardbound sketchbook

I added this year’s sketches to the sketchbook that I started last year in Maine, but I gave this section its own title page. (See the 2015 sketches here.) The design was drawn with five different colors of Sakura Gelly Roll pens on a prepainted watercolor background. The lettering was done with watercolor.

Primrose Cottage, where we stayed, is such a beautiful old house, with lots of character. This year I sketched some of my favorite details. A tiny sketch of my students during their first walk on Crescent Beach rounded out this composite page nicely.

Ink and watercolor

Our first outing was to Birch Point State Park, where I did a sketch with watercolor pencil then painted it with watercolor while several of the students sketched alongside me. It was a cool blustery day, and by the time we finished, everyone was ready to go back to Primrose Cottage for a hot cup of tea.

Watercolor pencil, watercolor, graphite pencil, and Pitt pen (for the lettering)

I used self-adhesive mesh drywall tape to make pencil guidelines for my vertical stripes. After I painted the blue stripes freehand with a brush, I decided not to erase my guidelines. I like the way it gives the look of a ticking stripe. Usually I use the mesh drywall tape horizontally to make straight guidelines for text, but using it vertically gave me a new appreciation for the versatility of this tool. I always keep a piece of it handy, stuck to the Coroplast board that I use as a lap desk.

You’re going to love tomorrow’s post! I’ll be sharing a step-by-step tutorial showing my process for painting a stand of beautiful purple irises on location at Merryspring Nature center in Camden, Maine.

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I’m Leslie. A painter, teacher, and lover of all things creative. A sketchbook artist who captures everyday life on the pages of my illustrated journals. I love sharing, connecting, and encouraging people to find their creative voice through sketchbook journaling. Read more about me, my art, and my life HERE.

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