Muir Beach Sketching Trip

Cold and rainy today – so of course we decide to go sketching :) Rumor has it you can’t find a parking spot at Muir Beach anytime after 10AM on a normal weekend – so I thought we’d take advantage of the unreliable weather. Turned out to be a great day for it. No crowds, and an interesting overcast foggy feeling that seems typical of NorCal winter.

I’m using 6×9 Canson watercolor blocks and painting with transparent watercolor mixed with black and white gouache. Mix gouache with color ‘to taste’, depending on how much coverage is needed, ranging from none, to about 50/50.

This is pretty much a reprise of the technique Erik Tiemens showed us in Mendocino last year (see this post).

I was also doing two paintings at the same time. I don’t have much patience waiting for washes – so this is a nice way to keep working back and forth without watching paint dry. On a humid day like this, you could probably do three at the same time.

I ordered a fancy-schmancy watercolor easel – but it hasn’t arrived yet – so I’ve reverted to sitting in the dirt. (well, ok, on a camping stool). On a day like this, it’s easier to just spread your stuff on the ground. You don’t have to worry about your easel blowing over.