Shadows first
Posted: July 5, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 15 CommentsThe morning light on the greystones on the north side of Carré St. Louis is always so beautiful. I was sketching there quite early today, in my usual spot at the edge of the square under the trees, but I only had a short time to sketch. With that in mind, instead of building up layers or glazes of watercolour, as I usually do, I tried a different way of working. I painted the shadow patterns on the wall first, knowing that if I had to pack up, I would have captured the most important shapes in the scene. I ended up having a few extra minutes so I added another layer of darks, and I suppose it might seem unfinished, but there’s also something nice about leaving it exactly as I saw it in the moment.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Thanks for this post, Shari. What a simple and obvious strategy!
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So nice to hear from you! I think I am going to be doing this shadow first thing more often! Glad it was helpful.
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Beautifully captured, Shari!
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Love it just as it is, spontaneous and yet carefully planned. Great idea to begin w/shadows first.
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Bernadette, thank you!
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Leaving your sketch exactly as it was then puts you in good company…I mean with Monet. I had not realized that is what he did until I saw his series of paintings that were in Vancouver before COVID by a few years. Up close i.e. following the crowds they were mostly dark and burgundy canvasses. When I looked back from a distance I realized that he was painting willow trees in the shade and had managed to capture the deep shade patterns. Beverly
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This is so nice to read Beverly. Thanks for that. I am going to look up the paintings!
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What a great idea! I’m going to try that next time! Your sketch came out so fresh and loose. Love it!
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Thanks Carmen. Glad it was helpful!
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Lovely. And nice to see you going beyond the usual techniques. By doing the direct Watercolor challenge, I think I got the “nerve” to ignore the rules I had been taught. I agree with Carmen- your ipainting is fresh .and loose.
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Bonjour Shari,
Originaire de Nantes en France, je suis abonnée à la plupart de vos cours en ligne. J’ai progressé en suivant vos workshop et je vous en remercie. Par contre je passe à côté de judi cieux conseils, ne maîtrisant pas parfaitement la langue anglaise.
Y a-t-il un moyen de traduire les sous-titres en français ?
Avec mes remerciements
Bien cordialement à vous
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Bonjour Genevieve,
Merci pour l’abonnement aux cours! I will answer in English but please feel free to keep writing to me in French.
I have explored the possibility of captioning in French, but at the moment it is not something that is within my budget as a small business. My courses are not produced by a production company so the cost to do this is quite prohibitive at the moment. But I will keep exploring the possibility since I know there is a demand for this and I would love to be able to provide this. Many thanks for asking.
Cordialement,
Shari
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Merci beaucoup pour votre réponse rapide…je pense que je vais devoir reprendre des cours d’anglais…malheureusement il e;st de notoriété publique que les français sont nuls en langue 😉…mais promis je vais faire des efforts 🌝
En tout cas un grand merci à vous pour nous donner autant de votre temps!
Cordialement . G.BERTHELOT
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I love this Shari. And it is so often we feel rushed, so this is such a good thought to have always in mind, the quick summary of the main scene.
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Thanks Anne! I’m glad you find it helpful. Yes, it really is a good method for when you are rushed, which for me is most of the time : )
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