Sketchbook Ideas

By Frances Ramsey and Joseph Nordmann

The purpose of this work is to encourage those who have sketched little in the past to take up the sketching habit. One of the rewards of sketching is to see the differences between the stiffness of a photograph and the spontaneous creativity of a quick sketch. The latter often effortlessly captures the essence of the scene while ignoring the nonessentials.

Do develop the sketchbook habit. Practice with it will improve all your artwork and also provide a source of useful material for years to come. And a sketchbook is fun to look at later. Its a reminder of where you were and evidence that youre moving onward to more serious creativity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499073980

Frances Ramsey

Joseph Nordmann is professor emeritus of chemistry. Born in Decatur, Illinois he grew up in Bowling Green, Ohio, graduating from Bowling Green State University as a chemistry major. He did his graduate work in organic chemistry and chemical engineering at the University of Southern California and Purdue University. During World War II he was employed in national defense-related science and taught V-12 program chemistry to future military officers. After the war he taught at Los Angeles Valley College where he published chemistry texts, co-owned and operated an environmental laboratory and won the national award for excellence in college chemistry teaching sponsored by the Manufacturing Chemists Association. Weekends he studied oil painting with artists Paul Conner and Nicolai Fechin. Summer vacations he worked as a coach’s assistant with the Los Angeles Rams and co-authored a nonfiction book on football. When he retired from teaching, he moved to California’s Monterey Peninsula. There he is a writer and professional artist-member of the Carmel Art Association.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Joseph Nordmann; Frances Ramsey

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014916947

ISBN:

Softcover 978-1-4990-7397-3

Hardcover 978-1-4990-7396-6

EBook 978-1-4990-7398-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 01/30/2015

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www.Xlibris.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1. Trees

Chapter 2. Floral and Still Life

Chapter 3. Fields

Chapter 4. Buildings

Chapter 5. Hills

Chapter 6. Skies

Chapter 7. Marines

Chapter 8. Abstracts

Chapter 9. Landscapes

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Chronology

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A sketchbook can be an artist’s diary, a tracing of the art journey taken by its creator.

Illustrations in this booklet were culled from more than a dozen sketchbooks assembled over a span of twenty-five years. Sketching was done mostly out of doors, sometimes alone, other times with fellow artists. The purpose was to find themes for conversion into oil paintings. Sketches were done in various media: pencil, pen, broad and fine tip colored markers and also with a 15-pan watercolor kit.

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A sketchbook is especially useful in a painting workshop where the leader’s comments can be recorded along with quick renderings of painting subjects. This is also an opportunity to note effective techniques by other artists and to observe the supplies they are