Just returned from vacation in Savannah. I always go with the best intentions. I pack my pencils, paints, paper and tell myself I will have time to sketch and paint BUT you know what they say about the best laid plans! We ate, we walked, we wondered at the beauty, we ate, we toured, we explored the river front, we saw the port and we ate. But I did not sketch or paint while in Savannah. I did take time to do a sketch of the lighthouse on Tybee Island as we started our drive home. I will probably use this and my photos to create a watercolor painting. It was a very impressive site.
Tybee Island Lighthouse
After rereading my post I think I should have sketched and painted all the delicious, yummy meals, ice cream, candy and tea we enjoyed! Combine two pleasures!
Linda Halcomb's Blog 
Nice drawing, Linda. I like how you indicated the contour of the sides of the lighthouse by changing the direction of your shading strokes. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed. It is so hard to paint and draw if others are not doing the same.
We loved this vacation but it is hard to ask Ken to sit around for 2 or 3 hours while I sketch and paint. I thought I would do art while he took an afternoon nap but we were so on-the-go that I needed the nap!
Nice sketch hope you decide to to a painting of it. I tried to draw on my vacation but failed. On the other hand I love my camera.
Richard, you know me – I love my lighthouses! I think it would make a great watercolor. I hope to have some time to paint soon.
Nice work on the lighthouse, I’ve always been a fan of pencil work. I usually take my art gear on short trips, but it never sees the sun. I just take lots of photos and sometimes draw something from those.
Thanks Eric. I hope you drop by again!
I love Savannah, wish I could go there to paint. I know how you feel, sometimes there just isn’t time to paint. Maybe you can do a few from photographs?
I hope to do several drawings and paintings. Savannah is beautiful and I took many, many photos.
fun sketch tho Linda. i agree with Leslie – i too like the way you’ve used the pencil stroke direction/angle to define the form of the lighthouse. i like the picket fence line too.
a few years ago i read a book that talked about painting from a glimpse – an impression seen in a fleeting moment. it’s a fun thing to try. you can become good at it if you do more than just a few. one a day and almost any process will become awesome. in this case you can simply close your eyes for a moment and then open – and then shut them again like a slow camera shutter opening and closing – and what you see – what you catch in that moment is your eye-photograph to work from later. even if you move from that place you can anchor the image in you mind by keeping your eyes closed and seeing as much of the scene as you can for a few moments to several minutes if you are in a car for instance. if you are at the place, i’d just do that eye-photo once and concentrate on that. in other words i wouldnt try to open and close my eyes again to see what i’d missed or to correct something. i’d just focus on and use that one image.
later when you get to where you can sketch or paint for a few moments you can do a quick thumbnail sketch – or several – in a sketchbook so you have it for eventually when you return home to your studio. with practice this system can become very effective.
you can simplify forms and connect value patterns and just go after the sense of what you saw that remains in your memory and the thumbnail sketches (or even without the thumbnails). this sounds challenging and it is when you begin, but as you work at it and develop it, you become good at catching shapes and light that are the essential and important factors in creating the feel of the scene. after a while it’s almost as easy to work this way, as sitting in front of the view to sketch for an hour or two. you just work from that quick eye-photo memory and go from there.
This sounds very interesting. Today, as my husband was driving down the road, I tried doing this technique and could get an outer image (like a contour drawing sort of). I’m going to try working with the concept. It sounds very promising – and helpful! Thank you, Wric, for sharing your experience and knowledge so generously.
cool Linda. it sounds like you’re picking up on the process well. when i explored this my first attempts were very simple, but as i progressed i found i could retain more and more information in that one quick impression. if you’re getting contour shapes that’s a great start. i think the quickness of the “look” time tends to simplify shapes – which can become advantages in work. grouping masses of values in to patterns (rather than objects) begins to be intriguing – imo. that too has a place in this process. thumbnails are a great place to explore value patterns and relationships. 3 values or 5 value patterns can become quite fascinating and of course 7 and 9 become quite complex.
I like your sketch a lot. I’ve heard Savannah is wonderful. I have to put that on my list of places to visit. My daughter and I do the same thing with our art supplies. We bring them on each trip and then carry them back home. On the bright side, if the time or inclination strikes, we are ready!
Right on! I believe in being prepared as long as I’m driving. If I fly I usually just bring pencils and a small sketch pad but my new aquabrushes could change that.
MMMMM, Ice cream, candy, and yummy food, who has time to paint!
I do like the perspective on the lighthouse and angle, it gives it more of a grander look. I wished you would have done more, but ice cream, candy and yummy food! MMMMMMM
Maybe I could paint FOOD. Judi Betts goes everywhere with her sketchbook and paints and frequently paints the table or food. Her sketches are really fun!
Delacroix once said, and I paraphrase, that you are really able to draw when you can sketch a man falling from a second-floor window before he hits the ground. Rick’s thoughts are very worthwhile, however challenging. Have you considered trying the watercolour from your sketch and memory without the photo reference?
I have. The day was very cloudy and colorless when we were there so I looked at foliage shapes and how they intersected the lighthouse. If I do a painting I will use my imagination to do a sunny, fall day or dramatically stormy sky. Thank you for the idea.
It was a very impressive drawing! I also go on holiday with the best intentions. In fact, I take my paints and pads everywhere I go. Sometimes I find time to paint, when I don’t I come home and think it’s time wasted. Your work’s so original. I love it! Please keep posting.
Thank you for the encouragement. It is appreciated!
What an informative post! Good for you for at least doing a sketch on your way home. I’ve never been to Savannah, but someday hope to visit.
And yes! to painting some of that yummy food you talk about.
Love the lighthouse, Linda! The way the lines contour in…. perfect!
I like all the good info from Rick, too! I may have to try that. 🙂
I know, Linda!! It was the same for me.. One can`t keep the rest of the family waiting while one loses oneself in sketching etc…
But your sketch has come out great!