Watercolor sketch

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

The transition from winter to spring seems sudden, this year, in Vermont. Three Sundays ago I was cross country skiing, while today I mowed my lawn and put my kayak rack on the roof of my car. This week alone I saw a white skunk in daylight, a garter snake, dandelions, cats bathing in the sun and rolling in the dirt. A neighbor's dog even got free from its masters hold and took off for an inspired jaunt.

This is a simple watercolor sketch I did several years ago. It was inspired by the colors of spring. For me, there is something appealing about pen and ink combined with watercolor. The pen and ink conveys structure while the watercolor provides atmospheric affects.

On occasion, I pull out one of my fountain pens, which have beautifully flowing ink and start drawing. These fountain pens have water resistant ink, which do not smear when wet, enabling watercolor washes to flow freely with no concerns. My favorite fountain pens are made by Waterman, Pelican and Cross. 

However, I find many types of watercolor paper are too textured to draw on, at least with a pen. Hot-pressed watercolor paper is one alternative choice, which suits me just fine.