Glass

Hi everyone, I'm Dion Dior. This is my first post as part of The Sketchbook Challenge team and I am very excited. When Sue Bleiweiss invited me to join the team, I was super thrilled as I've been a participant in The Sketchbook Challenge since the beginning.  (I was profiled as a participant on this blog some time ago, here). I found my "creative groove" again by developing a daily sketchbook practice encouraged by the monthly themes, and in fact, it was Sue who first encouraged me into blogging several years ago.

So a little about me, I've been an artist and illustrator my entire life, but like many artists, life got in the way in my 20's and my grand artistic pursuits fell into my art journal.  It's only been in the past 15 years that I've been embracing creativity as a legitimate and very important part of who I am. I'm now a Mum and professional artist, illustrator, and instructor.

With young kids, it's difficult for me to stand at my beloved easel very often, so I spend most of my time in a sketchbook.  Over the years I have filled over 50 sketchbooks.  I keep them for all sorts of themes and processes, most commonly for travel journaling, inspiration, and art technique.  Nature is my muse,  philosophy is my voice, and color is my passion. You can read more about me on my blog here.

So let's talk Natural Surfaces.  I find capturing the beauty of surfaces isn't always easy, texture and form mostly dominate, but hidden in there is often amazing color.  Glass is a beautiful subject for surfaces, and although it may not be considered natural, it is still a wonderful surface to play with.

Glass Surfaces, like these bottles, can seem complicated, but are often very simple if you break down the form, and focus on the tones.  The subtle effect of light and shade captured by using water can make a basic line sketch become something very alive and dimensional.  By focusing on the glassy glow of each bottle, I used more water to soften and dilute the tone, and less water to produce vibrancy.

Color is a wonderful way to communicate surface texture and I used a combination of harmonious colors to balance the curves in each bottles and suggest light and shade. When you're playing with color in your sketchbook, don't be constrained by theory and fear.  Experiment with combinations and intensities and remember to use the colors that you love.

This sketchbook page was done in watercolor, pen and ink.  It was inspired by the beautiful illustrations of  Katie Pamment and you can see more bottles on my blog today.

Thanks for checking in and I'll see more of you in weeks to come. xx