Blog: Sketching

Don’t Judge – Art Journal

“Do not judge my story by the chapter you walked in on ”

Love the quote. So true!

For this art journal spread I combined a sketch of the flat iron building with some of my urban building stamps. I painted parts of them in the same color to make them look more cohesive.

For the collaged woman, I used a print of one of my paintings -unfortunately I chose a too dark print and the lines of my sketch get a bit lost here. I stamped on top of deli paper and mounted it on the print. I like the look. but again – I need to use light ink on dark backgrounds in order to make this work :)

Here are some of the supplies I used for this spread:


Nat

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Echo Chamber

In this journal spread I wrote “Like in an echo chamber a saddening, frightening and yet empowering #metoo echoed through the universe.”

I drew the left women with ink using a bamboo sketching pen and colored her in with watercolor- the right one is a painted on deli paper which I collaged into the art journal.

I stamped with some of my ArtFoamies stamps and acrylic paint and added some mars with Neopastels and a Charcoal pen.

Here are some of the supplies I used for this spread


Nat

Comments (2)

  • Gunvor

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    It’s a lovely spread and an important matter. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      thank you Gunvor! Yes- it is a very important matter-!

      Reply

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Sketch Show

NatKalbachSketchShow

 

It’s been a while since I last did some sketching- so it was good to have the chance to attend a sketching class of my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in NYC last weekend to get me going again. I love it. Here is what I sketched while we were sitting outside …I sketched sketchers ;)

NatKalbachSketchWestbeth

BTW- I would love to recommend a book by Felix Scheinberger to you if you are interested in sketching and watercolor. I have two of his books for a while and I just found out that his first one: Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting and Storytelling in Color  was finally translated from German to English. His style is super inspiring and his tips are gold. It is  one of my most loved art books I have.

Scheinberger has a very loose style which makes it easy for me to enjoy my own sketching – Take a peek inside the book- you will see what I mean .

Have a wonderful day

 

 

 

 

Nat

Comments (2)

  • susan salyer

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    Oh this so fun ..I love the images of life.
    hugs
    susan s

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Your sketch is nice and seems to go hand-in-hand with Julie’s post about that day. It’s great that you two get to spent so much time together.
    I saw some street art yesterday in Somerville, MA and thought of you. Hope that doesn’t sound too creepy. LOL

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Sketch Show

NatKalbachSketchShow

 

Time to show my last tries on sketching. I really enjoy doing this as a little part of creative time .

Here I tried to capture our fire place- I guess sketching a fire is a bit difficult especially if you try to sketch and watercolor in candle light…and..ahem…our fireplace is actually not crooked ;)

NatKalbachSketch05

And then the next try was to sketch our christmas tree. It was funny- first I was going nuts on the little details…and then I just kind of went with the shape of the tree and I mean…yes to you it might look like just an ordinary attempt to sketch a tree- but this is pretty much the shape and look of our tree …well kind of….well…who cares… I had fun and I love how a few scribbles can show a lot.

NatKalbachSketch06

 

I will keep on going with my sketching – it is good to go out of my comfort zone when being creative and I realize it is a good way to get an better eye to details around me.

Have a wonderful day

Huge hugs

nat

 

Nat

Comments (7)

  • jtowndebrisno1

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    Hi Nat–I wish you and your family a great holiday season and a happy 2014! I wish that you and Julie were two of my best girlfriends, but that is a fantasy, I guess! I love you both. You are so lucky to have each other as friends!

    Reply

  • ddhurlbut

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    Your crooked fireplace and Christmas tree sketches are lovely, keep up the great work and Merry Christmas to you and your husband.

    Peace,
    Donna

    Reply

  • scrapinsue

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    I love that you are showing us your sketches Nat.
    Brave of you. I do some sketches in a notebook while out and about and I am always impressed with how my son can just draw and not get stuck in the details. I guess that I’m still learning to let go of the final product.

    Reply

  • Leigh

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    I think they are great. Who cares if its a littl slanted???? You did it. That’s the key point? Who else is brave enough to try it & show it to the world??? I’m not! That’s hey they hide in my art journals! Lol

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Sketch Show

NatKalbachSketchShow

 

Only one sketch this month…I seriously have creative withdrawals because most of the time right now I sit at the computer to prepare some ….things ;)

So….here you go -what represents Jersey City to me…Statue of Liberty and Iron Cast Railings

NatKalbachSketchJC04

What represents your home city/town/village for you?

Wishing you an amazing day!!!

huge hugs


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Nat

Nat

Comments (17)

  • Amante del Papel

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    Is an amazing Sketch!!! In my country (México) “El angel de la independencia” (The independence angel) is the most representative!

    Reply

  • scrapinsue

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    My town is trees and trees and wild turkeys in the road.
    Dogs walking their humans around the circle and children playing.
    It’s nice and I’m still getting used to the quiet after 9 years (after living in a noisy city (Lawrence, MA) for 15 years.

    Reply

  • Debby

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    Great artistic view of NJ and what it means to you. My hometown is in the deep south so I love the old homes in the downtown ares as well as other historic place with a definite vintage look.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Debby- I have a picture in my mind :) I have been to the south a a long time ago and I loved the architecture !

      Reply

  • grandscraperona

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    Love your sketch!…and colors! Thinking of trying to start sketching again as i did many years ago. Thanks for all the beautiful things you show to all, Nat. Now my answer to your quest:

    Oh, my Puerto Rico, so small (35 m x 100 m) in special Caimito rural zone where i have been living for more than 40 years! So many shades of green, with the red-ora tones of the flamboyants, trinitarias in lilac, pink, red… the flowered roble tree with its lavender color in full, you name it… the smell of the Hilan-Hilan tree, and after 6 pm, the cigarra’s orchestra, and the sweet coquí- coqui, this is what i am in love with…Dont see me living in other place, with a different weather…

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      You make me wanna go – you wrote it in such wonderful poetic words…it sounds like a wonderful entry to a fiction story! I wanna read more :) One day I will go to Puerto Rico :)

      Reply

  • Madeline Rains

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    What represents my little town in rural Georgia? Dogwoods and Azaleas in bloom, the smell of burning leaves and barbecue and the tiny post office.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Ahhh – that sounds cute with the flowers and the tiny post office.

      Reply

  • Jean A Marmo

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    The center of our town has a dam with a river flowlingover it. there are walks and a gazebo – just so pretty!

    Reply

  • Pam in New Jersey

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    Nat, Love the colors in your sketch. My town in South Jersey is only one mile long by one mile wide. We have one traffic light. Not too much traffic like Jersey City has but not as easy to visit New York City. Take care.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      How fun- only one traffic light! Less traffic is good – it is crazy here! :)

      Reply

  • angel_painter

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    You sound so homesick! Yikes!

    My city in NC is special because of the people.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      I am not sure where you get this from in this post? Not at all so far…maybe when the holiday season comes.

      Reply

  • Jenny Palmer

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    Hi Nat
    Love your sketch.
    What represents my town for me is I have Tasmania’s biggest waterfall and the rainforest and mountains with snow even at this time of year
    it is almost summer here in Australia
    the wallabies and possums, echidnas wombat and Tassie devils and the snakes in fact all of the the wildlife and cradle mountain world heritage area

    Reply

      • Jenny Palmer

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        My Dear Nat
        You would always be welcome

        Reply

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Sketch Show

NatKalbachSketchShow

 

Julie made me draw my first Sketch and I had a lot of fun with it. I think I will get a bit more into doing so. I never thought I could draw – and I do not think this is going to be my strongest asset,  but I had fun – and that is the thing that counts…so here..show and tell- LOL – my first one

NatKalbach_SunnyDay

 

Do you sketch?

Have a wonderful day

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Nat

Nat

Comments (8)

  • Corrine

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    Fab sketch good for Julie for making you stretch….sketching intimidates me too….I so get it. xox

    Reply

  • Micki

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    What do you mean, you can’t draw/sketch? For your first one, it is awesome. I would have never known that it was your first time. I always thought/believed I couldn’t draw/sketch, but since I’m a believer that one can do anything with practice, I’ve started sketching/drawing for about 9 months. I love it. And I love seeing how I’ve progressed :-). The funny thing is that my best sketches happen when I am on a time limit (like at lunch at work) or when I don’t worry about “perfection”, like in front of the TV.

    Reply

  • Deleted User

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    Pretty good for a first try. I have done just a few sketches (after seeing the ones that Julie’s posted) and I feel really unskilled in this area. I will keep trying but it does not make me feel too confident when I see the finished result.

    Reply

  • Thea

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    And you thought you could’nt draw? This looks like fine to me. Keep going on doing it and sharing.

    Reply

  • Deleted User

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    Long time not sketching! But i think that is not forgotten as ” taquigrafía or riding bycicle!… i will be trying! thanks for refreshing my mind…for instance, as soon as i saw this, i realized it was a deck!…that is the idea of sketching! TFSNat!

    Reply

  • Anne

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    Your sketch is a great “first attempt”, Nat! It’s playful and whimsical and I’m so glad you shared it. Enjoy playing with your sketches . . . and sketch every day!

    Reply

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