Value Sketches at Cooper Lake

There can be a freedom in setting limits for yourself. A narrowing of focus within specific constraints can lead to a deeper exploration of what’s possible with what you have!

Recently I’ve been sketching with very simple tools, just ink pens and a water brush. I’ve been using a Platinum Desk Pen and Pentel Brush Pen.

Before the start of school, our family took a last camping adventure to the beautiful alpine Cooper Lake. Tucked in the Cascade Mountains, it’s a lovely spot for boating, swimming, and relaxing with friends.

Canoeing out to the middle of the lake, the snow-capped mountains of the North Cascade Mountains emerged. I quickly sketched as we drifted slowly, working to capture the slope of evergreen trees.

I loved sketching and used a minimal setup with just my A6 softcover Midori MD Notebook, Platinum Desk Pen, Pental Brush Pens (grey and black), and a water brush.

While the brush pens contain waterproof ink, the ink can be diluted and washed with water if applied quickly. I used a water brush to swiftly add tone for simple value sketches. Sometimes, my initial penstroke leaves a mark, but it doesn’t bother me: it’s just part of the process! These simple toned sketches force me to edit, simplify, and focus on values: areas of light and dark.

The grey Pentel Brush Pen is especially fun—and new to me! You can create a range of greys with a beautiful tone, and it can be layered upon itself to create deeper blacks. For even richer darks, I add marks with the black Pentel Brush Pen.

My goals for this trip were to relax with friends, play on the water, and explore art as I had time. This simple sketching setup was easy and fun, and I loved creating a little series to preserve the memories—plus, treats are a must for every trip!

Value Sketch Tips

• Squint your eyes to see the values in a subject on location.

• Focus on big shapes and leave out the small details.

• Simplifying a scene by categorizing it into 1,2,3 levels of value.

• Turn a reference image into black and white to practice!

Additional Supplies Recommendations

Watercolors
For a mixed-media approach, consider incorporating neutral watercolor hues such as Payne’s Grey, Graphite Grey, or Neutral Tint into your sketches.

Waterproof Ink
De Atramentis Document Ink, a waterproof favorite, is available in Black, Urban Grey, and Brown. Pick a pen and its corresponding ink converter and fill it with your chosen ink color.

Happy painting!

All sketches in this post are 4" x 5.75" ink and watercolor wash pieces by Maria Coryell-Martin.