Dusting Off the Ol' Sketchbook

Detroit was a fascinating place to explore for our Virtual Paintout  destination in August. Another place that caught my attention (in addition to THIS painting)   was an underpass, with arches and graffiti. Especially the grafitti. The word oxymoron comes to mind. :-D

Here is the original location, from Google Street View:

Vevie decided she was too much of a "star" to pose for a mere sketchbook painting, so she sat this one out. Hmmmph... she's not a spoiled kitty... oh no. Not at all...

Anyway, this one tickled me, so I couldn't pass it up. 

"Vandals for Peace"

8 Mile Road

Detroit, Michigan

6 x 8 sketchbook

Ink

Colored pencils

Watercolor pencils

Neocolor II sticks

Gouache

Happy painting,

Retta

Virtual Paintout 9: Vevie Goes to Detroit!

A red picnic table

A flowing river 

A park

Where families come to make memories. 

Where lovers gaze into each others eyes, and plan their future together. 

Where an older couple walks, holding hands as always... in their hearts young lovers forever.

Detroit, Michigan. Motor City. Motown. City of Champions.

Now a troubled city, with a colorful past and uncertain future. Yet there are those that stayed or have returned, and are rebuilding. Downtown renaissance, riverfront development, revitalization of historic buildings, even neighborhood garden coops.

In spite of huge problems, there seems to still be hope, tenacity, and a determination to thrive.

So this one is for the people of Detroit. 

I call it "Hope & A Future". My title came from a favorite verse in the Bible that seems appropriate for the people of Detroit.

 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." Jeremiah 29:11-13

Now for the "making of" photos... (can enlarge pics; I kept most smaller for faster page loading)

First, my spot as it shows on Google Street View map:

And my cropped idea:

Ran it through photoshop, and here were the 3 color scheme possibilities I came up with; I chose the hot red/yellow one:

And a value study:

I love texture, and this month played with a layer of tissue paper glued down (under and over) with acrylic painting medium:

Toned the canvas with a soft yellow:

Started the drawing with burnt umber watercolor pencil and burnt sienna paint:

Did some underpainting in tones of orange and pinks:

Changed my mind! The red picnic table disappeared amidst all those hot colors, so changed over to the blue color scheme:

More layers:

And drying on the easel:

A couple of close ups for you:

All finished!

"Hope & A Future"

Riverbank Drive

Detroit, Michigan  USA

9 x 12 acrylics

on wrapped canvas

All are invited to join the Virtual Paintout gang each month in visiting and painting new places via Google Street View. Each month our leader, Bill Guffey, chooses a new location and we all "travel" there and pick a spot from which to paint. Here are all the deets! 

Vevie (rhymes with Stevie)

My Virtual Paintout muse

Happy painting,

Retta