Jim Sandford's Creating a Watercolor Sketchbook Workshop
Schedule
Sat Apr 18 2026 at 01:00 pm to 04:30 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Eldersburg Branch, CCPL | Sykesville, MD
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Even while having some success with studio watercolor painting, I have long found sketchbooks to be bit of a hit or miss proposition. I must have several dozen sketchbooks in my studio, some finished, some abandoned, and perhaps an overall success rate of 35% (with “success” itself being a wavering concept).I attend a lot of watercolor workshops, where the presenters often show-off their beautiful sketchbooks, which I sometimes envy more than the finished studio paintings. And while the idea of plein air painting is romantic, it is not so easy to pull it off. When you’re out there painting and someone inevitably asks to see your work, it’s nice when you can share with pride and confidence.
Over time I’ve set about addressing these challenges, turning trial and error into a set of basic, repeatable techniques. In this workshop I will share what I’ve figured out. I’ll discuss materials, preparations, and a process which can put you on the road to success to creating successful watercolor sketchbooks (simple watercolor paintings based on minimal pencil sketches). You may also find tips that can be individually incorporated into your own sketchbook / plein air painting processes, and many of them can be applied to other media.
In this workshop, emphasis will be placed on working quickly, with a target time range of 30-90 minutes to complete a watercolor sketch. Working quickly improves the spontaneity of your work, and greatly improves the chances that working with your sketchbook will become a regular habit.
We’ll discuss setting yourself up for success, including:
• Having a simple set of materials in a portable toolkit
• Having a minimal but versatile pallet ready to go, and understanding some basic, reliable, repeatable color mixes
• Understanding your sketching process ahead of time so you minimize time staring at the blank page
We’ll describe and practice a simple process, involving the following steps (thinking in terms of 10 minutes or so per step, maybe 20 for the painting step)
• Finding the view
• Developing the rough sketch
• Refining the sketch - finding basic shapes
• Planning lights and darks, and a couple of negative painting opportunities
• Painting the sketch, following the plan that you’ve already laid out
• Adding finishing details, either on site or saved for later
• Deciding what you like and what you will do different next time, including definitions of “success”
Cost of Workshop and Registration:
Cost of Workshop: Members $35 and Non-Members $45
Step 1: Register to sign up on the Club’s Team Up calendar: https://teamup.com/ksvnyvdcdyfmo34pv4.
Step 2: To pay for this workshop use one of the following three methods: (Must Note in Comments your Name and the Name of the Workshop!)
PayPal.me/SykesvillePainting (if asked use last 4 digits 7267)
Or
Check made payable to The Sykesville Painting Club, P.O. Box 73, Sykesville, MD 21784
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Where is it happening?
Eldersburg Branch, CCPL, 6400 Hemlock Dr W,Eldersburg, Maryland, Sykesville, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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