Daily Sketch - Izzy's Coffee, Asheville NC

Asheville might be my favorite city in the US.  The hills surrounding the city are home to thousands of potters and craftsmen of all types, and the city itself is incredibly welcoming to artists, with little bookshops, coffee houses, and any given night you can find fantastic local music echoing out the front doors of the bars.  The city is remarkably committed to local businesses and food - when I last visited about 3 years ago I enjoyed some incredible meals across all the price ranges, usually with all local or organic ingredients.

As soon as I finished this painting, a gentleman who had been sitting nearby asked to buy it.  Everyday people invested in supporting local artists, and artists who are receptive to it - what a thought!

Process Notes:  

I first sketched it briefly in pencil to get a decent perspective, then followed up with a line drawing using the Pentel V5 Precise Pen.  It's a little bit water-soluble, so it runs a little when the brush goes over it, but I really like the line it gives, and as I've mentioned before, it's supposed to be archival.  Then I started filling in, almost haphazardly, using the watercolor pencils to put in large areas of color, and refining with the portable paint set and the water-brushes.  I filled in the darks with the Pentel Brush Pen, and re-added accents with a white-out pen. (I used Bic, but Presto is another good one.)