Sketch - light shadow negative positive

Study sketches help reduce design clutter and create more powerful landscapes, before drawing plan views.

To get inspired when not designing, a few years ago, I decided to carry a 3" x 5" memo pad to sketch on, easily fitting in the pockets of the shorts I wear on hikes or mountain bike rides. I'm finally doing that!

Scene on my Thursday work-out hike. Most are million dollar views.

See the light and shadows?

See the negative spaces and positive spaces? To me they are:
negative = Black Grama grass foreground, polka-dot savanna hills distant, sky
positive = hills in the shade, Threeleaf Sumac left and Tree Cholla center

It's rough and dirty, but no way around that with a ballpoint pen on a tiny pad.

The scale of some elements is off, like the Sumac and Cholla being too small,
but that's how I saw those with that grand view. And the odd shadow on
the left side is from my scanner. But you get the point.

There were details clearly seen that I sketched, but the camera didn't pick up.

In the future, I'll sketch architecture, art, and natural areas with appealing combinations of elements. Landscape design is much about informed inspiration, often greatly lacking, so I'll take up that gauntlet. 

I plan on taking 10-15 minutes each. Depending on my mood, I may also use prismacolors, a pencil, or other pen types. My rollerball-type pens stop working once grit gets into the roller part, so no more.

I try to post weekly, but I'm not yet sure on my sketch frequency!