Thumbnail Memories From Korea
I had a great time in Korea last week, spending time with my wife and parents, exploring the countryside, and eating way too much food. It was a little bit of a whirlwind so I didn’t get too many sketches in, but I managed a quick inkwash sketch (above) early one morning at the small village we were staying in while everyone else was still asleep.
I’m usually pretty good on our trips about not trying to see everything, choosing instead to slow down and focus on one or two places. I was a crazed shutterbug this time around. Maybe it had something to do with being back in the country I was born and partially raised in after nearly a quarter century, as well as being half-Korean. Or maybe it’s all the pictures my parents were taking as well. I didn’t want to miss a thing, despite only having a week to see it all.
Excited about seeing my parents and Korea.
Somehow, my sketchbook managed not to suffer too much. Instead of trying to make full-page ‘finished’ sketches, I filled pages with “thumbnail memories” that I can flesh out later (and have all the photo reference at hand if need be). Keeping the sketches rough allowed me to put more thoughts down on paper, rather than getting too precious with my sketchbook - a constant thorn in my side.
April 13th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Hey, Mike ! This is beautyful ! I really love the watercolor, but the thumbnails got all my attention right now. So many good things to look at. Glad to hear/read you are back. Seems like Korea was a lot of fun ! ^^
Bises à Alex et toi !
J.
April 13th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
These are great little thumbnails, seems like you really had a good time!
I wonder what’s more “real” to you, the photos you took or the sketches?
April 14th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Julien - Korea was a lot of fun. I miss it already (which I’m sure you can relate to after your own travels). I felt right at home.
Shane - The sketches are certainly a lot more personal, so even in their rough, cartoonish state, they feel more real to me than photos. I took some pretty pictures, but they’re still more of a reference point for when I develop the sketches later on. That said, there were simply too many wonderful textures, plays of light and atmospheric perspective upon layers of mountains, and a handful of ridiculous inside jokes that neither sketches nor photos can capture. Those are memories I’ll just have to keep for myself.
May 2nd, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Man -Korea sounds like it was really cool. Great thumbs and watercolor….and congrats on the book ! Can’t wait to grab a copy.