quality = quality

Back in April of this year when I got the bright idea to try sketching with coloured pencils, I picked a photo I took of the Egypt Lake Shelter to be my first project.  I knew nothing other than I needed sketching paper and coloured pencils.  I had both which were sitting in my basement for a few years. The pencils were the $10.00 brand for 24 pencils and the sketch book was $3.00 from the "$" store.  

I picked this photo of The Shelter sitting in front of Pharaoh Peak.  I took it while on a very long day hike in Banff National Park on June 28, 2019. It sits on a bench above Pharaoh Creek and is run by Parks Canada.  Just down the trail five minutes is the Park Wardens Cabin. We had our tea inside the Shelter while it rained outside.  I knew this would not be a Shelter I would care to stay overnight in but I would like to stay at a backcountry campground site close by.   

from this photo

I produced this!  Back in April I thought this was quite something and I was so proud of it.  I enjoyed the journey from beginning to end of the sketch and I knew I was hooked.  Back in April I spent most of my days in some kind of a funk and sketching helped me in ways I needed to be helped.

Fast forward almost six months!  I had upgraded those coloured pencils and sketch pads to an artist's quality over the months and watched many tutorials and practiced practiced practiced.  That first sketch of The Shelter sat on the side of my table always visible knowing one day I would do a do-over.  An artistic friend offered suggestions on ways to improve the sketch.   

This is the journey on the do-over!  

This is my final product! 

A couple of hours each day over a few days was the time needed to get to the point where I felt fulfillment when I looked at it.   I will enjoy the fruits of my labor and then it's time to get back to figuring out how to sketch snow!  Distracted again, I am mastering that!