J U S T I N P A S T O R E S

Snippets from the Pocket Perfect Sketchbook for this Weekly Feature. These sketches were a mix of watercolor & gouache. The paper used for the Pocket was Saunders Waterford. I've grown to really like it. Once I'm all out of my other papers, I'm going to buy a pack of the Saunders. Luckily, I have two more Pocket's still in their packages!

Side note, I'll be having an Open Studios & Holiday sale at Jason Conn's studio at the Alameda Naval Base next week, December 5th from 4-9pm. Works on sale will start at $25. I'll be displaying my watercolors, a few screen prints, drawings, and some small oil paintings. Swing by, there will be booze, art, and of course our fine company. I'll chat more about this Friday.

Talk about a Perfect Sketchbook, here is the grand prize for the Share & Win giveaways during the last 10 days of The Perfect Sketchbook campaign on indiegogo. Crafted together using genuine leather by Bynd Artisan with ONCE A YEAR, hand made Fabriano watercolor paper. How insane is that? It's valued at about $500?!?! How can you be considered to win this you say? Visit the campaign site HERE and scroll down for the rules of the Share & Win. But, basically you share the campaign link on any social media site, hashtag #theperfectsketchbook, email a screenshot of what you shared to theperfectsketchbook@gmail.com and you'll be entered in a chance to win this magnificent holy grail of watercolor sketchbooks.

Along with the holy grail are chances to win any of these fine give aways as well: The first Perfect Sketchbook (Pocket), ink fillers, Rosemary & Co travel sized Kolinsky brushes, and Da Vinci synthetic brushes. From what I see on the Facebook page, Erwin has been pairing the Pocket with a brush for these last 10 days. Keep yourself updated on their Facebook. 

Reminder about this small show in Downtown Oakland tomorrow afternoon from 3-5pm. Details are all on the flyer below!

I'm featured under the, "Tips from the Pro's" section of the B5 Perfect Sketchbook campaign hosted on Indiegogo. Something that I left out from my tips for beginning watercolor artists was the importance of painting plein air. I gave a basic run down of some helpful things, but I think I really left out what I love most about my experience with the medium, which are a few things: it's easy to set up & break down, you can go anywhere with it without holding you down, and you have one shot to make something out of it. 

Being able to paint outside is something you can't mimic when working in the studio. There are a lot of challenges including natural environments (rain, wind, terrain), moving targets, and the physical shift of time. However, all of those experiences find its way into the painting and you get to take it home, add it to your collection, and remember those exact feelings anytime you look back at them. Being faced with those kind of obstacles can also help you in the studio and vice versa by committing to decisions and splicing your eye for design. So, yes make some time to go outside whether it's the first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, or when you're in between errands.  

The team behind the project is Erwin Lian and Bynd Artisan. Erwin is an artist from Singapore and Bynd Artisan is a paper/bookbinding/leather goods company. This is their second project for a crowd sourcing campaign. The first was the Pocket Sized Perfect Sketchbook (below).

The info above are specs that are identified in the campaign page. But here's a reminder. It's made out of recycled leather, has 56 pages of Fabriano 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper, hand torn edges, personalized for an additional fee, and standard ribbon and inside pocket.

​Pros
-Ideal size; it's not too big, nor not too small, it's just right.
-Fine paper; 140 lb. cold pressed Fabriano paper. suitable for drawing and ideal for painting. Lifts pigments well, retains color vibrancy, excellent gradation effects.
-Personlized; debossed name, message, phrase option.
-Deckled edges; that personal aesthetic that gives it that hand touch feel instead of machine. I don't know about you, but I really like tearing my paper without the use of a blade.
-Cover; I'm a sucker for this muted orange cover over the Pocket's Gray.

Suggestions
-Paper; Although Fabriano is exceptional paper, I really liked the paper that was used for the Pocket which was Saunders Waterford. It was smoother and had an interesting feel when you lay down a wash. Can't pinpoint it just yet, but I like it.
-Value & Color Chart; I noticed that the value chart has been taken out for the B5. Honestly, I barely used it when I had the Pocket, so maybe it was removed to cut costs? I really liked the idea though. Also, having a color chart would be nice. However, it's probably more practical for the owner to make their own instead of relying on what another person sees.
-Size; the B5 is great, no doubt. But I like to imagine a bigger book. B3 perhaps? I know it would cost more, but a person can dream right?

I've been carrying this book everywhere I go, so I'm constantly painting or drawing in it. It's a great size for plein air, especially when you have 45-60 min to kill. The selected sketches were done in less than an hour, usually when I'm waiting in between errands, traveling, or something fast before clocking in to work! 
​

I'm about reaching the halfway point of the book, and I'm definitely sold to own a few more. I own three of the Pocket PSB, two of which are still sealed in its package. I've a feeling that I'm about to treat the B5 the same way. Mostly because, once this campaign is over, you won't find them on shelves anywhere, which makes them extra, extra special. Knowing me, I'm probably going to use one every three years or something crazy. ​

Hey all, I'll be having a small show featuring just 10 of my works from the Fourfold series in Downtown Oakland at the Oakland Professional Development Center. Show runs until January 29th, 2016. Opening reception is this Saturday, November 21st from 3-5pm. The parking structure will not be available, but there should be a lot of metered parking around the area. If you're coming from BART, you will get off from the 12th Street Station and it'll be right across the street. I may be doing doing a raffle where you can get a chance to win an Avocado silkscreen print. Who here does not like Avocado's? 

Link to fb invite here

This week's feature is a plein air of an old Del Monte warehouse station. I went out during the last light in between 4-5pm to capture strong shadows. I painted in The Perfect Sketchbook B5. It's a book filled with Fabriano watercolor paper designed by Erwin Lian & Bynd Artisan. They are currently having their campaign to mass produce the sketchbook through Indiegogo. I'll do a proper post about that on Friday. 

I overworked some parts of the building. I wanted to capture the bricks with a subtle approach using wet on wet, dropping pigment on the damp surface. However,  my pigment/water consistency wasn't complimentary enough, which created some erratic blooms. I notice that recently I like to work wet on wet more. I'm going for a soaked in approach, but so far it needs some work. Friday, I'll talk more about the Perfect Sketchbook B5. To visit their campaign, click here!

It was a successful night at SAFEhouse Arts thanks to Tanya and the Inks of Truth gang. We started off the night with a live painting installation on Rey demonstrating the act of apathy. He wore a mask and couldn't communicate while the audience/visitors painted whatever and wherever they wanted. He was signifying the lack of interest in the SF community and the recent & rapid changes the city is going through. 

During the night we had tables of our merchandise, art on the walls, 90's hip hop playing, and plenty of food to go around. We closed the night with two guest speakers, Tony Robles, a native SF poet and Mayoral candidate Amy Weiss empowering the room with stories of the community and encouragement to vote on TUESDAY to take back the city that was once theirs. 

Below are some photos from that night.