James Gurney workshop at the Norton

Just got home from the workshop held by one of my favorite illustrators, James Gurney. I was so excited I'm surprised I didn't giggle the whole time.



I was too shy to take photos but I did manage to have him sign my sketchbook. The workshop was about how to sketch with watercolor pencils and a waterbrush and how it can be convenient when you are sketching on location. Last part of the workshop was sketching an object, he had various miniature animals and dinosaurs, and some vegetables. I went with a really spiky dinosaur... because it's James Gurney! I ain't sketching no onions for the creator of Dinotopia! I think I messed up on the number of spikes. But he said a paleontologist got on his case about having wrong number of spikes in his illustrations too, so I didn't feel so bad.

After the workshop, I walked around the exhibit. I was surprised at the small sizes of some of his originals. After seeing Norman Rockwell's paintings, I was expecting much bigger. Especially with the amount of detail Mr. Gurney has in his work. It made me feel better because I work in a smaller scale too.

What I learned today...? I need to sketch more, that's for sure. And James Gurney and his wife are really really nice people.

Oh and there was a N.C. Wyeth's Robin Hood at the Norton. That was a pleasant surprise.