Sketches for Dry Valley

There's a valley in eastern Washington that has arresting geologic features. At the bottom is a dry riverbed, but the hills that surround it vary from tipped table tops to rounded forms with strange patterns of erosion. The scale of it all is huge. You can see the trees at the bottom of the valley in my lower sketch.

I've been sketching this valley now for days, trying to arrange the elements in a way that conveys what catches my eye while still conveying the place itself. And getting the scale right.

I'm still not sure I've nailed it. Here are some initial sketches, I'll be working on more today.

Comments

Casey Klahn said…
I think it is hard to depict scale when the scale is unexpected. Good luck on that - I think maybe composition is the essential, and scale is a detail. I look forward to seeing what you do.
May 5, 2010 at 4:23 PM
Lisa McShane said…
Casey - I think I'll tackle this one from the ground up. Literally. I think I have to go back and sketch this from the valley floor for it to make sense visually.
May 6, 2010 at 8:44 AM
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