Georgetown, SC
From our adventure to Daufuskie Island, SC
Red Water Tower



Halfway to Daufuskie we drove through the third oldest city in South Carolina, Georgetown. The town is built on the water so commercial fishing is a significant industry. However, the first thing I noticed was the array of plants and factories. They stand like rusted prehistoric monsters, steadily billing smoke from their tall stacks.

I would love to spend an entire day sketching in Georgetown. However, Georgetown was only a quick pass on our way to the island. I was able to snap a few photos of what is quickly becoming my favorite subject, the water tower.




Since I'm working fromreference photos, I only consider this work a study. If I was working from sketches, I might have created a more in-depth piece of art.

First step: I apply paint. It’s a mixture of acrylic and watercolors. Sometimes I use a brush but mostly I apply the paint with my fingers and hands.



For the second step, I scribble in areas of color using a combination of oil and chalk pastels. This really lays the foundation for the rest of the work.

After I’m satisfied with the blocked pastel areas I move on to the third step, scribbling with colored pencil. I don’t feel these photos capture the colored pencil very well but the color pencil is really what adds all the detail and makes the final image. Or at least, it’s the part that makes me most happy with the work :)




This is a detail of the finished study. The final image is small (for me), about 1.5' x 2.5'