I had a great time in Korea last week, spending time with my wife and parents, exploring the countryside, and eating way too much food. It was a little bit of a whirlwind so I didn’t get too many sketches in, but I managed a quick inkwash sketch (above) early one morning at the small village we were staying in while everyone else was still asleep.

I’m usually pretty good on our trips about not trying to see everything, choosing instead to slow down and focus on one or two places. I was a crazed shutterbug this time around. Maybe it had something to do with being back in the country I was born and partially raised in after nearly a quarter century, as well as being half-Korean. Or maybe it’s all the pictures my parents were taking as well. I didn’t want to miss a thing, despite only having a week to see it all.

Excited about seeing my parents and Korea.

Somehow, my sketchbook managed not to suffer too much. Instead of trying to make full-page ‘finished’ sketches, I filled pages with “thumbnail memories” that I can flesh out later (and have all the photo reference at hand if need be). Keeping the sketches rough allowed me to put more thoughts down on paper, rather than getting too precious with my sketchbook - a constant thorn in my side.

Wide Pitches from David Dutton on Vimeo.

In other news, Alex and I will be taking off on a short trip to Korea tomorrow. I’m excited to see my parents after nearly two years of being apart, as well as seeing Korea again for the first time in over twenty years. I wonder if the Soju is better there, the way a Guinness is in Ireland. Apparently, I’ve got libations on my mind today. It must be this deadline I’m working on! See you guys soon.

With monstrous deadlines looming over me, I find it easy to stay cooped up in the studio all day, neglecting to eat, exercise, or interact with the rest of the human race. Alex calls once in a while to remind me to take a walk outside, to get some Vitamin-D in my eyes from the sun. It would seem like much less effort to just walk upstairs to the kitchen and get the same vitamins from a glass of milk, but Alex is probably onto something here. So when it isn’t raining, I try to follow her advice by going out and walking in the sunlight… that is, on the milky side of the street.

Here are a couple sketches from my out-of-studio breaks.

One Swoop Fell - Pot. Kettle. from David Dutton on Vimeo.