Posts Categorized: Dry Ink

Rainy Day Fig Tree

Posted 2020/11/17 by Sterling

The first rain of the year. Set up under the eve of my house and painted the fig tree in…

Miracle Mile

Posted 2020/11/09 by Sterling

Walked down the hill to catch the last rays of light and the evening commute here in San Anselmo.

San Anselmo

Posted 2020/11/07 by Sterling

Spent the afternoon in downtown San Anselmo trying capture the warm atmosphere of all the families celebrating the victory of…

Ross Common

Posted 2020/11/05 by Sterling

I was painting by the post office steps today in Ross, CA and heard a great deal of cautiously optimistic…

Greenfield Ave

Posted 2020/10/20 by Sterling

Hanging out on the corner of Greenfield Ave and Greenfield court looking west with Red Hill in the background and…

Smokey San Anselmo

Posted 2020/10/01 by Sterling

Smoke means interesting landscapes so I found my way to the El Camino Avenida overlook in San Rafael around sunset…

In the shade of the oaks

Posted 2020/09/28 by Sterling

It was very hot and dry in Alexander Valley yesterday. I spent my afternoon standing in the shade of an…

Barber Ave Bridge

Posted 2020/09/24 by Sterling

Walked downtown to paint and grab a burrito. Barber street looking west from the bridge over San Anselmo creek.

Beach Drive

Posted 2020/09/21 by Sterling

Post work painting session. Looking South on Beach Drive in San Rafael around sunset. I’m really glad I had my…

Red Hill Rooftop

Posted 2020/09/14 by Sterling

Climbed up on my roof to clean the gutters but painted the view instead.

Boyd Memorial Park

Posted 2020/09/13 by Sterling

Standing on the corner of B street and Mission Avenue in San Rafael looking west on a Smokey afternoon.

Another Smokey View

Posted 2020/09/08 by Sterling

It’s gross outside. Smoke from the Willits fire has turned the whole neighborhood a peach hue.

Bald Hill Ridge Trailhead

Posted 2020/08/29 by Sterling

Finally got away from my desk but I only had an hour before the sun set, so I quickly drove…

Morning Smoke

Posted 2020/08/23 by Sterling

Looking out the living room window the air is heavy with smoke from the Napa and Sonoma fires.

Mt. Tamalpais in the smoke

Posted 2020/08/20 by Sterling

Rode my bike up the ridge above San Anselmo looking for something to paint. For me, painting Mt. Tam feels…

Sunset View of Fires in Napa

Posted 2020/08/18 by Sterling

Drove over to China Camp after work to paint the smoke from Napa and Sonoma. It made for a rather…

Backyard Brush

Posted 2020/08/07 by Sterling

I was supposed to cut down brush but instead I found inspiration and pick up my paint brush.

Late day Summer light

Posted 2020/08/02 by Sterling

Just looking down my driveway

By the pool

Posted 2020/06/21 by Sterling

I took the boys for a swim and was able to get a quick oil sketch in.

Oleander

Posted 2020/06/08 by Sterling

I ran out of panel boards to paint on, oh the joys of social distancing, finally made some more and…

The Old Barn

Posted 2020/05/10 by Sterling

This afternoon I drove to the family ranch to enjoy a social distancing mother’s day BBQ. Emerging from self isolation…

Alpine Lake Tree

Posted 2020/05/09 by Sterling

Rode my gravel bike out to Alpine Lake and painted a tree next to the side of the water

General Kennedy Ave.

Posted 2020/04/30 by Sterling

I made this oil sketch back in February during a lunch break. It was a holiday for most people so…

Crooked Staircase

Posted 2020/04/29 by Sterling

I painted the unkept hillside to the south of my house from my living room window. Gravity is slowly pulling…

Yellow Jacket Bush

Posted 2020/04/23 by Sterling

A battle with a hive of yellow jackets was once waged here, many lives were lost, today it’s just the…

Kitchen Corner

Posted 2020/04/21 by Sterling

Lunch time Plein air, quarantine addition. Today I sketched a corner of my kitchen .

Across the pond at Palace of Fine Art

Posted 2020/04/19 by Sterling

A lunchtime oil sketch from back in February. Standing on the east side of the pond looking west. Random side…

Saini Vineyards

Posted 2020/04/18 by Sterling

Back in February I did a little painting outside the Saini tasting room. Honestly if you haven’t tried their wine…

School House Blues

Posted 2020/04/16 by Sterling

The only upside to this Covid-19 pandemic is that I get to spend a lot more time with my boys.…

Easter Echium

Posted 2020/04/12 by Sterling

Spent the day social distancing in my moms garden, painting some lovely echium flowers. It was a beautiful warm afternoon…

The driveway north

Posted 2020/04/11 by Sterling

Another quarantine painting. This is the view looking down my driveway toward Terrace Ave, San Anselmo. In addition I made…

Driveway

Posted 2020/04/10 by Sterling

I painted the driveway behind my house.

Desk view

Posted 2020/04/07 by Sterling

A small officescape oil sketch I made before the Covid-19 quarantine went into effect.

Office philodendron

Posted 2020/04/05 by Sterling

Here is a quick sketch of the house plant next to my desk. I’m testing out some new oil paints…

Upton Ave Palms

Posted 2020/04/01 by Sterling

A Persidio lunchtime painting from January. looking south from the picnic table at the Persidio Institute on a misty afternoon.

Persido Overlook Gum Trees

Posted 2020/03/28 by Sterling

Looking west towards one of the Baker Beach overlook parking lots, in the Persidio, San Francisco.

Gravel driveway

Posted 2020/03/25 by Sterling

Painted on a freezing, wet and dull January morning. The boys were sick so I set up shop at grandmas…

New Growth

Posted 2020/03/24 by Sterling

No thanks to the Kincade fire, the family ranch had been charred black for weeks, then we had our first…

On Ring Mountain

Posted 2020/03/21 by Sterling

Avoiding C19, people and our iPads, my boys and I escaped the house for a hike up Ring Mountain.

Last day in the Office

Posted 2020/03/20 by Sterling

I made one last lunchtime painting before Lucasfilm sent everybody home because of C19. It’s of one of the officer…

Turtles Back Trail

Posted 2020/01/05 by Sterling

Painting in China Camp State Park again. This time on the Turtles Back hiking loop looking south towards the road.

Buckeye Point After the Rain

Posted 2019/12/08 by Sterling

It stopped raining for a bit so I drove over to China Camp State Park and painted the view looking…

Jungle Book Poster

Posted 2019/12/03 by Sterling

I painted a Jungle book poster for my sons elementry school musical.

Rainy Day Bus Stop

Posted 2019/11/14 by Sterling

A thick misty drizzle started to fall over the Persidio today at lunch. It was nice to have a little…

Baker Beach overlook

Posted 2019/11/12 by Sterling

Lunchtime plein air painting. Not far from the road over looking Baker Beach in the Persidio, San Francisco

Palms & Parrots

Posted 2019/11/07 by Sterling

Plain air lunch painting

Trail painting

Posted 2019/10/23 by Sterling

a lunchtime Plein Air oil painting

Palace of Fine Arts South Lawn

Posted 2019/08/18 by Sterling

A lunchtime plein air study at the palace of fine arts

Wood Pile Hill Painting

Posted 2019/08/16 by Sterling

A plein air study painted at the Robert Young Estate.

Yellow Sketchbook 2019

Posted 2019/08/15 by Sterling

One more Sketchbook finds its place on the shelf.

Under the Picnic Table Oak Tree

Posted 2019/08/13 by Sterling

A plein air painting I made in the family vineyards.

Star Wars Comic 1997

Posted 2019/05/13 by Sterling

USC Star Wars comic about a busted party

Burgundy Sketchbook 2017

Posted 2019/05/08 by Sterling

A small sketchbook from 2017

The old oak painting

Posted 2019/04/29 by Sterling

I've returned to oil painting

Star Wars Resistance

Posted 2018/05/04 by Sterling

This probably explains why I haven't posted much in the last year.  https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-resistance-set-for-fall-debut 

Out Come the Wolves

Posted 2017/12/03 by Sterling

I've been sitting on this painting for a few months, it wasn't concept art for the show, just a fan…

Desert Painting

Posted 2017/09/11 by Sterling

Couldn’t sleep so I watched Super Troopers and painted a desert.

Chinatown Street

Posted 2017/09/10 by Sterling

Thinking about my comic project with Dick and Don and how it winds its way around San Francisco.  

Upper Sacramento River

Posted 2017/08/20 by Sterling

Painting of the Upper Sacramento, in Dunsmuir CA.

Rocky Shoal

Posted 2017/08/17 by Sterling

A quick beach painting I made while my boys got ready for bed. Kids are jumping all over the place,…

Head over heels

Posted 2017/08/14 by Sterling

The boys find a faster way down the mountain.

Woman in a Hat Shop

Posted 2017/08/13 by Sterling

Went to the Legion of honor this weekend to check out the Degas, Impressionism, and the Paris Millinery Trade Show.  The…

Lake Sketch

Posted 2017/08/11 by Sterling

A lake sketch I painted to test out ArtRage on my new iMac.

Crags

Posted 2017/07/31 by Sterling

Visited Sugarloaf Ridge State Park last weekend and painted this on my iPhone while chilling in my tent at night.

Death the Cat

Posted 2017/07/27 by Sterling

Quick one hour painting done in Photoshop.

Gearing up

Posted 2017/07/21 by Sterling

Gonna try and post more

Winding path

Posted 2017/07/02 by Sterling

Long overdue. Don’t think I’ve sat down and done a pencil drawing in a while. Computers are sucking my soul…

Star Wars Blips: Lightsaber

Posted 2017/05/04 by Sterling

May the 4th be with you! Here’s a fun little BB-8 short I storyboarded.

Little Bridge Sketch

Posted 2017/02/20 by Sterling

Doodling while waiting for some downloads to finish.  Painted this washed out little bridge.

Sierra Side Painting

Posted 2017/02/06 by Sterling

After spending all day storyboarding action and drama, taking two hours to paint a landscape where nothing happens is pure…

Snowy Peak

Posted 2017/01/05 by Sterling

If I can’t go to the mountains then the mountains will come to me.  Painted this snowy landscape to remind…

Halloween costumes 2016

Posted 2016/11/01 by Sterling

Halloween has come and gone. The boys decided we all go as scary things this year so I was a…

Fleet Week beach day

Posted 2016/10/09 by Sterling

Fleet week watercolor drawing.

The Divorce Sketchbook

Posted 2016/10/06 by Sterling

These were dark times. Shortly after starting this sketchbook the life I knew was suddenly and violently torn me. After…

Alex Gray

Posted 2016/10/03 by Sterling

I think on a subconscious level I’ve really been inspired by Alex Grays work. I was introduced to his art…

Showdown in the Sith Temple

Posted 2016/09/19 by Sterling

Found this while cleaning up the rats nest which is my art folder. Vader vs Ahsoka Tano in the sith…

Brush Painting

Posted 2016/05/29 by Sterling

Playing around with some new digital oil photoshop brushes by Kyle Webster.

Malachor

Posted 2016/03/30 by Sterling

A sith temple painting I made while storyboarding on the Star Wars Rebels Season two finale.

Beach Break

Posted 2016/03/12 by Sterling

Sitting at a desk too long. All my day dreams are about salty air and large swell rolling in. Need…

Junk ship

Posted 2016/01/15 by Sterling

A cluttered spaceship interior.

iPhone jungle Painting

Posted 2016/01/02 by Sterling

This is a little painting I made on my iPhone with ArtRage. Slowly built it up over the last month…

Smokey Beach

Posted 2015/12/17 by Sterling

Had a quiet day. Made this painting.

The Green Sketchbook

Posted 2015/11/18 by Sterling

This Sketchbook is from 2014. Most of it was drawn in San Francisco while working for Lucasfilm on Star Wars…

The Black Spot Sketchbook

Posted 2015/11/06 by Sterling

For some reason I kept misplacing this sketchbook.  It went missing for weeks and just recently resurfaced uper my car…

Ocean Vista

Posted 2015/11/03 by Sterling

Took a break from storyboarding this afternoon and painted this improvised landscape in photoshop.

Drinking with the Ghost Crew

Posted 2015/08/18 by Sterling

You know you like your job when you spend your free time making fan art about it.

Shinny drawing night doodle

Posted 2015/08/07 by Sterling

Someone challenged me to draw a Victorian witch under water and this was the result.

He’s A Drawing Fiend

Posted 2015/07/09 by Sterling

A caricature of my son Silas.

The Jerusalem Sketchbook

Posted 2014/11/11 by Sterling

This sketchbook is dated August to December 2007.

The White Sketchbook

Posted 2014/10/21 by Sterling

Dated January – August 2007.  If i’m not mistaken this sketchbook was drawn entirely in Vancouver, B.C at my kitchen table.

The Red Sketchbook

Posted 2014/10/19 by Sterling

Lots of interesting drawings in this one. Dated 2006-2007. It documents my move from the US to Canada, the start…

Playroom Sketch

Posted 2014/10/15 by Sterling

Had a little free time today so I sat down and drew this cozy little room in ArtRage.

The Fogbelt brewing Company

Posted 2014/10/13 by Sterling

Some friends of mine recently opened the Fogbelt brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California.  Long story short, the beer is awesome and I’ve done…

Jesus saves often

Posted 2014/09/19 by Sterling

Nothing is more frustrating than loosing hours of work because of a program crash but cursing your computer won’t resurrect that lost…

Backyard brush

Posted 2014/03/26 by Sterling

Over the weekend i painted a bit of the backyard with these terrible, bottom of the shelf, acrylic paints. Honestly…

The Jimtown Store

Posted 2013/11/26 by Sterling

One of my favorite drawing spaces. The Jimtown store in Alexander Valley is a cozy bit of home. It is…

Jet lag painting

Posted 2013/11/08 by Sterling

The time difference between Hong Kong and the Bay Area is cruel. I’ve been at Lucasfilm for a week now…

zbrush Gibson Girl hair test

Posted 2013/10/25 by Sterling

A zBrush hair Render test.

Little Orange Sketchbook

Posted 2013/10/25 by Sterling

This is a small Moleskine sketchbook only 2.5 x 4 inches. Drawn in Hong Kong, it took just over a…

Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

Posted 2013/10/22 by Sterling

This morning I had to go to central Hong Kong for a CPR class and brought with me a bag…