Storybook Houses

There's a row of houses in Burbank that I've always wanted to draw. I drive by them regularly--they're on Hollywood Way, close to the entrance to the Warner Bros. Studios lot. I've always thought of them as the houses of the Seven Dwarves, because they're so tiny and so funky looking. But...I'm always in a hurry to get to work, so I never stop.

This morning, however, I woke up at 6:30 feeling energetic and inspired to do some urban sketching, so I decided to jump in the car, go draw the houses, and then try out a breakfast place in Burbank that is so popular I have never been there, because the line is always out into the parking lot. I drove to Hollywood Way, found the row of houses, and encountered an unexpected obstacle--no parking! I finally found a spot in front of two of the houses; they are spaced out along the street, two or three together, flanked by other, more regular-looking housing, and then another two or three in a row.

My original plan was to do several of them at once, but I forgot the big sketchbook in my haste to get out the door, and had only my 9x9-inch one, so I settled for exploring the details on just one. I remembered to put in "entourage," as James Richards calls it, by adding the dog walker, which is intended to give scale and interest.

I drew the house, and then watercolored. I was pretty pleased with myself, because all I brought with me is my Altoids tin mini-palette, which has only four colors in it (blue, yellow, rose, and brown--I forgot to refill the turquoise), and I managed to mix most of the colors I needed fairly adequately.

After I finished, I drove up the block and around the corner to Bee Bee's on Pass Avenue, and got there by 8:30 a.m., only to discover that people in pursuit of breakfast at their favorite place apparently wake earlier than I normally do on a Saturday--the place was packed, and there were about 30 people standing outside waiting for a table!

So instead, I drove home, made myself some scrambled eggs and potatoes and a big cup of coffee, and relaxed on the patio. And all of this before 9:00 a.m.!