Category: Sketches

Barcelona boats, bars, ballerinas...

3/5/2015

Fleca els Angels, Carrer D'Elisabets.

... & some tennis.

Rosas Di San Jordi, Las Ramblas.

Before last Saturday's Barcelona sketchcrawl, see my previous post here, I had spent a couple of days in the city.

On Thursday, I went to the Barcelona Open, and got to realise a dream - to watch Rafael Nadal play in Spain whilst sat among a Spanish crowd. Mostly I was too busy watching the tennis to sketch, but I did manage the one below between matches.

Thursday was also Saint George's Day and everywhere people were handing out red roses. I was offered one first thing, but didn't accept as I was heading into the tennis stadium. I tried to sketch some in the Ramblas, but the crowds were massive and frequently obscured my view. The sketch to the right is the best I achieved.

The next day, I took an early morning walk and ended up at a café, where I'd had breakfast before the Urban Sketchers 2013 Symposium and had meant to sketch, so I did. (see above)

Stadium at Real Club de Tenis Barcelona

Barca Catalana - Jean et Marie

Then it was on to the Maritime Museum where I sketched a traditional Catalan fishing boat.

Late afternoon, I headed off to join the group Inky Fingers, Barcelona who had arranged to draw the contemporary dance company Las Carmelas.

It was a real challenge trying to capture their movements as they danced. Thankfully they also did some short poses. I used a pad of tonal pastel paper and a multi-coloured single lead pencil. I can't wait to draw with this group again.

Sketching Las Carmelas with Inky Fingers Barcelona.

47th WWSketchCrawl in Barcelona

26/4/2015

Tramvia Blau, Tibidado. ©Sue Pownall 2015

Yesterday was Worldwide Sketchcrawl day and I was fortunate enough to be in Barcelona and able to join their sketchcrawl. I missed the start due to having a lovely catch-up breakfast with a friend, so I took the tourist tramvia blau up to Plaça Dr. Andreu arriving shortly before the other sketchers. My first sketch of the day had to be the tram, but as it only stayed a short while, the sketch became a composite of the trams.

Montse & I sketching the Funicular de Tibidabo.

Whilst trying to capture the tram, I started my second drawing, this time the building for the Funicular de Tibidabo. Despite an underdrawing it fell off the page, which is a problem that keeps occuring.

©Sue Pownall 2015

Taking the funicular up to the Parc del Tibidado, we gathered for a mid-way point photo. Coincidently, the park mascots wandered past and were coerced into the photo.

Photo by Mar Villarino Chico.

Unfortunately, the "spectacular views" were hidden behind cloud, so I started drawing the plane, which was one of the original rides from the park's opening in 1928. As with the tram, I had to start a second sketch as I could only capture it as passengers got on and off, hence the sweet cart on the left page. I'm not one for doing spreads, so after sketching the people at a bus stop, I copied Elena's idea of linking them with the old, big wheel. Finally, I added the genuine American hotdog stand. I'm quite pleased with how the spread came out, what do you think?

Spread drawn in Parc del Tibadado

Springtime in southern Italy

19/4/2015

In situ painting of Torre Talao, an old military instalation, Scalea.

This week, I had to pop over to Italy to sort out some banking and apartment issues. Whilst there, I was able to take advantage of the spring weather to do a couple of watercolour sketches.

Spring in Pollino National Park from the kitchen.

I'm loving my first full spring in years. Is it spring where you are? Are you out sketching too?

Pushing Your Sketching Boundaries pt3

17/4/2015

My last Coventry sketch, painted in Simone Ridyard's great workshop.

Determined to do one 360° drawing, which was halfway right, I started the day with an early morning sketch out of my hotel window. It's a bit better than the previous attempts, but this technique still needs some work.

After breakfast, I headed into town for a pre-workshop sketch and ran into Liz Ackerley, a fabulous landscape designer at Poppyhead Consultancy. Tackling the wonky, albeit restored, building of the Flying Standard was a challenge. I would have liked a bit more time to work on the sketch, but had to join Simone Ridyard for her great workshop.

The Flying Standard from the Priory.

First up was 1-point perspective down the side of modern university buildings with the cathedral in the background. Again, I ran out of time and having pencilled in the cathedral added colour later. (sorry about image quality, my scanner is ignoring watercolours, so I too a photo).

Simone's demo in the cathedral.

Next we went into the old cathedral for a demo on 2-point perspective by Simone, which was really informative.

Then it was round the corner to Hay Lane, where I drew the Golden Cross pub with an extreme perspective as I sat on the pavement. Whilst I pencilled in the rest of the street I chose not to overwork the sketch and empasize the pub's structure.

Sadly, due to worrying about Degas' health despite being left with my amazing dog-sitter, who sent me regular messages, and the Friday /end of Easter traffic I chose not to participate in the the last afternoon session but head home. I was greated by a very waggily tail, cuddles and half an hour of crying from Degas.

I had a fabulous time on the workshop and would thoroughly recommend attending an UrbanSketching workshop regardless of your level and experience. Thank you to the wonderful instructors and my fellow participants.

Don't forget the Urban Sketcher's Symposium is in Singapore this year, and I hear there will be an Oxford workshop later this year.

Website links:

Simone Ridyard
Swasky (aka Víctor Martínez Escámez)
Isabel Carmona

Urbansketchers'workshops
Urbansketchers symposium 2015

Urban sketchers in Coventry. Photo by Simone Ridyard.

Pushing your sketching boundaries 2

14/4/2015

Images from day 2.

Day 2 started with some fun warm up exercises with Isabel Carmona, then the challenge began: we had to produce 360° sketches. This was the most challenging thing I did all week both inside the Herbert and then outside at the new cathedral. As you can see below, I didn't get the taper correct, among other things.

New Coventry cathedral

In the afternoon, our tasks included drawing people and then placing them in context. As you can see from the photos it was a lovely sunny afternoon and a pleasure to sketch outside, which is not what you expect from Coventry in April. Exhausted we had a debrief over a refreshing glass of cider in the local. I sketched an amazing pink cider, but I cannot get a decent copy of it, sorry.

Last part will be on Thursday.

Pushing Your Sketching Boundaries Workshop pt. 1

11/4/2015

1st drawing of workshop. ©Sue Pownall 2015

With Degas on the mend, I was able to attend the UrbanSketchers Coventry workshop this week. However, needing to leave her with the dogsitter for as short a period as possible, I arrived almost on time for the start of the first workshop, but missed the night before's drink and draw registration event. I also left before the end on Friday, partially due to Friday/end of Easter week traffic, but also as I wanted to see how she was. In between was a great event, arranged and tutored by Isabel Carmona, Swasky, and Simone Ridyard.

On the wall of the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

With no time to settle, it was straight in with recording the old cathedral in Swasky's workshop on Bending the Floor. The result is above, and I have to confess it's my favourite of the three days. The workshop was ran alongside the Recording Britain exhibition, at the Herbert, and copies of our drawings are there until the end of the month.

The second exercise was more complex, and although I didn't do it correctly, I am also pleased with my representation of the Herbert and adjacent university buildings. (below)

In the afternoon we drew lots of portraits of each other, which was fun, and Simone took this great photo of us (below).

Exhaused, we retired to the nearby pub for food, drinks, and, of course, more sketching.

Parts 2 and 3 will be posted on Tuesday and Thursday. I hope you come back to check them out. Please remember I love receiving your comments.

More Manchester

29/3/2015

Stained glass above bar.

Whilst in Manchester last weekend, I did a couple of other sketches away from the sketchcrawl. The first was sat in The Peveril of the Peak with Simone Ridyard and members of the SAI. The stained glass had caught my eye and as a man was staring at me, I started to draw him... well actually for once, I sketched the background around him, I just got to him and his group left.

A Manchester greenhouse.

On Sunday morning, I sketched the view from the window, with a total disregard to composition. This is my second greenhouse sketch this month. (The first is here.) Then, I sketched a doll on a bookcase, unfinished, both before breakfast.

On the bookshelf.

How successful do you think these are? Please leave a comment telling me.

Manchester sketchcrawl

20/3/2015

Sketching the River Irwell sat on Calatrava's Trinity Bridge.

Yesterday, I joined the Manchester, Yorkshire, and Society of Architectural Illustrators (SAI) for a sketchcrawl in Manchester. It was a surprisingly blue skied sunny day, but with an icy wind, which made outdoor sketching a challenge. As you can see from my sketches below, I alternated between outside and inside locations.

It was lovely to meet so many sketchers from all over (40+ at the interim lunch meeting) and hope to get up to Manchester and sketch again... albeit in a warmer month.

Digital drawings & a Dozy Dog.

15/2/2015

On Friday, I took Degas to the vets and sketched her as she fought the sedative she was given. She had xrays on her bad leg. There were no obvious fractures or other skeletal problem, but they are being sent for a second opinion. So the question remains, why is she still limping and not getting better?

Last weekend, I finally got a tab and having tried my first digital sketch at the last Urban Sketchers Symposium (click here to see it) downloaded a couple of apps. Thanks Omar Jaramillo for the app info. Check out his great watercolours here. These are my first digital doodles:

"Uprooted" 28x17cm Watersoluble ink. Available to purchase.

Final things from this week:

Although I'm only three quarters of the way through the Monologue A5 sketchbook, which I started 27th December at the Winter Wonderland sketchcrawl, I have abandoned it. The main reasons are the perferations and the wrinkling of the paper when water is applied. I tried 2 pages of a Canson but the ink smudges, so I will probably go back to my favourite Daler Ebony sketchbooks.

I started tutoring the mixed media course and will report on that at another time. The first course photo can be seen on my facebook page. and instagram @suepownallartist15

Lastly, I have a finished drawing, the first of the year, seen here. It's a bit of an experiment as I used watersoluble ink.

What have you done this week?

Studying with Liz

8/2/2015

As mentioned last week, I have been studying on Liz Steel's Sketching Now online course. Stretched over 12 weeks, Liz has covered all the foundations of successful sketching in well-thought out lessons presented in Liz's charming and exuberant fashion. Each week, there has been an indoor and outdoor prompt. I have missed one week entirely (week 9), only managed 2 of the outdoor prompts, but have managed the majority of the indoor ones.

Despite being a regular urban sketcher, during the last few months of 2014 I had felt lost. However, having worked through this course, on the 11th January I wrote alongside my coursework:

I LOVE DETAILING LIKE THIS!!!... Using class to remember who I am.

In the first lesson we had to draw our current sketching kit, which is something I've not done before. My Super5 pen has since run out of ink and I've replaced the Super5 Atlantic ink with Noodler's blueblack. I prefer the Atlantic, but can't get it here in UK and the postage is too high from Germany.

Click on the image to enlarge it and read the text.

Click to enlarge image.

My biggest struggle has been with doing set up lines. When sketching, I normally work directly in ink and sometimes use dots as a guide to key points of a sketch. I can see the value of doing a minimal set up for complex scenes, but, I struggle to observe properly in pencil. Is it because I can change it? I struggled with that throughout the course. Right is an example from week 4.

Liz's course was very comprehensive, and I'd thoroughly recommend doing one if you have the chance. It was good to be reminded of some of the basics, and to try out the exercises. shh don't tell Liz but I frequently got halfway through some exercises and had totally forgotten what I was "supposed" to be doing. I aslo frequently missed off adding the colour.

One of my favourite exercises and results was looking at shapes. I finally drew my Korean teacup that I bought in 2001 and has been in storage until now. It was supposed to be in 2 colours but I loved the shapes as it was, which is half the fun of experimenting within a class situation.

Finally, here's an outside sketch for week 10 that is not of a subject that I would normally choose, but captures a snapshot of dad's garden in winter. If you want to see my other sketches for this course, they are all in an album on flickr: Sketching Now coursework

The high panel fence between myself & the neighbours with little foilage due to the winter.

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