Sunday, June 29, 2014

Flower studies

I had a bouquet of gerberas and I wanted to do some studies using analytical sketching process (starting with bigger shapes, simplifying, using markers and pen). Can't say I found a way to draw flowers that I am satisfied with ...

I like the leaves more than the flowers.


 The last one was done directly in watercolor and the first one in pen.


Friday, June 27, 2014

Stade Olimpique studies

Few more studies of the scene I drew Sunday - using different media.




The last two are calligraphy pen and Pentel pocket brush.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Jardin Botanique

This past Sunday was the monthly meeting of the Urban Sketchers Montreal. the chosed spot was the Jardin Botanique. I am ashamed to confess that I have never been to the Botanical Garden - and I lived accross the street from it for 1.5 years!

I misread the instructions and showed up late at the wrong entrance point. I wasted time looking for everybody and being somewhat frustrated that I will be drawing yet again alone ... In the end, I stayed on the free grounds - not much to see of course. Next time I will be better prepared and show up early morning so that I have plenty of time in the gardens.

I decided to concentrate on perspective drawing of a building - a bunch of rectangular blocks really - and the roof of the stadium. The pages were prepainted.


On the way there I tried sketching faces in the metro, but the ride was so bumpy that it ws impossible to control the pen. The results had a caricature feel to them that I am sure I would not have obtained if I was doing that on purpose.

On the way back I drew mostly bodies - it is easier to do without people noticing.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Waiting for the car

To pass time waiting or the car to be ready, I drew one of the huge golden fish in the aquarium and added a wash of color at home. The other sketches were done at Tom Horton's - my cup of coffee, people around and a sketch after an advertisement in the newspaper.



Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Monarch butterfly

I found it on the side of the road during my run in New Hampshire. I stuck it in the belt pouch and found it when I got home. It was still in ok shape so I glued it on the branch of the magnolia tree...


Monday, June 16, 2014

New Hampshire

A spent a weekend in New Hampshire visiting a friend from highschool - last time we saw each other was almost 30 years ago ... none of us ever thought we will end up this side of the Atlantic. 

We spent hours on the lake kayaking and Sunday I run 8 miles to the next town to have coffee and then drove back. I woke up with the roosters and decided to sketch the house - very simple drawing of two boxes glued to each other ...Easy-peasy right? 
Well yes, in theory it is easy...in reality I am having an awful time making sure that all the lines go to the correct vanishing points. I corrected it a bit at home doing the second draft with watercolor pencil:

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Lettuce

I used my grocery bag as a inspiration - found a Boston lettuce that looked appealing. I first used pen, but I was not happy with the result, I covered it with gesso and started again. 

I used the analytical sketching approach - find bigger shapes of different sizes, the add details, highlights...


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Dandelion

I took a walk and decided to draw what caught my eye on the way - dandelions and a purple flower.




Thursday, June 5, 2014

Medal

This is the medal I got for completing the half marathon in Ottawa two weeks ago. I started the sketch in the morning and finished in the afternoon. The idea came from the highly prized prompt on the sketchbook challenge blog. I decided that when I run out of ideas, I am going to use the blog as a starting point.

The prompt was "highly prized". Time, friends, health - all things that I did not have a clue how to draw. But the medal represents some of these highly prized things - health, time to train, money to travel for the race, family to encourage me, friends to run with and so on.


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Guacamole

Or rather its ingredients - version pen and ink.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Magnolia

Few houses up the street there is a huge magnolia tree. Gorgeous tree, but I did not get a chance to draw it live. The page was pre-stenciled.