Studio Night Last Night: Sketching the Neighborhood

Last night I walked over to Nelson Ave to sketch their National Night Out block party. I did a few sketches and chatted with the many people I know who live on Nelson - great group.

Then back to the studio to play with watercolors and other sketching supplies! Trying to decide which of my many many blank sketchbooks to use next.

Barcelona Day 7 - Symposium! (Part 2)

The afternoon workshop was with Melanie Reim, who is amazing - this workshop was called Channeling Picasso and it was so fun! I know I've said that about every workshops - but they really were all very fun.

After two days of workshops about drawing people (which I did not do on purpose, by the way), I'm just straight up drawing people. We were on La Rambla again, so again - lots to choose from!

Then I had drinks with some French sketchers, followed by a lovely quiet dinner with some great folks.

Barcelona Day 7 - Symposium! (Part 1)

This is the CCCB courtyard, where we met before each workshop. I started the day with Marc Holmes' workshop.

We went to La Rambla and drew people - the perfect place for it!

So. Many. People.

I followed this one guy around for about 20 minutes. He was selling those #&@(!&^ tweety things, which I hate! But apparently are very popular in touristy areas.

Then I had lunch with the lovely people from Moleskine, and they brought me all of these goodies! I made them sit outside, and now I get embarrassed every time I think about it. It was so hot. Why did I make them sit outside?! Because, honestly, I didn't know there was an inside to this bar until after they left!
* shakes head at self *

Memphis Monday: Sketch Group at Crosstown

Saturday the Memphis Urban Sketchers returned to Crosstown to sketch the Crosstown Tower and the Cleveland Street Flea Market.

I started with a couple of small sketches outside to warm up, even though we felt a couple of drops of rain...

Went inside to make this one, because it was really raining by then. Luckily the Cleveland Street Flea Market is all windows in the front and on the side, so we all had good views of the Crosstown building.

I need to work on my skies. Started this one with watercolor but the paper spotted and buckled like crazy, so I went over it with watercolor pencil, but it was too marky (mark?), so I went back over it in white gouache when I got home.

Sketched Linda's booth while talking to her about sketching and about bracelets, two of my favorite things. Bought a bracelet.

A few of us went to Saigon Le and ate lunch while talking about sketching and traveling and teaching.

Supply Sunday: New Pens!

I got some new pens from jetpens.com last week! The yellow one is a Lamy Safari - I already have one with a fine nib, this one is medium. Why not just get a new nib? Because they only cost $28 and this pen is yellow! You can see the blue-black ink in the doodle on the page on the left.

The other pen is a Pilot Pocket Brush pen with a hard tip. When I first used it, I thought it was going to be the answer to every question I ever had, just like I do any time I use a new art supply. It is a great pen, but I still haven't found that answer yet. Plus, can't beat $5!

The sketchbook is a small Moleskine sketchbook - a new one that's called a Pen & Ink sketchbook. I'm thinking it doesn't have the coating of regular Moleskines (which I hear they are about to change anyway). It's a good little book and takes the ink of both of these pens well.

Barcelona Day 6 - Symposium! (Part 2)

After my first cortado (mmmm)...

Went to Inma Serrano's workshop and despite the rain and moving around, it was great fun learning about drawing people quickly and drawing buildings like they are big monsters.

Here is my first "big monster" - these are actual Roman ruins in the middle of Barcelona!

It stopped raining so we went to this plaza for more sketching. I sat on the top step to make the sketch below, one of my favorite from the symposium.

Barcelona Day 6 - Symposium! (Part 1)

Look at all of these wonderful people! Everybody is getting out their sketchbooks, if they aren't out already.

Here was my view from the stage - the stage!

Plus my notes from Jim Richards' workshop.

And my sketches from Jim's workshop - I had so much fun making these!

And here's my big sketch in Plaza Catalunya.

And everyone else's. This workshop was great! It made me so much more comfortable drawing groups of people, and I frankly needed the help because I tend to leave out people, making my architecture sketches look slightly post-apocalyptic. Now we are all fearless people-sketchers!