Dressed for Sketch-cess

TUESDAY TIPS & TRICKS

With only a few weeks left before the Chicago Sketch Seminar, no doubt you are starting to think about what to bring, how to pack and what to wear. Fear not because, thankfully, urban sketching is nothing like going on vacation or climbing Mount Everest. All you really need is something to draw on and something to draw with...a pencil and a sketchbook. Done. Beyond that it is a personal preference for your style of sketching and whatever your workshop instructor has suggested for you bring.

If you scan through the past Tuesday Tips & Tricks, you will see a vast collection of techniques and how-tos that mention recommended brands of art supplies. And as long as you trust the Chicago Sketch Seminar Sponsors*, you just can't go wrong. But unless you want to drag a rolling suitcase around with you all day, decide how you plan to sketch that day and simplify your supplies to fit in your shoulder bag or backpack.

So how about that third question: "what to wear?" Perhaps you have heard the phrase “travel light?” This is very good advice when you will be walking the streets of Chicago with a few too many art supplies. And yet with Chicago weather you never really know what to expect so you have to plan for contingencies. Here then is my survivor’s guide to urban sketching in Chicago.

> wear something to protect your head

> wear something to protect your eyes from the sun

> wear something to protect your skin from the sun and possibly insects

> wear something because we are a casual group, just not THAT casual

The diagram below shows the anatomy of the properly outfitted Urban Sketcher:

A collection of Urban Sketchers’ Popular Seats, Stools and Chairs:

*Chicago Sketch Seminar Sponsors:

USk Chicago is grateful for the generosity and support of its Seminar Sponsors. Our sponsors are supporting the Seminar through financial and product donations. Donations will go towards supplies and materials for workshops, product samples for goody bags for each registrant, materials to be tested in the Supply Speed Dating Activity, as well as some incredible raffle prizes to be raffled at our Gallery Reception on Sunday evening.  Make sure to visit their websites and connect with them on social media to see how other sketchers are using their products:

Blick Art Materials  #blickartmaterials

·       Twitter            @Blick_Art

·       Instagram      @blickartmaterials

·       Facebook     “Blick Art Materials”

DeArtramentis

·       Twitter            #DeAtramentis

·       Instagram      #DeAtramentis

#Documentinks

·       Facebook     “Atramentis”

Faber-Castell

·       Twitter            @FaberCastell @Faber-Castell USA

·       YouTube      FaberCastellUSA

·       Facebook     “FaberCastellUSA”

·       Pinterest       “Faber Castell USA”

·       #fabercastellusa

General Pencil

·       Twitter            @GeneralPencil

·       Instagram      @General Pencil

·       Facebook     “General Pencil Company”

·       #GeneralPencil

#GeneralsPencils #GeneralsCharcoal
#Hahnemuehle
#sakuraofamerica

Hahnemühle

·       Twitter            @Hahnemuehle_USA

@Hahnemuehle_DE

·       Instagram      @Hahnemuehle

·       Facebook     “Hahnemuhle USA”, “Hahnemuhle”

·       Pinterest       “Hahnemuehle”

·       #Hahnemühle

Jet Pens

·       Twitter            @JetPens

·       Instagram      @JetPens

·       Facebook     “JetPens.com”                   

·       #JetPens

Nock Co.

·       Twitter            @NockCo

·       Instagram      @NockCo

·       Facebook     “Nock Co.”

·       #Nockshots                  #Nockc

Sakura of America

·       Instagram      @SakuraofAmerica

·       Facebook     “Sakura Color Products of America”

·       #Sakura

#pigmamicron

#sakurakoi

#gellyroll 

Stillman and Birn

·       Twitter            @StillmanandBirn

·       Instagram      @StillmanandBirn

·       Facebook     “Stillman & Birn”

·       Pinterest       “Stillman & Birn”

·       #Stillmanandbirn 

Winsor & Newton

·       Twitter            @winsorandnewton

·       Instagram      @winsornewton @winsornewton_usa

·       Facebook     “Winsor & Newton” #winsornewton

·       #winsornewton

·       #winsorandnewton

How to Become a Member

TUESDAY TIPS AND TRICKS

WHO WE ARE
Urban Sketchers Chicago (USk Chicago) is a not for profit group of sketchers who live in and near Chicago, IL.  USk Chicago meets on the third weekend of every month to sketch different parts of the city.  Our mission is to “show the world one drawing at a time.”  Here is our Manifesto.  We are one of many Urban Sketchers chapters from all around the world that identifies themselves as a part of the Urban Sketchers movement.  Our group is comprised of a wide range of people from all different backgrounds and skill levels, including architects, artists, designers, engineers, lawyers, and teachers just to name a few.  Members of USk Chicago share their sketches to Facebook, where sketchers find inspiration from other sketchers, learn about different sketching techniques, sketching tools and materials, and find group announcements regarding monthly sketching events.  Members post sketches from their daily lives in Chicago or from their travels outside of Chicago. 

We are a local group, most of us live in Chicago or Chicago geography.  But we have a few people from further environs. We have members from Central, Western and Northern Illinois who make it to our sketch meets. We have a few members from South Wisconsin and NW Indiana, USk groups do not exist there for now, so we add these sketchers.

And there is another category: sketchers who travel to Chicago to draw here.  These people are special, we love them, add them to the group, and meet and sketch with them. When we travel, we are treated the same in far parts of the world.

USk Chicago sketching downtown with Miriam Ben (second from the left) from Munich Germany

COMMUNITY

We are Urban Sketchers, sketching is very important to us. But there is another equally important purpose to our group - it is creating a community of people who share a vocation and who support each other in our particular brand of craziness. 

Unlike many online groups, we meet in real life. We do things together. We have regular sketching events, we eat and drink together, we had a party in one of our homes. What is less known is that we look within our group to hire employees for our businesses, we take each other’s art classes, we find people in the group with whom to start new initiatives, we invite each other for Seder. We are a very special group.

To safeguard this unique spirit of friendship and contentedness, to make sure that there is a good fit between a new sketcher and the group we screen new requests when people want to join USk Chicago.  We want to know if a new sketcher lives close enough to join us, if he or she shares our love for sketching on location, wants to participate and communicate.  This is why, to become a member, a new sketcher has a short Facebook chat with one of our admins.

After Architectural Artifacts sketch meet - a get together in O'Shaughnessy's

OTHER GROUPS

Now, what if a new sketcher does not live in Chicago geography? What if they like to sketch imaginary subjects or want to share a self-portrait?  What if they do not like to meet other people? What then?

We still want to be friends with you, but perhaps a different group would be a better fit.  Here are some ideas:

• Consider Urban Sketchers Global, if you are not local to Chicago https://www.facebook.com/groups/urbansketchers/
•  Find other local groups close to you on the Global Urban Sketchers site -http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/chapters.html
• Join Artists Journal Workshop if you just like sketchbooking without many rules https://www.facebook.com/groups/artists.journal.workshop/
•  If you would like to attend a workshop, but the Chicago Sketch Seminar or Global Symposium are too far, look into Sketchbook Skool - sketching instructions online http://sketchbookskool.com

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER
Becoming a member of USk Chicago is simple.  Here are the steps:

1)  Visit our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UrbanSketchersChicago
2)  Click on the “Join Group” button, located at the top of the page, in the bottom right corner of the group’s cover photo.
3)  Once you request to join, one of our group administrators will send you a brief introductory Facebook Message to make sure you live in the Chicago area or close enough attend a group sketch event.  If you are an Urban Sketcher, but do not live in or near Chicago, we will direct you to a USk Chapter that will work better for you.  If you are looking to share your studio still life oil paintings, we will let you know that this group only shares urban sketches that are done on location, from direct observation.  (Make sure to check your Facebook’s “Other Messages” folder.  Often times, messages get lost here and never seen.
4)  For those who agree to follow our group’s Manifesto, we welcome you and add you to the group and look forward to seeing your sketches and meeting you at the next sketch event.

If you are considering joining USk Chicago, we look forward to meeting you

Art Institute of Chicago by Andrew Banks

This post is written for you by Andrew Banks and Alex Zonis

Pocket Palettes

My first pocket palette from an Altoids tin

My love of pocket palettes began in the early summer of 2012. I was preparing to visit France and was enamored with the idea of painting Paris. But being very new to watercolors I wasn't sure how to travel with them. A friend mentioned using an Altoids box for a palette, and as I started looking for options I fell into the world of pocket palettes!

These wells are bigger than full pans!

That summer I made my first palette and it went to France with me stocked with very cheap student watercolors. I sat in parks sketching statues with it and there painted the first watercolor painting I was proud of. Now I know how huge the wells were, but overall I loved the thing. While I've since seen great tutorials ranging from using empty half-pans with magnets to soldering wells into the tins* this construction was easy to construct in an urban apartment and I didn't have to order any supplies.


*This tutorial has since been removed.

Mixing area as extra "lid"

The wells and mixing space were shaped with Sculpey^TM polymer clay inside the tin and baked there according to directions. After cooling, I painted the wells and mixing area white with acrylic paint to help seal the clay and to make the colors more visible. With use, the mixing area detached from the lid. Instead of gluing it back, I found that it fit well as an extra "lid" over the paints. After three years of use the tin is beginning to rust in a few places, but given all I've put it through a little rust doesn't seem like much.










After finding USk Chicago, I upgraded to a 24 color Field Kit of Koi watercolors made by our sponsors Sakura. It is a great kit with little details that really take it up a notch! (If you've been wanting to try one, be sure to join me for Supply Speed Dating at the seminar in July.) But I'm always looking for ways to change up my sketch kit.

Makeup case pocket palette (with two additions)

Last summer just before the seminar, I learned a new mix for skin tones and wondered how my sketches might change if I mixed all my colors. I planned to rework my Altoids palette but was too busy painting to think about a layout. That's when I noticed the eyeshadow box I was about to throw away. After cleaning out the remaining makeup, I had eight empty slots about the size of a half-pan! I painted the inside of the lid with clear gesso to make it a better mixing surface and put in my colors. At less than half the thickness of my tin it is truly pocket sized!

I love the Quinacridone Gold in the top left, but needed the tamer Yellow Ochre too

I used this palette for all my sketches at last summer's seminar, but latter added in two other slots for variations in my primaries. When I just go out with my smallest watercolor kit, I choose this little palette and a water brush. It even fits in the tiny pockets of women's dress pants!

But as always, I'm still looking for a better pocket palette to carry with me. Right now I'm considering making a trip to the Chicago Public Library to make a 3d print of this insert for a pocket palette.

Have you tried making a pocket palette or even several? What makes a watercolor palette ideal for your urban sketching? What's the smallest palette you've ever worked with or seen?

People Who Need (Watercolor) People

Tuesday Tips and Tricks:

Often in urban sketching we focus on the architecture or landmarks we encounter to tell the story of our surroundings. There are times though, when we add people to the scene, even when they’re not the focus. They add an element that can make it easier for the viewer to connect with our visual story. People give scale, energy, life, and an invitation into the scene. When you need or want an extra spark in your landscape or cityscape including people can be the trick you need. In this post I give you tips for using watercolor to add figures to your work.  

Carrots and Rectangles

There are many approaches for quickly adding figures to watercolors. I use a combination of two different methods – carrots and rectangles. Both ways employ similar mind sets.

• Think simple.
• Think shape 
• Think gesture

The Carrot:

     1. Start with simple carrot shape            2. Add a head                     3. Add a little gesture  
                                                                                                                    and shadow

The result from just four strokes, a simple basic figure!

Repeat the process and add a little embellishment. 

Now try playing with just slight changes to the gesture and size of the carrot shapes. Add more, create a crowd or a parade!

The Rectangle:

1. Paint a rectangle    2. Add two strokes for legs    3. Two strokes for arms   4. One for a   
                                                                                                                              head

Tah Dah! A person!

Urban Sketching

 Saturday Morning at the Green City Market, Chicago

Using these simple methods as a starting point you can add the attitude, personality, the
 character of a place, through it's people.

Character Builders:

• Paint a group of carrots and rectangles together.
• Let a few overlap and let the paint mingle.
• What happens when the head stroke touches the shoulder line? When it doesn’t?
• Experiment, add line to emphasize or embellish some of the shapes.
• Try adding just a little detail.

As always, have fun!