Add Some Life to the Drawing

One of the most rewarding things about Urban Sketching and the USk community is the culture of sharing, critiquing, teaching and learning that happens here.

If you look at my sketches, you'll notice that the majority of what I draw is Architecture.  I draw it more than anything else simply because I really enjoy it.  I'm also more familiar with architectural forms because this is what I got a degree in.  I guess you could say it's my go to subject.

It makes sense too, right?  You can hardly escape drawing architecture in an "urban sketch."  If you are sketching people in a coffee shop for example, you're most likely going to draw the coffee shop you are in to give some context.  Or if you are walking around on the street and decided to sketch oh I don't know, a street festival that happens to be going on, it's going to be really hard not to include some of the architecture that's all around you.

So I sketch Architecture.  But a huge part of urban sketching is capturing a sense of life in a given sketch. Who is there?  How many are there?  What are they doing?  How are they using the space?  Are they having a good time?  Not only does including people bring your sketch to life, but it also add's a real nice sense of scale and proportion.

In theory, I know all about these things and how to use them, but actually including them in my sketches has been a different story.  Figure drawing is difficult for me, but I've been challenged and inspired by other sketchers to add more "life" to my sketches.

I took the advice and really liked how this last sketch of mine turned out.

Surf's Up!

There are beach hazard warnings today in the Windy City. I was running some errands this morning and had to stop and take a look. This is a quick 4 inch square sketch I did  at Oak St. Beach. It's hard to believe it's just one block off the Mag Mile. "My Kinda Town Chicago is"!

Sketching Around Downtown Chicago

I never get over how many wonderful views this city offers. From the soaring architecture, the lakefront, to the green-garden escapes tucked in every corner. I grab my sketchbook (moleskin), pencils, and travel watercolor set whenever I can fit it in my bag. Here are a few recent sketches from around town.

Looking North in Millennium Park from the great lawn infront of the stage. June 10th

Summer nights in Chicago mean free concerts and movies in Millennium Park. I staked out my patch of lawn early for the concert this past Monday night, and sketched out a quick look at the architecture behind the stage.

View South from my 10th floor patio - May 26th

Sometimes a quick sketch can be done at home - over a recent weekend I found time to sketch on my deck which offers great views of the varied south loop architecture.

Lighthouse off Navy Pier - May 20th 2013

This sketch was done on the end of Navy Pier on a bright sunny day spent on the lakefront. I tried to catch the ever-changing shades of the water and the puffy clouds as they sped by.

Winter From My Window

The view of the very north end of Lincoln Park is always changing.  There is usually a steady stream of people - walking dogs, jogging, biking, sitting on benches.  The lake beyond the park changes color and motion from minute to minute.  But on this particular morning, no one was out and about - a random person would pass by every twenty minutes or so - and the lake was frozen stillness.  The sky just melted into the lake, and there were no shadows.  It was beautiful and peaceful, and I wanted to capture that feeling on paper, but I wasn't sure how to begin.  Ultimately, I decided to try the pan pastels that I had recently purchased.

Sometimes, I think it helps to not know what you are doing!  I just had fun with the pastels, on tinted blue pastel paper.  I added in trees (not all of them - there are hundreds!) with a dark brown Micron pen.  When I was finished, I sprayed the image with a fixative.  Some time in the near future, I would like to sit closer to my window and do another piece from a different vantage point, adding in the highway below for a more urban feel.