Do You Know These People?

We're Glad We Do!

Introducing the Instructors for the USk Chicago Sketch Seminar 2018

Meet the instructors individually on the Seminar blog. That's the go-to-place for information on our 2018 Sketch Seminar. 

If you're lucky enough to be going to the 9th Urban Sketchers International Symposium – Porto in July, the USk Chicago Sketch Seminar is a good place to warm up your skills! If not, it's the perfect place to work on your sketching and have a fun time without going far from home!

Want to see the eighteen different workshops and their descriptions that will be available at our seminar in June? They're right here! You can start planning your March 15th registration now.

Urban Sketchers Are About Telling Stories Through Sketches

by Wes Douglas, Urban Sketchers Chicago

I will be part of a three-person team of sketch correspondents at the 8th International Symposium in Chicago (July 26-30, 2017) who will cover as many events (workshops, demonstrations, lectures and social gatherings) as possible, armed with only our sketchbooks, eyes and ears to record each day's activities. 

Each day we will attempt to divide and conquer by sketch-recording furiously the flavor of 36 workshops, dozens of artist demonstrations and lectures at the Symposium and by night composing, scanning sketches and blogging highlights from the day—reporting on our impressions of what we hear, observe and experience for those who were not able to attend the Symposium or could only be in one activity at a time.

As an Urban Sketcher, I am often asked if this group is just a bunch of artists getting together to draw. While it is true that we are a social group that enjoys sketching together, one of the most critical components of selecting a scene to sketch on location is whether the scene will make a great story to tell. The sketch serves as our prompt to relive the experience.

I am a big proponent of the example and here is a recent post from fellow urban sketcher  Donald Owen Colley that caught my eye because of the great story and help from the impressive visualization:

Century Pens, Chicago
Ed Hamilton, owner/proprietor
Story and sketch by Donald Owen Colley

I walked into Ed Hamilton's boutique pen shop, Century Pens located in the Loop by the [Chicago] Board of Trade, just over eight years ago, and have developed a wonderful friendship with Ed – a Prince among men – who has owned Century Pens for eleven years. 

Trained as an architect and hailing from the fair state of Indiana, Ed and I have spent many hours talking about pens, ink, penmanship, architecture, Chicago's history, politics, and tales of our wild youth. I got the fountain pen bug just before I met Ed, who recognized a potential addict the minute I walked in the store with a sketchbook in my hand and an assortment of pens peering over my vest pocket. 

Ed was every bit the enabler and fanned the flames of desire for this draughtsman whose fountain pen collection (I'm sure) passed the $11,000 mark several months ago. I recall talking to one of Ed's regulars whose collection was over 650 fountain pens. 

Century Pens has been the premier fine writing pen store in Chicago and one of my absolute favorites nationwide. Chicago lost Gilbertson Clybourne a couple years back and I fret Ed's age and the prospect that he may hang up the spurs one day. 

Today, I spent most of the day sitting in Ed's store, drawing, sharing take-out lunch, and shooting the bull with Eddie and Charlie. Online is in so many of it's convenient ways a poor substitute for the face to face, hands on, of the brick and mortar experience. Cheers Eddie. Drawn in a Tomoe River Paper sketchbook with Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens and a Pelikan M215 fountain pen with Platinum Carbon Ink.

For more on Urban Sketchers Chicago: 
About the USK 2017 Chicago Symposium

About Urban Sketchers Chicago

For more sketch stories from Donald Owen Colley: 
http://buttnekkiddoodles.com 

Century Pens, Chicago: http://www.centurypenschicago.com

10 Years x 10 Classes Registration is Open!

Register Here

https://bookwhen.com/uskchicago

Do You Know What's Happening on March 15?

Whether you're telling a little story, a medium tale, or an epic in your sketches, add to your visual vocabulary with our 10 talented instructors in our "10Years 10 Classes" program. Sharpen your visual storytelling skills while you celebrate the 10th anniversary of Urban Sketchers.

Registration Opens Here

https://bookwhen.com/uskchicago

Tomorrow

Wednesday, March 15

 at 10 A.M.!

You may register for one or more workshops. Workshops vary in cost. If you register for all 10 workshops, you will automatically receive a 10% discount. It will be applied to your final cost.

Workshops are held on 10 consecutive Saturdays, in various locations, beginning on April 15. Most are scheduled from 12 Noon to 3:00 p.m.  There is one 6-hour workshop that starts at 10:00 am.

Classes begin April 15!

See the full course schedule here:

http://urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com/p/course-schedule.html

Meet Our Next Group of Great Instructors

Great Stories: The BIG Picture

June 3,  "Sketching the World from Your Perspective"       Instructor: Andrew Banks

Andrew Banks is an artist and freelance illustrator. Andrew works with watercolor, pen and ink and graphite and his subject of choice is architecture, architectural landscapes and cityscapes. Andrew has always enjoyed sketching, but it wasn’t until a 6 week study trip to Europe in 2008 that his passion for on location sketching solidified. Visiting cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, he was inspired by the ancient architecture, urban fabric and vibrant city life. For his entire trip, Andrew captured these experiences in his sketchbooks, illustrating and telling the stories of architecture, and the sights, sounds and smells of each location.

June 10,  "City in Motion"                                                            Instructor: Lisa Flahive

Lisa Flahive is most widely known for her expressive drawings and watercolors of jazz musicians, created live, in the moment, on the bandstand. This allows her to improvise, react, and communicate with the musicians. She chooses watermedia because it reflects the life of the music and must be created boldly, in the moment. Lisa paints what inspires her, such as cafes or chefs in the kitchen. She also loves to capture the energy of a city in her vibrant street scenes, and paints many en plein air, at night. Lisa is the artist in residence for Chateau Chantal Winery in Traverse City, MI and paints live on the bandstand every Thursday during their popular Jazz at Sunset series. 

June 17,  "Team Sketching, An Exploration of Scale"           Instructor: Peggy Condon

An Urban Sketchers-Chicago member since June 2014. Peggy’s education includes a BFA-painting and drawing, a certificate in mechanical drafting. Work and courses in landscape design and landscape architecture have strongly influenced the development of this class “Team Sketching” to explore merging scale drawing techniques and individual drawing styles to create a mosaic site illustration.

#usk10x10 Medium Stories: Expanding the View

Whether you're telling a little story, a medium tale, or an epic in your sketches, add to your visual vocabulary with our 10 talented instructors in our "10Years 10 Classes" program. Sharpen your pencils and sharpen your skills while you celebrate the 10th anniversary of Urban Sketchers.

Registration opens on March 15

 Classes start April 15. 

Meet Our Next Group of Instructors

Medium Stories: Expanding the View

May 13,  "How to Sketch Like an Architect" (Six Hour Class)          Instructor: Joel Berman

Joel Berman, LEEDAP,ALA, is the founder and president of Joel Berman Architecture & Design, Ltd., a Chicago architecture firm specializing in inner city adaptive reuse and heritage restoration for restaurant, hospitality, live theater, and institutional and residential development

For Joel, clear and fast sketching has been a factor in the success of his design work and architectural practice. Joel is on the Executive Board of Urban Sketchers, and is active in the Chicago chapter. In addition to running a successful practice, Joel has taught architectural sketching at the Art Institute of Chicago (1997), Columbia College School of Interior Architecture (1997-2004), the Chicago Architecture Foundation Adult Education Program (2005-2011), Urban Sketchers Chicago (2014-2016), The Ontario Association of Architects (2013-2017), The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (2017), and for the United States National Endowment for the Humanities/Chicago Architecture Foundation Urban Gateways Program (2009-2013).

May 20,  "The Fear is Real: Sketching Humans"                         Instructor: Jingo de la Rosa

Jingo de la Rosa is a commercial illustrator, urban sketcher and art educator. He has been illustrating professionally since 2011, having been an in-house artist for a major publishing company. In 2013, he decided to take the jump and go the freelance route! Since then, he has worked with world-renowned organizations such as Duncan Toys, the Houston Symphony and Eli Lilly & Co, among others.

Jingo is the host for DRAWN, a bimonthly sketch night and live performance event that serves local Indianapolis artists, art students and hobbyists.

May 27,  "ArchiSketch: Lincoln Park Zoo and Garden"                 Instructor: Joann Sondy

Joann Sondy is a career graphic designer and communicator with a specialty in presentation and publications. In 2016, she launched ArchiSketch Chicago workshops which combine her passions for storytelling and architecture.

A docent with Chicago Architecture Foundation since 2012, Joann leads tours through downtown Chicago with a preference for late 19th to mid-20th century buildings. An accomplished storyteller, Joann is fueled by her advanced Toastmaster skills. Her special interests are Chicago history and sketching architecture, focusing on details such as hand-crafted ornamentation.

Coming Up Next: 

Meet the Instructors for Great Stories: The Big Picture 

Registration opens on Wednesday, March 15!

Classes begin April 15!

See the full course schedule here:

http://urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com/p/course-schedule.html

Look for updates and information about 10 Years 10 Classes in Chicago here:

• Blog
• FaceBook - Urban Sketchers Chicago
• Twitter - @USk_Chicago
• Instagram - @USKCHICAGO
• urbansketcherschicago@gmail.com
• #usk10x10

Every Sketch Tells a Story #usk10x10

Whether you're telling a little story, a medium tale, or an epic in your sketches, add to your visual vocabulary with our 10 talented instructors in our "10Years 10 Classes" program. 

 Registration opens on March 15                           Classes start April 15. 

LEADING THE WAY

Little Stories: Up Close and Personal

April 15,  "Putting an Idea or Feeling into a Sketch"           Instructor: Fred Polito

My initial interest in sketching started as I watched my Dad, an architect, render a tree in the background, after he had drawn the front elevation of a new house. The tree appeared as if by magic! Later, while studying architecture, a common requirement in all design classes was to produce sketch books done on location. Starting an architectural practice, I supplemented my income by producing renderings for other architects. (Now, most architectural renderings are done on a computer.) All that hand drawing, and Urban Sketchers, has rekindled my interest in sketching. Sketching, for me, has always been about an idea or feeling.

 April 22,  "Little Stories: Animals"                                        Instructor: Deidre Fox

She has exhibited at Hyde Park Art Center, Betty Rymer Gallery, Evanston Art Center, and the Swedish American Museum, among other venues. She has been awarded grants from the City of Chicago/Illinois Arts Counsel and was included in New American Paintings Midwest Edition in 2012. Her work has been curated into White Columns Artists Registry and The Drawing Center Viewing Program. Residencies include Ragdale Foundation, the Center for Books and Paper Arts, the Chicago Open Studios Program, and the Cliff Dwellers Club. Public collections include the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection and the Center for Books and Paper Arts. 

She received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her BS in Materials Science & Engineering from Northwestern University.

 April 29,  "Details, Ornaments, and Objects, Oh My!"          Instructor: Mark Jones

Mark is professional designer, illustrator, graphic recorder and concept artist Mark is an architect in Chicago who works at the firm HED. Mark graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and learned his drawing and sketching skills through those architecture classes. The professors emphasized the importance of documenting the environment by requiring students to maintain an active sketchbook. Filling it with ideas, inspirational quotes and designs as well as using it as a journal. Mark spent his junior year studying abroad in Versailles, France. While there he documented his travels through Europe in pencil sketches and watercolors while gaining exposure and feedback from visiting professors. Mark was drawn to the medium of color pencils while working on his thesis project and has used it predominantly since.

May 6,  "Personalities of Urban Vehicles"                               Instructor: Wes Douglas

I am a professional designer, illustrator, graphic recorder and concept artist working in the Chicago area for the past 30 years. I have created new concept designs for SC Johnson, Sara Coffee and Foods, Philips Oral Health, Allstate Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, CNH (construction and agricultural equipment) and many others. More recently I have been a member and co-admin for the Chicago chapter of Urban Sketchers since 2013 and lead 3 sketch workshops on Urban Sketching with Markers.

Coming Up Next: 

Meet the Instructors for Medium Stories: Expanding Your View 

Registration opens on Wednesday, March 15!

Classes begin April 15!

See the full course schedule here:

http://urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com/p/course-schedule.html