The Hancock Tower – 360° and 365 Days – Chicago

Urban Sketchers Chicago is excited to be hosting the 2017 Urban Sketchers 8th Annual Symposium. We'll be welcoming over 450 urban sketchers from around the world to meet, sketch, and share our city! As a teaser of all the sights in store for you next year, over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some of our sketches (both new and old) of our beautiful, diverse, and exciting Chicago. 

Northwestly view from Olive Park

The Hancock Tower is the fourth tallest building in Chicago and surely one of the city's architectural icons. I don't know if it's one of my favorite building to draw, but from the number of times I've sketched it, it sure calls out to me. Though sometimes it plays hide-and-seek, it's always there for me to draw. 

It's my directional beacon. It's also my neighbor, greeting me when I look out the window.

Looking East

Good morning, Chicago!

It's always there, calling me home.

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!

Planning a “Sketch Vacation?”

Did you know that there are people who plan their whole year's worth of vacations in early January? Maybe you are one of them? If you are good for you. That is awesome. I have trouble with that because I now have more than just me to account for in my plans and coordination is not our strong suit.

So let's think about this. If you are able to plan your vacations and getaways months in advance, have you ever thought about planning a "sketch vacation?" I heard about these recently and it sounds like something I could really get into. This would be combining two of my favorite things in one trip: art and travel. I will typically journal my vacations as a way to gain a better experience on the vacation and it enhances my family's vacation as well. I actually much prefer sketching on my vacations now than building sand sculptures like I used to do when my son was younger.

As I write this, the holiday shopping season is upon us when people young and old are formulating their "wish lists." Retailers, accordingly, are not shy about making suggestions for interesting items that one might want to add to their list by punishing us with promotions and commercials that attack all of our senses.

I wonder if, in there somewhere for those organized types, if there may also be a "wish list" for vacation destinations. Presuming that this could actually happen, allow me to make a suggestion for a weekend getaway for you and your art bag.

Urban Sketchers Chicago will be hosting their very own sketching Seminar weekend in the great city of Chicago on June 7th and 8th, 2014.  The event will attract local and visiting urban sketchers from near and far.  While sketching at various locations through out downtown Chicago, some of the most respected and qualified instructors will be teaching workshops surrounding on location sketching, color theory, and choosing what to sketch just to name a few.  Registration is recommended.

Urban Sketchers (USK) are a local community of artists who come together with a common interest of sketching in urban settings, socializing with like-minded artists and learning some new tips along the way. They practice sketching various scenes that often include interesting architecture, landscaping, people, animals and sketching anything else in their cities, towns and villages in which they live, work or have traveled. It is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to raising the awareness of artistic storytelling and educational value of drawing on location, promoting its practice and connecting people from around the globe.

If this sounds like fun and you would like to check out the Urban Sketchers' activity, simply go to the following pages and look at some of the examples.

Urban Sketchers Chicago Blog: http://urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com

Urban Sketchers Chicago Facebook: Urban Sketchers Chicago

Urban Sketchers Chicago Instagram: #uskchicago

Urban Sketchers Chicago Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/USkChicago

Follow up in Twitter: @USk_Chicago