Let There Be Light

 Let’s Sketch!

Let There Be Light

Sunday, March 21

12 PM - 3 PM CST

Hosted by

Gail Dokucu, Urban Sketchers Chicago

and Guest Host, Kari Ann

Details

Even though the Spring Equinox was yesterday and we might not need lamps as much as we used to, today’s theme has to do with light!

Sketch a scene:

• with your favorite lamp or chandelier 

• with some interesting light or shadows to capture the atmosphere!

• revisiting the hygge theme with a candlelit display

Banner Sketch by Kari Ann

Please include #uskchicago and #uskathome on your posts to Facebook and Instagram. Remember, we are back to following USk Global’s posting guidelines of sketching live on location and not from reference photos.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

T&T Thursday!

Composition is a Big Word–PART TWO 

By Alex Zonis

What if you have become so interested in composition that you want to dig deeper? No problem!

Here are more composition insights – Rules!

1. Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is an easy compositional rule to remember. Splitting an image in half vertically or horizontally produces a sketch with a point of interest squarely in the middle. This can be just a little bit boring.

Instead divide a page in thirds both horizontally and vertically, and place the focus of the sketch in one of the spots where the lines intersect. As a result a viewer eye is drawn to the strongest point in one of the intersections, then around the sketch following the lines of the object.

At first it may be helpful to draw the lines to divide the drawing in thirds and use them as an aid to find “sweet spots” as they are sometimes called. After some practice the lines will become unnecessary and you will just see where the strongest impact spot is. If you do thumbnail sketches first, draw the grid of thirds on top to check the composition.

2. Rule of Odds

How many of anything is included in a composition makes a difference. An easy thing to remember is that odd is better than even, an odd number make a composition more dynamic.

When there is an odd number of objects in a drawing, it is harder to pair them up, which we do subconsciously, and this means that a viewer will be looking at the drawing longer and keep their eyes moving within the drawing.

Of course if we are sketching in a sidewalk cafe and drawing four people sitting at a table in front of us, skipping one or inventing one extra may not be the best solution. Instead we can be creative and check for interesting reflections, or a shadow, or a pigeon!

There are 6 bottles in this drawing - an even number, but 3 strong and interesting shadows bring the number of shapes to 9.

3. Full range of values

For a good composition we want to have a full gamut of values in the image: from lightest lights to mid tones to darkest darks. If we have this variety of values, the drawing is already pretty good. For a really strong composition the lights, mid tones and darks need to be included in different amounts. Here’s a simple way to remember it: “two thirds, one third, and a little bit.” For example, “two thirds of dark, one third of mid tone, and a little bit of white for flowers and highlights.”

4. Golden Ratio

No discussion of composition is complete without talking about Golden Ratio or Golden Rule. This magical ratio is also known as Golden Section, Golden Mean, Golden Number, Divine Proportion, Golden Proportion, Fibonacci Number, and Phi. Leonardo da Vinci used Golden Ratio in his paintings a lot.

This is an extremely interesting and beautiful concept. I enjoy reading about it, but was unable to use it when sketching on location - it is a matter of time. So I cannot talk about from a practical standpoint. Instead I would like to refer you to this article on Empty Easel blog – Golden Section for Artists .

I hope you find these thoughts on composition useful and would love it if you will use them in your sketches!

T&T Thursday is a twice a month column about sketching skill-building ideas. Some of the columns will be brand new, others will be refreshed columns from the past. 

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

It is the Best of Times, It is the...

Let’s Sketch!

Best of Covidtine

Sunday, March 14

12 PM - 3 PM CST

Hosted by 

 Evelyn Brody and Urban Sketchers Chicago

USk Chicago marked the last Ides of March with our first USk Chicago at Home virtual meet-up, and we haven’t missed a themed week since. (Many thanks, admins and guest hosts!) 

As the vaccine rollout brings the promise of a return to normalcy, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on what we’ve accomplished over this crazy year.

Details:

This Sunday, we would like everyone to post their favorite sketch(es?) from the last twelve months. Perhaps staring into your closet early on in the lockdown brought you peace. Perhaps you want to commemorate the summer struggles of a local business. Or did you find solace this fall or winter sketching with a few (masked and socially distanced) friends? Let’s share those masterpieces!

Of course, with this week’s glorious weather, it’s a pleasure to be sketching outside. As always, feel free to also post new work!

And don’t forget to set your clocks ahead this weekend. Yay, later sunsets!

The banner image is a crop of a collage of Evelyn Brody's 2020 Procreate sketches for USk Chicago virtual meetups.

Share your Urban Sketches with us from 12 noon to 3pm on Sunday. Please include #uskchicago and #uskathome on your posts to Facebook and Instagram.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

... Can Spring Be Far Behind?

 

Let’s Sketch!

Thinking Green

Sunday, March 7

12 PM - 3 PM CST

Hosted by 

Paul Ingold and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Spring isn't here yet, but it's just around the corner, and I think we're all ready to start seeing some green. 

DETAILS:

For this week, "Green" will be our primary focus.

This can mean 

• either your subject is green
• or sketch in a green monochromatic look and feel. 

Any type of medium can be used (example: watercolor, water-soluble ink, color pencils, etc.) We can sketch views from our homes, out the window, or out and about.

There are no rules other than our Urban Sketching guidelines, be creative.A reminder that we are following USK Global's posting guidelines of sketching live on location and not from reference photos.

Share your Urban Sketches with us from 12 noon to 3pm on Sunday. Please include #uskchicago and #uskathome on your posts to Facebook and Instagram.

Looking forward to seeing your sketches! 

Cover sketch by Mary Jo Ernst. 

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

Composition is a Big Word–PART ONE

By Alex Zonis

Composition can be difficult to teach. 

Do this, don't do that… 

Unless you want to deliberately break the rules, then do it… But it may or may not work… 

You stick to the rules - and it may end up boring. 

You break the rules - and it may end up unbalanced. 

What is a sketcher to do?

Composition is a skill, just like drawing or values or accurate color. This means that with practice a sketcher can develop a vision and understanding of the design as well as a feel for positioning of shapes within the boundaries of a drawing. By practicing composition it is possible to get and improve the sense and sensibility of what is composed well and as a result has a built-in beauty, and what needs improvement and what this improvement might be.

Composition is also a vast subject. This is another reason art students shy away from it.

Here I will suggest three things that can be practiced right away. They will work for on-location sketching without burying one's head in theory.

1. Balance positive and negative space

See that your actual objects of interest (positive space) and space around them (negative space) take more or less the same amount of space on your drawing.

Some examples:

- Crowded drawing - very little negative space

- Unfilled drawing - small subject surrounded by a lot of negative space

- Balanced drawing - subject and surrounding space take about the same amount of space

A helpful trick - an empty unfilled composition can be improved by creative cropping or borders.

2. Repetition and pattern

A human eye loves pattern. When we see and recognize repeating shapes it makes us feel clever and calms us. Repeats and patterns give an image rhythm and make it dynamic and lively.

If you are lucky to chance on a pattern when sketching on location, consider adding it to the drawing.

 

3. Connection

Let your subjects and objects connect, touch and overlap. This is one and an obvious way to keep the composition together, like holding hands.

Here's an example of a composition with overlapping objects.

The other way to connect is by intent, using directional lines and visual tension.

In the following sketch three solid groups of people are connected by individual figures situated between the groups. These figures create the tension that holds the composition together.

These 3 concepts are easy to remember and use when sketching on location: 

• Positive/negative space balance

• Patterns

• Connections

How to use them? 

When you chose your subject or view, take another minute and make a tiny plan. Here's an example of such plan: "I will include this bridge, and the river with its interesting colors and these trees on the right bank. I will leave out these buildings on the right shore, and a willow tree on the left… they will overcrowd my drawing." 

Better yet, make a thumbnail sketch and see how it looks. Take the view you are sketching and make it into a design. Emphasize patterns if they are there. Look for geometrical patterns, color patterns, contrast patterns.

Check if your shapes connect/overlap or stand alone. If they are standing alone, is there a way create a connection or directional pull to tie the composition together? Even if there is not, you have taught yourself something about composition by having tried. 

Want to learn more about composition? See you here on March 11 for T&T Thursday!

Keep up to date by email! Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

Seeing the Light

 Let’s Sketch!

Winter Light

Sunday, February 28

12 PM - 3 PM CST

Hosted by  Brian Wright, and Urban Sketchers Chicago

As we begin to thaw out and start thinking of the spring weather that will soon be here, we want to take an opportunity to celebrate the Winter Light, the long shadow, the cool pale blue light, the bright white reflection, the red of dawn or dusk, as inspired by T.S. Eliot in “Little Gidding”.

“Midwinter spring has its’ own season,
When the short day is brightest, with frost and fire,
The brief sun flames on the ice, on pond and ditches,
In windless cold that is the heart’s heat,
Reflecting in a watery mirror,
A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon.
And a glow more intense than blaze of branch.”

Come on, how good is that?!

The days are growing longer and while we look forward to the time when we can all be together again sketching, until then, let’s enjoy the season we’re in. So, grab a hat, fingerless gloves, frozen watercolor pans, and take that walk, and share your art! And if you're so inclined a winter light poem or haiku.

This week’s banner sketch is graciously provided by the talented Joan Szalay Tavolott, with whom I had pleasure of sketching with in Amsterdam at the USK Symposium. Her painting from her window so beautifully captures that winter scene, and I love how the footprints in the snow draw you in. We thank you for agreeing to let us use your photo and for visually taking us on that walk in the woods.

Share your Urban Sketches with us from 12 noon to 3pm on Sunday
Please include #uskchicago and #uskathome on your posts to Facebook and Instagram.

A reminder that we are back to following USK Global's posting guidelines of sketching live on location and not from reference photos.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

What's Your Background?

Let’s Sketch!

Backgrounds

 

Sunday, February 14

12 PM - 3 PM CST

Hosted by 

Anna Rappaport,  Gail Dokucu, and Urban Sketchers Chicago

This week’s theme is brought to us by Anna Rappaport, back for her second round of guest hosting! Thank you, Anna!

Here’s what Anna has written for us.

DETAILS

We get interesting drawings by using different papers or layers under our drawings. 

These may include: 

• a light wash of ink or watercolor, 
• collage, use of colored drawing paper, 
• drawing on a page from a book, 
• drawing on ledger paper, etc. 

I particularly like using water soluble ink for the wash.

One of the things I enjoy with using different backgrounds is that it is unpredictable what will happen. Choose a different background or two and experiment. I encourage you to use something different from what you normally use. 

Some hints:

• If you use a wash, a light wash is better.
• If you use collage, you can put clear watercolor ground on top of it and then draw or paint easily on the wash.
• If you want white on colored paper or over a collage or wash, you can use an opaque white (like Daler Rowney PROWHITE) or gouache.
• Drawing on black or dark paper works well if you draw with white or a light color.
• Torn newspaper and security envelopes are good collage materials.

Select a subject that fits USk rules. Share your work Sunday, February 21. Please include #uskchicago and #uskathome  on your posts to Facebook and Instagram.

Banner Sketch by Anna Rappaport

A reminder that we are back to following USK Global's posting guidelines of sketching live on location and not from reference photos

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.