Virtual Sketchcrawl #8

 

Virtual Sketchcrawl #8- Sketching in a Grid

For the time being we are back to our regular sketchcrawls of once a month.

Please join us for our eighth virtual sketchcrawl on Saturday, September 19th

 For this sketchcrawl we suggest you use the device of a grid on your page.

Your grid can be regular or irregular, whichever you prefer. The subject is open as well. You might try; selecting objects within a room (as Vicky Porter did in the illustration); select objects that have some connection to each other; or how about use the grid as frames like in a comic book and tell a story?

Other grid ideas from Barbara Weeks post on the Urbansketchers Chicago blog https://urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com/2015/03/off-grid-designing-page.html 

In this sketch page, Vicky Porter first taped off and painted in the grid spaces, then drew objects in a room.

As always, this challenge is optional, and you can be as strict to the subject or as loose as you like. Your participation is welcome whether you choose this challenge or not-- just make sure to work from life and to include contextual information, so it stays in the realm of urban sketching!

We will start at 10am.  At noon, which is when we would normally be meeting up for lunch to share sketchbooks, we'd love to see your sketches online in whichever forum feels comfortable for you:

(1) posting to this blog
(2) emailing to our mailing list
(3) posting in our Facebook group

See you there!

Tilikum Crossing and a Seattle Sketcher

While Ali was in Seattle and ran into sketchers, we had a Seattle sketcher in our midst on Saturday. Seattle Urban Sketcher, Kay Tyllia was in Portland for the Aim at Melanoma walk that was in the same vicinity as our sketchcrawl.  Here is a photo of Kay and another of her sketch.

KayTyllia, Seattle Sketcher

Kay Tyllia's bridge sketch


I had a lovely time Saturday morning, but I did a lot of things besides sketching.  I skipped lunch in order to finish adding the watercolor to my sketch. That's Mike on the left, who spent the whole time standing and sketching!

I squeezed in a visit to the Skin Care Conference and got some good tips and free samples of sunscreen. I also got this bag that I think is perfect for a sketcher with a Draw2C blog.

Thanks everyone, for another fun time sketching and chatting and enjoying the morning together!

PSU Farmers Market

This probably doesn't look like a sketch by me. At the PSU Farmers Market I ran into Amy. I admired her sketch and asked the familiar question: "What pen did you use?" Of course, I'm always looking for the magic pen, but I knew if wasn't the brush pen that she used. I have never mastered that. Still, I stole the idea of using some dark darks and added the contrast with a marker. That's why it doesn't look like a sketch by me.

Scavenger Hunt

I'm not in the running for the most Scavenger Hunt posts, but I do want to show my participation. I'm going to try to finish this abbreviated list in the next 7 days.

Benson Bubbler

Blossoms

I often sketch without pencil first and I'm pretty sure these housetops were done like that.

Well, this is the Hollywood Library sign as seen from the attached coffee shop.

This is not a Scavenger Hunt item. It's my sketch from our chilly, but very fun sketch crawl last Saturday.

Sketching Cherry Blossoms

I've been to the NW waterfront three weekends in a row, trying to sketch the elusive cherry blossoms.
The first weekend at the UskPDX sketchcrawl) there wasn't much bloom so I just sketched people. For some reason, I seemed to sketch legs either too long or too short!

The next week, I sketched the trees that were beginning to bloom.

Last weekend, there was a lot going on at the waterfront: a drone overhead, a musician with a faulty amplifier, a helicopter that made numerous trips, a man behind us enjoying his pipe of aromatic weed and the sounds of at least seven fire and rescue trucks headed north.  There were also many lovely families and friends and pets and people enjoying the beauty and the festive atmosphere of the waterfront at cherry blossom time.

(You'll have to imagine the sounds and the smells.)

Blossoms

It was a chilly and rainy afternoon, but this morning, the skies were relatively clear and some plum blossoms were blooming in NW Portland. I love these fleeting signs that spring will return.

A Perfect Sketching Day

We rode the tram up to OHSU where we could take in the magnificent fall views of the city, Mt. Hood and St. Helens, the river and gorgeous fall colors. The air was chilly, but the sun was shining so by putting on hats and fingerless gloves, we could stay outside or we could head inside for the coziness and the comfy chairs.

The views, the sun, and the comradely must have worked to inspire such excellent sketches. Here's what we did.

I hope people will still post their sketches, because it would be wonderful to see them close up again.

Thanks everyone for such a fun day!

A Rainy Day Sketching

Even with a forecast of 100% chance of rain all day, we had a good turnout of sketchers. Kate (Seattle USk group) even joined us!

We started at the Rocking Frog on Belmont.

We had people on the porch, one who sketched in her car, and a couple of sketchers who sketched in Lone Fir Cemetery.

I was part of the group that sketched inside the cafe the whole time.

                               Kalina, on the other hand, ventured out and got pretty drenched!

Thanks everyone, for a fun way to spend a rainy morning!

Old and New Portland Architecture

I'm sure you recognize these houses from the sketch crawl posts on this blog. I couldn't resist going back to New Seasons to sketch these colorful oldies.

This new building is the Karl Miller Center at PSU.  I sketched it from the covered deck of the Urban Center building. It was a perfect for a drizzly day.

In the Shade in Portland

 I've been struggling for a long time to make my watercolor sketches have more contrast. It seems to take lots of layers and I don't always have the patience for that. On the bottom sketch, I eventually got out my gray markers and pushed it farther to the dark side.

I know some people have special mixes for the darkest of darks. Do you have any favorite combinations?

Congregation Beth Israel

Here are my sketches from the sketch crawl at Congregation Beth Israel. I saw lots of good ideas in the sketches yesterday and already I feel like returning to again tackle this voluminous and ornamented structure. It was a delight to sketch and chat with you all yesterday and to peer into your sketchbooks.

Today, outside the PAM, I once again drew the top of the First Congregational Church. Since most is masked by trees, it always looks so doable... and then the challenges arise!

A Beautiful Day for Sketching at Tilikum Crossing

We had a good turnout for today's sketch crawl, with 19 people, by my count.  There's a lot to draw in this area and the diversity of sketches reflects that. It's always so fun to see the variety of techniques, materials, and viewpoints when we share our sketches. I always get new ideas with the 'throw-down."

Notice Julie's extra tiny palette in the photo above.

Here's my sketch from before lunch...

and a grid of sketches from the afternoon.

Thanks for showing up, everyone!

The People You Meet

Recently, Deb and I sketched the PSU Native American Center and a couple asked for a photo of us and our sketches. We chatted and Jason told us that China was famous for T'ai Chi, Kung Fu, and calligraphy. He also told me that he could paint shrimp, so of course, I asked him to paint some in my sketchbook. The dagger brush wasn't the best for it, but he made a valiant attempt and we were delighted with the result.

Here's my sketch of the center. It's a really fascinating building with influences of several different tribes. It's tricky to get a view of the whole place, so this is one corner, with a modern totem structure that features our beloved salmon.

Those Elusive Cherry Trees

Every year, I sketch Portland's cherry trees and I always try to somehow capture the color, or the delicacy or a tiny bit of the beauty of the trees. I keep trying and trying!

This year, I was so eager, that I was down at Tom McCall Waterfront Park before the blossoms opened. I wasn't alone, as several people came out to enjoy a rare sunny day under the cherry tree branches.

As Portlanders know, we've had many rainy days this year.  On those days that it didn't rain, I dashed to waterfront park. Often, the gray clouds loomed overhead, but I was lucky to have avoided most of the showers.

With the start of spring break, the park was full of people taking photos, posing for photos, shaking branches and just enjoying the beauty and delight of a (mostly) rain-free day.

Finally, I decided to focus on a close-up of a tree with its graceful branches and delicate flowers. 

I'm hoping to get in at least one more day under the cherry trees, but if not, I notice that the magnolias and plum trees are looking inviting.