Domestic Sketching: Let’s Try Imagining A Pine Tree

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Larry Marshall

It seems there will be a continuing series of sketches being done by this urban sketcher that have nothing to do with urban sketching. I’m forcing myself to draw at my desk. I’ve even cleaned it off so I don’t have to shove stuff out of the way to do it. I’m going to call this domestic sketching and label results as such.

Anyways, my first sketch was a small, defoliated tree and I thought it only fitting that I should follow it up with a pine tree. As it turned out, I drew two of them, the second coming simply because I wanted to try to do a classic Christmas tree shape. Probably shouldn’t have cuz it looks out of place in this sketch, at least to me. One thing I’ve noticed about sketching at home, with good light, a desk and a good chair. The sketching is a whole lot easier.

Fabriano Artistico (7.5x11), Pilot Falcon

Fabriano Artistico (7.5×11), Pilot Falcon

Drawing Trees In The Morning

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Larry Marshall

I mentioned that I’m trying to get myself drawing at home rather than on the street. It sure is a struggle and I’ve definitely got to get a place set up to do it. But I’m pretty good at the clear-the-deck arm sweep that will shove a bunch of stuff out of the way and provide me a place for some paper.

That’s what I did the morning I decided to draw a clump of foliage. Notice that I’m not setting my sites too high. I have to convince my brain that it should be drawing in the morning while I’m having my morning coffee and I don’t want to discourage it. I did upgrade my paper, though. This one was done on Fabriano Artistico CP, which may be a bit to rough for my fine fountain pens but we’ll see.

Platinum 3776 SF, Platinum Carbon Black

One thing is clear. It’s a LOT easier to draw and paint in a studio with the paper resting on a flat surface. Heck, it’s not even windy (grin).

A Sketching Challenge: Chapel Altar

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Larry Marshall

I love drawing the ornaments and carvings in churches but confess that I find most churches to be pretentious. Still, there I was, in the chapel associated with the Musée d’Amérique francophone when I got the bright idea to sketch the huge, monolithic, altar. Because of the complicated nature of it, doing a proper, accurate drawing would have required many hours. I only had two.

So I “steeled” myself (i.e. tried to channel Liz Steel) and set to work. My eyes crossed several times as I tried to draw all the bits and details of this 30-foot high structure. It was both fun and tiring, and it humbled me a bit, which I guess is the goal of such structures.

Fabriano Artistico CP (7.5×11), Pilot Metropolitan, DeAtramentis Document Black

Collectif Rendevous At The Museum Of Civilisation

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Larry Marshall

The Collectif group in Quebec City held its annual rendevous at Quebec’s Musée de la civilisation last Saturday. Unfortunately, a bunch of the regulars were playing snowbirds in one for or another and so turnout was down from previous years. Nevertheless, we had a great time.

I started sketching in the Egypt exhibit, where I drew this pharoah mask. I used Faber-Castell Albrecht-Durer watercolor pencils for color. It’s hard to deal with color in that exhibit because it’s so dark so it’s hard to know what you’ve got until you’re done and eating lunch (grin).

Fabriano Artistico CP, DeAtramentis Document Black, Pilot Falcon

I took a short break by wandering around a bit and when I saw this large Australian aboriginal totem I had to translate it to paper. Pretty simple drawing. Lots of fun. It’s good to be back out sketching.

Fabriano Artistico CP, DeAtramentis Document Black, Pilot Metropolitan

Cruising Down The Nile

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Egyptian culture was inseparable from the Nile River. It was a source of water, provided fertile soils for agriculture, fish were a ready protein supply, and the bullrushes that grew along its banks provided material for baskets, floor mats, and other Egyptian stuff.

But heck, you gotta suppose that Egyptians used it for fun too. Swimming might not have been a great idea because the Nile was home to crocodiles but how about hopping in the family yacht and going for a cruise. Egyptians must have done that. And one of the objects in our museum’s Egyptian exhibit is a large (4-feet long) wooden model of an Egyptian boat, complete with several people standing on deck. It seemed that sketching it was the right thing to do. Hope you like it.

Fabriano Artistico cold-press, DeAtramentis Document Black, Pilot Metropolitan F