Universite Laval Collections Sketchcrawl

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Larry Marshall

The Université Laval Collections reopened recently, having been moved and renovated. This is an extraordinary place that houses the remnants of the natural history museum that used to be in Quebec City as well as an impressive plaster cast collection that the art department abandoned long ago in favor of paint rollers.

We held our March sketchcrawl there, thanks to Madame Wagner, the curator, and Yvan Breton who arranged access for us. Imagine having a large room, complete with tables, chairs and some spot lights and the ability to place one of the museum objects on that table to draw it. It was fantastic!

Me, I sat in the hallway. I wasn’t being anti-social, though. I wanted to draw that mountain goat that sits in one of the collection display windows. Hubert joined me, however, and we had a great time sketching together.

Stillman & Birn softcover Delta series (8×10), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Those Egyptians Really Liked Bes

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Here’s a couple small vessels (shot glasses?), each different depictions of Bes, the dwarf god. They’re part of the Egypt exhibition at our Museé de la Civilisation. Maybe these were intended to ward off evil spirits from their spirits. I don’t think the top squares on the green one were intended to look like a hat but they sure do, making it quite funny.

These were drawn in an 8×10 Stillman & Birn softcover Alphas series book. I’m just starting to use this size book but I think I’m really going to like it. Bigger than the typical 6×9 but much easier to scan than a 9×12. The softcovers are also so much lighter than hardcovers that it actually weighs the same as a 6×9 hardcover.

Sketching A Dwarf Egyptian God

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Bes, the dwarf Egyptian god was represented, in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional form, everywhere in Egyptian society. Seems he had a way of scaring evil spirits away and the Egyptians were very worried about evil spirits.

This is the second or third Bes statue I’ve sketched at our museum, all showing similarities but each unique in its own way. I did this one in the 8×10 Stillman & Birn Delta softcover I reviewed not long ago.

Sketching My Pet Fish

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Winter persists. Attempting to maintain a stiff upper lip, this urban sketcher watches TV, reads art books and longs for warmer days. Yesterday, I was watching a spring training baseball game, an indication that I won’t have to wait much longer. I grabbed my small S&B softcover Alpha sketchbook (4×6) and looked around for something to draw.

I decided to draw my pet fish, Oscar. He’s not a real fish; he’s made of plaster. That means less to feed but he doesn’t wag his tail as much as live fish do. Nevertheless, he’s great at posing for a sketcher. Handsome little guy, don’tcha think?

(4x6) Platinum Carbon Black, Platinum 3776, Abrecht-Durer watercolor pencils

(4×6) Platinum Carbon Black, Platinum 3776, Abrecht-Durer watercolor pencils

Noisy Day At The Museum

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Spring break was still going on when I headed to the museum. Because of this I expected lots of kids, with parents trailing after them, but since it wasn’t ‘free Tuesday’ I didn’t expect quite the people density we experienced on Tuesday. That turned out to be true but there were a lot of events going on for the kids, which generated a lot of noise. The kids were having a great time but it wasn’t an ideal sketching day.

I love this small spigot from the 17th Century. Shove it into a keg and pour yourself a beer.

I decided to set my sights low and did only a couple small sketches. I can’t wait for spring. I miss sketching on the street.

What 1950s kid didn’t have a Tonka truck? It was good to see this one.