One Sketch A Day

Have you seen the most recent post on Liz Steel’s blog? I don’t know if you follow Liz’ blog, but it’s very good, and well worth your time. In her most recent post she asked about how easy people find it to sketch every day. The answer to which, in my case, is not very easy at all.  

On reflection, I think that I found it easier when I had a specific goal or purpose, as with the recent One Week 100 people 2018 challenge. Trawling round the net, as I am wont to do when I have an ideal moment, I’ve found a number of people who have undertaken to produce one sketch (at least) every day for a whole year, reflecting their year’s journey. Hmm – says I – that’s a good idea. And being as there’s no time like the present, I decided to start today. 

To be fair, I didn’t really find much of an opportunity until about 5pm this evening. In my day job I’m a teacher – not Art, I add, since I have no qualifications in the subject. Today we had a Parents’ Consultation evening. I had large gaps between my appointments, and so I used a couple of them to make this sketch. 

This is the new charger for my Surface Pro computer. The school in which I taught for several decades was recently amalgamated with 2 others in a brand new school. Part of our embracing the future has been that each teacher has been given the use of a Surface Pro. The way it was presented to us was – this is yours until such time as you leave the school – use it as if it’s your own. (Within reason. I would imagine that, if you’re a devotee of the seamier side of the internet, it’s probably a good idea not to go there with your school Surface) To be fair, mine has become pretty well travelled, being much lighter and smaller than my laptop. It’s travelled with me to Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary just in the last two years.  This is actually a very powerful wee machine, and there are many pros to using one in class.

However –

Although the battery can keep it going for hours, it still needs charging. And the chargers are fiddly little buggers. Back before Christmas I accidentally shut the business end of mine in the car door. I went to see the technician, who said that he could order a new charger, but it would take weeks before I got it. Now, even allowing for the fact that I could charge it up in the staff room, where would that leave me at the weekend? So, I decided that it was my own fault for shutting it in the car door, and went on Amazon (other online retailers are available) and ordered an official Microsoft replacement.

An official Microsoft replacement which cost the best part of £30 and packed in last week, after about 4 months of work. This one was not caught in the car door, or mistreated in any way. You can maybe understand how I wasn’t so eager to buy a replacement this time. But. . . the fact is that I needs the machine. So this time I bought a cheap(er) and cheerful generic charger for about a third of the price. This is it. I used it today, and it worked for today. So, fingers crossed . . .  

I also decided to try to write a little verse – let’s not call it poetry – to accompany each sketch. This one is: -  

O Surface charger,

I hope you’ll go

Far longer than

Your expensive bro.  

(I was going to do some of Dylan Thomas’ stuff, but then he never does any of mine.)

Your Own First Sketchcrawl

If you’ve taken the time to stop by and look at the blog, there’s a good chance you’re at least interested by the idea of urban sketching. It may be that you’ve never thought about it before, but would like to give it a try. In which case, here’s a few observations which I hope might prove helpful to you.

·       When you start , you’ve got the choice of whether you join an Urban Sketchers group and start on an organised sketchcrawl, or whether you go solo to start wih, then see if you like it enough to want to join a group.

Both options have their advantages. We’ll look at them separately now.

Join an Urban Sketchers Group

If there’s an Urban Sketchers group near you they will organise regular sketchcrawls, and will welcome you with open arms. I know of the best part of 20 chapters in England, for example, although most of them are centred in the cities.

You might feel nervous about joining a group, but don’t worry. Everyone in the group was once in your position. You might feel a little happier if I tell you this: -

·       Urban Sketching Groups consist of a huge range of diverse people. Don’t worry that you won’t fit in because of your age, gender, race, educational or social background. The only thing that links the members of a particular sketchers group is that they all want to sketch. That’s all you need.

·       Members of a given Urban Sketching group can also range from complete novices to accomplished artists. Your level of ability or skill is totally unimportant. Nobody will judge you or your work. Everyone will be supportive.

·       Nobody is likely to force advice on you, but it will be available if you ask, for example – “I love what you did there, how did you do it? “

·       Nobody will give you a hard time if you have to miss a sketchcrawl for whatever reason.

You can probably see, I’m a big fan of Urban Sketching groups and organised group sketchcrawls. I wish I’d have had the sense to find and join the South Wales group while I was just starting urban sketching 18 months ago. If you’re wondering what’s involved in a group sketchcrawl, well, let me give the example of the typical South Wales monthly sketchcrawl.

Each sketchcrawl usually starts in the discussion we have at the end of the previous one. Ideas for possible venues are discussed, and if possible a consensus is reached. Then later on the group administrator on Facebook will post the venue for the coming month, giving members as much notice as possible. So far this year’s three sketchcrawls have taken place in different venues in Cardiff. Members are asked to indicate whether they can make it or not.

On the day, we gather at the venue at a specific time. I was a little nervous my first time, but it was easy to identify the group, and once I’d made introductions it was plain sailing. Once everyone has arrived who are going to arrive, then a time to meet back up is agreed upon, usually between 2 and 3 hours. After that, you go and find something to sketch. When you’ve finished, then you pick something else. In practice this means that at times you’ll be sketching by yourself, and at other times sketching alongside another group member.

At the agreed time, then you all meet up, and take turns to discuss your sketching day, and show what you’ve done. I love these sessions.

Now, I do understand that actually showing your sketches to someone else is a problem for some people when they start out. After the first time you take part, it really won’t be any more.

Still, you may well think that you don’t really want to start off with a group crawl. Maybe the ‘show and tell’ aspect is too much of a mental hurdle for you. In which case, there’s nothing stopping you undertaking your own sketchcrawl.

Go solo on your own sketchcrawl

I like group sketching, but a solo crawl is usually a very enjoyable experience as well. As a rough rule of thumb I like to have a specific venue in mind, rather than just setting off hopefully in one direction and following my nose.

If it’s your first sketchcrawl, I’d advise you to pick somewhere which is not that far away, but far away enough that you’re not going to have to worry about being seen and stopped by people you know. Ideally, pick a place that you wouldn’t mind spending a few hours in, so the success of the trip isn’t just riding on the sketching.

The axiom among sketchers is – if you don’t need it, then don’t take it. Even now I don’t carry more than two sketchbooks – A4 and A5 – a pack of 4 sketching pens, an HB pencil and sharpener, a small set of watercolours, a small waterbottle and a brush. An A5 sketchpad and a pencil or sketching pen is enough a lot of the time. If you’ve already got these, then use what you have rather than buying new. There will be time for that once you discover you enjoy it. Even fairly basic equipment can bring you good results, although as with anything else, better quality equipment s usually more expensive.

It can help you get the most out of your sketchcrawl if you set yourself a challenge or a target before you set out. On my last few sketchcrawls I’ve set myself the target of filling a double page spread in my A4 sketchbook. When you’re making your first sketchcrawl, making two complete sketches is a useful target, and you’ll feel a sense of achievement when you reach it – and an even greater sense of achievement when you exceed your target.

For me, the solo sketchcrawl starts the moment that I leave the house, and everything is fair game for sketching from that point. So my most recent sketchcrawl, where I ended up making a round trip of slightly more than 40 miles, actually began with me sketching a lovely old car from the 1950s which was parked just 4 streets away from my house. Was that fair? Of course it was! Part of my trip was noticing the car, which was a pretty unusual thing to see.

When you arrive at your destination, you might want to have a bit of a walk round to see what you might like to sketch. Outdoors or indoors, building, object, person or people, the choice is yours. Ideally, something that conveys a sense of that particular time in that particular place, but this isn’t something to worry too much about. Usually that comes with the territory. Once you’ve selected what you’re going to sketch, pick your vantage point – which angle you want to create your sketch from. Sometimes this may be a bit of a compromise between the angle you want, and the spot where you can be most comfortable. I can sketch standing up, but would rather sit down if it’s an option. Have a think about how you’re going to feel if people start looking at you, or your sketch as you’re making it. It’s only natural to feel a bit self-conscious, but this should soon fade. If you show that you’re not bothered by just getting on with it, then most people will not bother you. If you smile, show what you’ve done, and maybe exchange a few pleasantries, then in my experience people respond very pleasantly. Actually this is one aspect of sketching in public that I really enjoy.

So, on that first sketchcrawl, when you’ve finished your first sketch – congratulations! Your sketchcrawl is already a success, regardless of how accomplished your sketch is, or whether you choose to make any other sketches. Make sure to reward yourself. I like a cappuccino, but hey, whatever works for you. Maybe you could make another sketch while you’re enjoying your coffee.

I wouldn’t look too critically at your sketches at this point – wait until you get home, and you’re more likely to be objective about them. There’s no hard and fast rules about how long your sketchcrawl should last. Once you’re happy that you’ve spent long enough, then go.

When the crawl is over, you might want to have a look your sketches a little more critically. Don’t rp them to shreds obviously, but just think about whether you’d do anything differently , and try to put it into practice on your next trip. The Urban Sketching Manifesto explicitly states –“we share our drawings online’ and this is something I’d encourage you to do after your very first crawl. If you don’t like the response, if any, that you get, then you never have to do it again, but chances are the response that you get will show you that there is honestly nothing to be shy or worried about. Whatever else you do, please don't be tempted to destroy or throw away your sketches. If your first sketch you ever made on a sketchcrawl was as good as you were ever going to make, then there wouldn't be all that much of a point in doing it. Put them away if you want, but you will always be able to look back on them, to measure how far you've come. Remember that these sketches are the start of your journey , not the finish. 

Atfer that , well, ask yourself – did you enjoy it? Hopefully the answer will be yes. In which case maybe you can start planning your next sketchcrawl, or even better, start thinking about joining your nearest group.

Vale of Glamorgan - 24th March

The plan was to post these yesterday just after the car. Family business intervened - sorry about that. So yes, even after kicking off with the previous sketch I posted of the old Austin car, which was just 4 streets away - even after that I did get as far as the Vale of Glamorgan.

Why the Vale of Glamorgan? Well, this time last year I was suffering from clinical depression. Actually saying it like that gives the idea that I'm cured. I'm not free of it yet - maybe I never will be. Still, back then I was off work and trying to come to terms with it. Now, at least, I'm still in work, and trying to keep myself on an even keel for most of the time. So, anyway, with weeks of free time that I've never had since I started work 30 years ago, I took to taking some days out, going for drives to places I'd never been before, getting fresh air, and trying to make sense of things. One of the places I went was Llantwit, and it struck me as rather a nice little town, still laid out on its narrow and winding medieval street plan.

I started off with this page in my book.

As usual, my scanner hasn't quite picked out the colours accurately, but there we are. The largest building to the right is the 15th century Town Hall. There's a free car park behind it - always an appreciated facility on a sketchcrawl.

Time was getting on, and my stomach was rumbling. I was pleased with the car sketch and this one as a morning's effort, so I got back in the car and headed back towards the A48. However, as I was going, a few miles down the road I saw a heritage sign advertising the presence of a 12th century Prior Church not far off. Thinking that this might well be a good way of bringing the sketchcrawl to a conclusion, I turned off the main road, and a couple of minutes later came to Ewenny Priory.

I was tempted to go inside the church, which was open, but then I find it very easy to spend a good hour nosing around a church, and so I decided to save that for another day.

This illustrates something about one of the things I really like when I'm sketching. I like planning an expedition. I like working out where I want to go , and how and when I'm going to do it. But I love just noticing something, which I never knew was there in the first place, and sketching it there and then.

Now there's a turn up

A free Saturday - well, free after my daughter picked up my grandson at 11:30 - is the best opportunity of the week to set off on a sketchcrawl. Preferably one of the South Wales Sketchers group monthly sketchcrawls, but otherwise a solo effort.

This month's group crawl was a fortnight ago, and so I set out on my own today. The objective was the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan, not far away from me by car. The engine was not even warmed up, and I was only 4 streets away when I saw a beautiful old 1950s Austin car parked up. This was too good to miss. I parked relatively close, whipped book and pens out of my bag, and got cracking.

I very rarely sketch inside my car. For one thing you have to sit in the passenger seat, and there's not a great deal of room for everything. Also, in a way it felt a little bit artificial. Not that I would have wanted to stand outside and make the sketch standing up by my car.

Did I actually get to the Vale of Glamorgan today after that? Watch this space.

Taking Inspiration

In my previous post I described the South Wales Urban Sketch group’s monthly sketchcrawl, to the Cornerstone Café and Gallery, to see the exhibition of the work of our friend Gary Yeung. I knew they were good, but until you get close up to them you don’t realise just how good they are. One of Gary’s pictures was sketched in Café Zest in the House of Fraser in Cardiff. The sketch looked out of the window. Everything outside the window was painted in line and wash, while everything inside was left as line drawings. I thought it was extremely effective, and so I decided to take inspiration from it.

This view is from the Gaucho Tower Bridge steak house restaurant. Great view.

Looking at it, I think I’m on the right lines and got close to what I was trying to do without quite scoring a home run. I think that the line drawing foreground is still just a little fussy, and could have done with simplifying. Likewise I think I should have gone even bolder with the colours, since it just looks a little washed out. I need to persevere.

Urban Sketchers South Wales Chapter: March Monthly Sketchcrawl

I'm a member of the South Wales Urban Sketching chapter, and every month this year we've held a sketchcrawl. So far each venue has been in Cardiff, although we have definite plans to hold one in Swansea in the near future. In January we sketched in the National Museum of Wales. This was my first sketchcrawl, and I only managed two sketches. Since then I've been working hard to develop both my speed and my style.

In February the chapter met for a sketchcrawl at Insole Court in Cardiff. I was picking my wife up from the airport on the same day, so was unable to make this one. However, I have been sketching every weekend, and quite extensively during a week off from work.

Last week we were scheduled to meet in the Cornerstone Café and Art Gallery in Whitchurch Road Cardiff. One of our own, a highly talented artist called Gary Yeung, from Hong Kong, who travels extensively sketching, has his work on exhibition there, so it made for a suitable venue. The snow last week forced us to postpone until today.

Only three of us made it. Still, this didn't dampen our enthusiasm at all. I produced several sketches across a two page spread -

top page - the counter (monochrome) - two line and wash views through the front windows, and a monochrome sketch of a customer head and shoulders

bottom page - the gallery - a nice vase of flowers and two of Gary's pictures. 

Counting the vase and pictures as two separate sketches, that makes a total of 6, which is what I was aiming for, and I'm quite pleased with the way that I've merged the sketches on the top page.

I loved the sketching - I always love sketching, but in particular it's the post mortem which is the best part of the whole thing. If you've never been to a sketchcrawl yourself, the way it works is that you meet at the chosen venue, agree on a time, and then basically off you go and get sketching. Then, at the agreed time you meet back up, and basically show and tell. It's just the best thing, and really invaluable for getting tips from others, advice and encouragement. I'm looking forward to April and just hoping that the date doesn't clash with when I'm abroad.

#oneweek100people2018 Day Five - Reflections on the whole experience

I am a cynical old so and so at times. So when I see even great sketchers whom I totally respect making claims such as – try the 100 People One Week Challenge and you’ll find that you really improve as the week goes on – then I tend to take it with a pinch of salt. Well, a pinch of salt will be handy for seasoning the slice of humble pie I’m going to be eating, because, well, because looking over the week, I have to say that I think it’s true.  

In terms of statistics, on the 5^th, day one, I sketched 27 figures. On day two, I misnumbered my sketches. I thought that I’d sketched 23 to take it up to 50, but on a recount I found I’d actually sketched 24 to take it to 51. On day 3 I sketched 20 to take it up to 71. Then on day four I sketched 30 to take me past the target. Today I took it a little easier as this is just for fun, and added another 13 figures. 

So how have I improved? Well, actually, I’d say that it’s not for me to say that I’ve improved as such. That’s for other people to judge. But things have happened. I feel I’ve loosened up with my sketching. I also feel that I can work a lot more quickly than I could at the start of the week. For example, let me compare my two self portraits. This one I made on Monday: -  

Now, it’s in biro, which is not my favourite medium, but was what I had to hand at the time. It was also based on a photograph I took with my work computer. It took about 20 minutes. Compare it with this self portrait I made on Thursday: - 

Now, you’ll have to take my word that this is actually far more like me. Again, admittedly I was using a sketching pen which I prefer. This time however I used the camera on the computer so that the computer was like a mirror, and I was therefore far closer to sketching myself from life than from a photograph. Look, I’d had a hard day. This one took no more than 10 minutes, though, and to me , is a better sketch.

Here's today's figures