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

#oneweek100people2018 : Day Four - Sketches 71 - 100

Yes, I've made it! Today I completed about 10 in work, and then another 20 later. I'll reflect a little on th experience when I post again tomorrow, but for now I'm just enjoying the achievement. Here's today's sketches:-

#oneweek100people2018 Day Three

A harder day this one. For one thing I decided not to make any sketches in school today. I didn't have time apart from anything else. Still, it did put a bit of pressure on otherwise. I decided to do more full length figures, and try a couple of watercolours sketches as well. This is where I am: -

I was rushing deliberately, but I'm quite pleased about how the two queues turned out. This one I really like: -

#oneweek100people2018 : Day Two

As yesterday - so again today. The problem with working in a school is that if you do sketches in the school they can often be a bit samey. I made the cricketer and the boxer before I went to bed yesterday - then managed to do ten figures on lined paper in biro in work. A visit to Tesco after work provide me with a few more figures at the ATM and the self service checkouts. The last few were based on photos.

This brings me up to 50 - halfway there and three days to go. This one sketched at the checkouts in Tescos is my favourite of today's sketches from life as opposed to photo

#oneweek100people2018 : Day One

OK - it works like this. If you divide the 100 people between 5 days, that means that you need to aim for an average of 20 each day. Well, I knew that I wasn't going to get 20 figures done in school - I'm amazed that I managed the 12 that I did. The others were all sketches I've made at home today, based on photos, magazines etc.

Now, strictly speaking, only the first 12 are really urban sketches, but nonetheless, I think 27 is a good start, especially if I do a few more this evening. You never know, at this rate I may even be able to take Friday off.

One Week 100 People Sketch Challenge

I've just been looking at the blogs of two of my favourite urban sketchers - Marc Taro Holmes and Liz Steel, and I found out all about this challenge. This is from Liz Steel's blog: -

"

March 5th – 9th, 2018, urban sketchers Marc Taro Holmes (Montreal, CA) and Liz Steel (Sydney, AUS) invite the world to join in with #OneWeek100People2018.

Every aspiring artist has heard the advice ‘Carry a small sketchbook at all times!’. We’re all told ‘Practice drawing every day!’.

This is great advice, but sometimes we need a little extra motivation.

Feel free to work from photos, or do a self-portrait series. It’s all fair game. However you choose to do it, the simple goal is: Draw 100 people in one week.

You can use any media you like: pencil drawings, or pen and ink, maybe digital sketches? Whatever you’d like to practice most.

The goal is PRACTICE. Not perfection. Think of us as your gym trainers. standing behind you yelling ‘Get out there! Keep your hands moving!’

100 people is a pretty fair goal. It’s a lot, but it’s not impossible.

It’s going to mean working hard or working fast. If you’re doing 1-minute gestures, it’s only 20 minutes of work each day. (It can take you more time to find a group of people to draw :)  But, if you’re doing 20 minute watercolors – you might have to find a way to catch up later in the week.

We’re committing to draw about 20 people a day, and we’ll be posting our work every day for the week of March 5th-9th. If you want to join in, please use the hashtag #OneWeek100People2018 so everyone will be able to find your work across all the platforms people use.

We encourage you to search that hashtag every morning, and see what other people are doing!"

I can't promise I'll do a hundred, but I'm going to give it my best shot.