Sketching On My Way To The Museum

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Quebec is at the threshold of spring. It’s starting to act like early April, with fluctuating temps and rainy days. This is a good sign even if it is May. I was on my way to a sketching session at the Museé de la Civilisation and noticed a new park bench that had been set out on 3rd Avenue. It was cool (mid-40s) but sunny and the bench was out of the wind. Opportunity thought I, and I sat down. Sometimes you choose your subject, sometimes you choose a place to put your butt. I looked around for something to sketch and decided on this small corner store.

I worked quickly but admit to being a bit chilled by the time I finished and I was happy to get back to walking. I met Yvan at the museum and here’s what I drew there. It was a fun day and it looks like outdoor sketching is gonna happen ‘real soon.’ Fountain pens are still more fun than pencils.

Sketching With Yvan

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Every Monday morning I meet Yvan at “Les Collections” at the Unversité Laval. This is a magical place that houses the university entomological collection, stores all of the animal specimens that used to be part of the natural history museum, and a large collection of plaster casts that used to be of interest to the fine arts department but they were somewhat shoved out of the way when it was determined that you didn’t need to draw to get a fine arts degree.

Their loss – our gain. It’s not outdoor sketching but drawing single-lit plaster casts is certainly a way to improve your drawing ability and goodness knows mine needs improvement. Truthfully, I’m not sure it improves your drawing ability or your seeing ability the most as it’s wonderful training for the eye. In any case, it helps and it’s lots of fun.

I drew this on Monday. Drew it on smooth Bristol board as I enjoy my new experiences with a pencil. Beyond knowing which end makes the lines, these devices remain a mystery to me. The drawing isn’t quite as fuzzy as this scan suggests – thank goodness 🙂

Museum Sketching With A Pencil

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Larry Marshall

It’s a balmy 41F here this morning, with the promise of rain. Mr. Weatherman is promising something called “sun” about mid-week so maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to sketch outdoors this week. Hope so.

Since I am limited to indoor sketching, though, I thought I might use the time to do something I’m really not good at – use a pencil. When I started sketching it just seemed natural to use my fountain pens so I skipped the traditional ‘use pencil first’ approach to drawing. I think there were virtues to this approach as I had to concentrate on seeing relationships before I put anything on paper. The drawback, I think, is that sketching with pens emphasizes contour more than masses. It’s also rather silly, and sometimes embarrassing, for a sketcher not to know how to use a pencil.

So, when I went to the museum yesterday I was determined to use a graphite pointy device to make a drawing. I decided to draw Athena, with her leather helmet pushed back on her head. She’s a reminder that strong women were very much a part of the Greek religion. The daughter of Zeus, Athena was the goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature.

I did this drawing on Stillman & Birn Alpha series paper. While I love the paper for my pen and ink drawings, I have no idea whether it’s good or bad for pencil. It seemed to work. I used Staedtler pencils. I always have fun drawing on location but admit that a pencil felt clumsy in my hand. I think I learned a lot but I’m not sure what at this point (grin).

Sketching An Interesting Table Leg?

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Predictions of rain suggest I’ll be sketching at the museum for the next few days. Will spring every come? Thank goodness for the Masters of Olympus exhibit.

Today I was drawn (yeah…bad pun) to a rather bizarre human-creature with the head/body of a child/bird, a single leg from a three-toed something or other, and a large block sticking up from its shoulders.

I view sketching of such things as practice with seeing relationships and proportions and this one was a definite challenge to my limited abilities. As it turns out, the big block sticking up from its back is actually a compromise to its function as this 2-foot high statue (carved from stone) was a table leg. Maybe there are three more just like it wandering around Greece.

Pilot Prera, Lexington Gray ink, Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook

Sketching Masters Of Olympus

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Larry Marshall

It’s the end of April and our high temps are still in the mid to low 40s (F). Couple that with spring rains and I haven’t had much opportunity to sketch outdoors. So, when the new Masters of Olympus exhibition opened at the Musee de la Civilisation I saw it as an opportunity to sketch something new. Museum sketching is a winter thing, even if winter is at the end of April.

This exhibition is a presentation of Greek and Roman gods, mostly in the form of statues, busts, and painted pottery. The exhibition must have been laid out by a sketcher as there are lots of little nooks and crannies in which you can stick a stool to sketch and most of the statues are viewable from multiple points of view. In fact, following the opening ceremony the news promo for the exhibit made a point of saying that people were there sketching. I love my sketcher-friendly museum.

I decided to start this new exhibit by putting a toe in the water. In fact, I drew the whole foot. This foot came from what must have been a huge statue as this broken portion of the foot is at least three feet long.

Pilot Prera, Lex Gray ink – Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook