Sketching Parliament

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9x6), TWSBI Mini, Noodler's Lex Gray

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6), TWSBI Mini, Platinum Carbon Black

The Quebec provincial parliament building is huge. The front of the building is actually the narrow side of the building and yet it’s a couple blocks long. When it gets a bit warmer I hope to find a view where I can capture the entire face of the building.

On Tuesday, though, the temperature was border line so I decided just to draw the main tower over the entrance. Even so, by the time I’d finished the ink sketch I’d cooled down enough that I felt the need to move so I quickly dashed on some color when I got home. It was good to see the sun while sketching. It’s been a long time coming.

Are You Sure It’s May?

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Larry Marshall

I was walking back from the museum and found this guy, sitting in the park, looking out at the river. I could almost see what he was thinking. All of us who live in Quebec City are thinking it. Note his heavy coat. Note the lack of vegetation of any kind. This is nearly mid-May and while Quebec City is known for its cold, this is getting ridiculous (grin).

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9x6), TWSBI Mini, Noodler's Lexington Gray

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6), TWSBI Mini, Noodler’s Lexington Gray

May The Gods Be With You

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Larry Marshall

If you’re at our Museé de la Civilisation they most certainly are with you, or at least their stone faces are everywhere. Weather predictions suggest we’re in for a week of rain. The proverbial “April showers bring May flowers” are running late, like everything this spring. I hope we get those flowers before it starts snowing again (grin).

I’m spending my mornings drawing up a storm, trying to figure out how to use pencils. Great learning experience with lots of fun and some frustration. This drawing is, I guess, a generic ‘god’ as he bears no name. I’d sure like to know more about how sculpters worked. There are stylistic similarities and differences that suggest many artists but all working to a common set of guidelines and goals. The exhibition is a spectacular place to work on one’s ability to see half-tones, mentally follow complex hair and beard patterns, and generally to be able to sort out the proportional demands of these subjects. I’m not quite up to these tasks but it’s fun to try. This drawing was done on Strathmore ‘vellum’ bristol paper. I tried Faber-Castell 9000 series pencils on this one but I’m far to ignorant of pencils to actually see a difference between these and my Staedtler pencils.

Sketching The Bar Laitier

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Larry Marshall

One of the things I’ve always wondered about are the small ice cream places that exist in Quebec City. We have a fairly short summer and most of them simply close up in the fall and sit idle all winter. Things must be moving slowly for them this spring as we haven’t had much ice cream weather thus far. But the stores persist, in spite of the short selling season. I wonder how.

This is one of the cutest. It’s on chemin St. Louis in the old city and is very inviting, or it will be when it warms up a bit more. Done in a Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6) with a Hero 9296 pen and Lex Gray ink. New pen for me but so far I like it. I always like new pens.

Outdoor Table Tennis, Anyone?

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Larry Marshall

Seems there have been a few additions to my city since I roamed it last fall. I came across this one and had to sketch it. Nothing says ‘urban sketching’ like a concrete ping-pong table. The net is made of a thick, hard plastic and the playing surface is black concrete. Nothing to break, nothing to set up. You just show up and play.

Drawing in a Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6) sketchbook with a TWSBI Mini and Platinum Carbon Black ink. Still a bit cool for watercolors on the street so these were done at home.