Drawing Chapel Arches

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Larry Marshall

The Croquistes de Québec held their April sketchcrawl at the chapel associated with the Musée de l’Amérique du Francophone. It’s really hard finding indoor places to sketch in the winter and so I’ve been to this chapel enough this winter to say that I’m ‘all full up.’ Nevertheless, I always enjoy sketching with others.

Turnout wasn’t great, probably because others are as tired as I am of sketching indoors, but there were five of us in attendance and we had fun, though this sketchcrawl wasn’t as long in duration as our summer sessions will be.

I decided to draw some arches. I always have trouble drawing when I have to look upward. I wonder whether it’s because of the view itself or the fact that my sketcher head-bob up and down from subject to paper, is so extreme. Either way, it slows the sketching process and always results in some wonkiness working its way into my drawing. Next month we’re going to sketch the alleyways of Limoilu – outdoors. Spring had better be here by then.

Stllman & BIrn Beta (9x12), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

Stllman & BIrn Beta (9×12), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

April Sketchcrawl At Museum Chapel

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Spring rains have started so soon we’ll be able to have our sketchcrawls outdoors. On Sunday, April 10th, at 10:00AM, though, the Croquistes de Québec will meet at the chapel associated with the Musée de l’Amerique Francophone. If it’s warm enough the area around the museum is full of sketching targets, but if not we can sketch in the chapel. Some of us have been sketching there throughout the winter and since the place is full of statues, woodcarvings and fixtures that are worthy of sketching. Check the Croquistes de Québec site for details. I’ll include a few of the sketches I’ve done in the chapel as examples of the possibilities. See you there.

Chapel Sketching Again

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Winter persists and so does this sketcher. I met Yvan at the chapel associated with the Musée d’Amerique Francophone. It’s warm and there are lots of woodcarvings and fixtures to challenge a sketcher.

I drew this large light fixture and found it quite fun. As it turned out, there was to be a concert that afternoon and people were starting to arrive. Yvan and I decided to sit in the back of the room and sketch people as they arrived. That was fun and added to the enjoyment of the day.

I then got the wild idea to sketch a set of statues that were part of the immense alter at the front of the room. It was too far away to really see so I thought I might have some success by drawing the dark shadows and that maybe this would give me some guidance. This was the result. I might have learned something today. In any case, I was one day closer to spring.

Love Me Some Harpsichord

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Larry Marshall

I’m as close to a musical know-nothing as you can get but I really enjoy most classical music. Spare me the Schoenberg’s 12-tone scales and other modern attempts at cacophony but the rest is great. Sadly, I’m so ignorant of music that I can’t identify composers by ear, and can’t wax eloquently about how Beethoven’s 9th is such a great piece because… I just listen.

And so for me, it’s more about particular instruments. I love cello music of all kinds. I think classical guitar is sublime. But give me Bach played on a harpsichord and I am enthralled. So it was exciting for me to show up at the chapel for draw-the-carving session to find a guy practicing harpsichord. What could be better than listening to harpsichord music while sketching? Maybe sketching a harpsichordist while listening to harpsichord music and that’s just what I did. Unfortunately, when I finished I had to run off to the Musee de la Civilisation where there would be dancers to sketch. More on that tomorrow.

Canson XL watercolor paper, Pilot Prera, DeAtramentis Brown (and black)

Look Outside Sketching

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Larry Marshall

Doo doo doo lookin’ out my back door. – Credence Clearwater Revival

Looking Out My Backdoor was one of the craziest songs CCR ever created. It won gold and platinum records, made you happy when you heard it, and the lyrics made no sense whatever.

Sometimes my sketching is like that and no more so than when I went sketching with Yvan at the museum chapel where we’ve been sketching lately. Due to circumstance, mostly beyond my control, I arrived at the chapel really late. Yvan was well into his sketching and so I looked around for something to draw quickly in the remaining time.

Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black

There are windows that look out on a large courtyard, with beautiful seminary buildings encircling it. I’ve drawn their roofs and steeples in the past. But today everything was covered with featureless snow, so there wasn’t much to draw. I decided to sketch the entrance on the other side of the courtyard. Then, I drew the only other thing sticking up from the white landscape – a bicycle and trash can. See what I mean? Just like the CCR song, the sketches make little sense but they made me very happy. Hope they make you smile too.

Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black