The View From The Car

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Larry Marshall

I rarely sketch from a vehicle as others do. Truth is, I rarely have a vehicle available to me. But a few days ago, with rain stifling my ability to walk and sketch outdoors, I went to Ile d’Orleans with my daughter. We parked in front of the Boulange and after consuming one of their great pastries we got in the car and started to sketch.

The cadence of our activity was interesting. Scribble, scribble, turn-the-windshield-wiper-on/off, scribble, scribble. We had a great time, though I suspect most would think us nuts. This is what I drew.

Stillman & Birn Beta (6x9), Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

Stillman & Birn Beta (6×9), Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

I was asked several times this weekend what watercolors I use and I have to admit that I rarely mention them on this blog. I’m more of a line guy than a color guy and so it never crosses my mind to mention it. But, it is the case that I use Daniel Smith watercolors almost exclusively. I switched from Winsor & Newton about six months ago.

Outdoor Car Show Sketching

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Larry Marshall

Last weekend I went to a large, outdoor car show in the park at Montmorency Falls, just east of Quebec City. This is a show of hundreds of cars with thousands of people paying their eight bucks to look at them.

I mention this because people who haven’t done much location sketching often express how they’d be afraid to sketch in public. I always respond with “people interaction is one of the best things about location sketching because only nice people ever talk to you and the interactions are always fun.”

I have to revise that view just a little bit. Am I a bad person for getting annoyed at LOTS of people being really nice? I started sketching and because there were so many people telling me how talented I was, asking if I was an artist, and telling me that they couldn’t draw, that I had a hard time actually getting any sketching accomplished. Still, it was a great day and the people were wonderful.

I’m old, so ‘cool car’ means cars that existed when I was a kid. In 1956 I was eight years old and Ford Fairlanes were everywhere. And so, with every car imaginable on display, it was nature for me to find a ’56 Fairlane to draw. I sort of messed up the wheels but otherwise I was happy with this result.

Stillman & Birn Gamma, Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

After attracting more than my share of observers while doing that long sketch, I decided a better tactic might be to wander around, drawing pieces of cars. That was fun too and I did this page. I didn’t complete the ’30s Ford front end as, well, I was getting really hungry and I would have had to stand in line for an hour to get something to eat. I didn’t have the patience for that so I decided to go home.

Stillman & Birn Gamma (10x7), Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

Stillman & Birn Gamma (10×7), Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

Tina Koyama Limited Edition Sketchbook

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Larry Marshall

I’m a lucky guy. Tina Koyama sent me one of her small sketchbooks. She makes these from light watercolor paper and endows them with creative covers. Now that I’ve used one, I know why all photos of her exhibit a big smile.

I’ve only done half a dozen sketches in this 4×6 book but it’s really fun to use and the paper holds up nicely to my pointy devices. It’s a single 5-sheet signature, providing 20, 4×6 sketch surfaces in a very small, light footprint.

My first use was to quickly sketch this odd metal sculpture. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to represent but I guess it represents it. No matter, it gave me a chance to scribble in the book and slop on a bit of watercolor.

And then it rained. It’s still acting like spring here and I was cloistered behind windows, limiting both my spirits and sketching subjects.

Across the street was this digger, so I drew it. I should have turned the book and drawn across the long dimension but I didn’t so this image is pretty small. Still, it was fun to let the Namiki Falcon wander around for a while.

This last sketch was done while I was out for a long walk. For some reason I was in the mood for a large scene when I walked through the park at Pointe de Lievre, so I plunked my butt on a picnic bench and quickly sketched this and used a waterbrush filled with dilute ink to shade it a bit. I deemed it a good use of 15 minutes.

I’m really enjoying Tina’s tiny sketchbook. I’m not sure she has convinced me to spend a lot of time making my own as I’d need to make a lot of them given the way I use small sketchbooks, but she’s nudged me a bit closer to the edge.

Sketching At Caleshes Quebec

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Larry Marshall

While the mayor of New York wants to eliminate the horse-drawn carriages from Central Park, Quebec embraces them. They are part of our tourist trade and are responsible for relieving tourists from around the world of their money. They also provide an ambiance that is pretty darn special.

I was excited to learn that one of the members of Le Collectif had arranged for us to get a couple hours to sketch at Caleches Quebec and their stable area. It was more than a bit cool the morning we met and I wished I’d worn a jacket, but it didn’t dampen my spirits. There were ten or more of us, sitting in the paddock area, trying to draw the horses who were wandering around in the pasture. I’d drawn a horse statue before but never horses. I definitely need more practice.

Stillman & Birn Gamma, Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

Poor horses. Every one of them looked better than I depicted them. Here’s a couple more partial sketches.

Practice, practice, practice. Before leaving I decided that I should capture something of the place so I walked out to the entrance and drew the view as you enter the area. It was a wonderful day but please, don’t tell the horses how poorly I drew them. I hang out with these guys all summer as we both march around the old city, me sketching and them making tourists happy.

Stillman & Birn Gamma, Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black

Today I Sketched A Toilet

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Larry Marshall

Several of us went sketching at Parc des Braves in Quebec City. I love this park. Aside from its towering monument at the entrance, this park is nothing more than grass, picnic benches and a lot of trees. Still, I love it because it’s so quiet.

A very busy street runs in front of the park but when you enter, the first thing you have to do is descend below street level. From there the park slopes away from the head end of the park. This micro-geography causes the park to be devoid of any city sounds, leaving one to enjoy the tranquility of the park.

When it comes to sketching subjects, the logical choice is the large monument tower that commemorates fallen soldiers but I just wasn’t in the mood for that. Instead I decided to draw the toilet. Doesn’t everyone draw toilets? Urban sketchers do – don’t they? Anyways, here is the Parc des Brave toilet.

Stillman & Birn Gamma (10×7), Namiki Falcon, De Atramentis Document Black