16.8.12

Some sketches today while on Cal Train to San Francisco. Some sketches are not meant to be in there. But it is all part of the learning experience! I noticed I tend to go towards faces that wears glasses (so I can avoid drawing the eye) or faces where I can't see their eyes. Well, I gotta start somewhere. As my professor always said, "On and up!"

That ah-ha moment

I can't say that I'm not proud of my attempt at sketching people on the bus! I needed to get out of the house to sketch and since I don't have a car right now, I took the SamTrans to Downtown San Mateo. It's a shame no one rides the bus. You don't have to drive, it's air conditioned, and you can nap (as I sketch you of course). But it being 20 minutes late PLUS it took 30 more minutes than how long it would take for a car to get there, I understand why many choose cars over buses. Anyways it's all for fun. 

The bus was nice and empty so I took a seat in the middle and sketched the passengers in front of me. Few things I learned as I stated in that sketch: sketch what you see, eyes to pen, make it quick, add details after. While I studied in Italy, my professor for life drawing/sketching told us to draw what you see, not what you think you see. 'Keep your eye on the subject. Once that eye leaves the subject you start to imagine things that's really not there and soon your drawing looks nothing like the subject. ' That's exactly what I did and this is what I got. 

Then I got to Peet's coffee to work on my cover letter and once I needed a break, sketched a few people there. This grandpa impressed me with his laptop. 

So the first two sketches were in this dark grey fine pen that I bought yesterday. Maybe I gravitate more towards the grey pen because it doesn't look so permanent as the black... This time I tried using a thick black pen (.6) to really penetrate the paper with. 

So after I finished my sketches, I was comparing them and I really liked the work that had less lines in. The grandpa sketch has more strokes and the other two don't. The lines were more concrete and defined, while the grandpa one seemed like I was unsure. I remember another professor of mine looking at my sketches from before telling me I need less lines to produce my sketch. Got it.

Pardon

...my absence. I was in Hawaii for about a month and these are the two sketches I did until I lost my pens (somehow, or possibly stolen) in the mess. Here is my first sketch full of energy: a sketch on the plane ride there. I don't know how some sketchers sketch the passengers on planes/buses/trains; I probably would freak them out if I kept staring at them. I especially like that seatbelt... It really is hangin'

My days were spent with various combinations of surfing, napping, eating, tanning, working, shopping, and hanging out with friends. A sketch of the view (opposite from the ocean) while I was tanning in Waikiki:

And then I lost my pens... I don't know how but I kept them on the side pocket of my small backpack and went out so either it fell out or someone just decided to 'borrow' them. No excuses really but ball point pens really aren't my favorites. So instead I enjoyed my time in Hawaii until I came back. 

Since I don't have my car here in the Bay Area either I am stuck with using public transportation. I'm starting to notice that Caltrains does a good job at dropping you off at really convenient locations where there's some life in the town. So today I took the Caltrains to California Avenue in Palo Alto. That street were homes to some nice cafes, Mollie Stone's grocery store, restaurants, thrift store, book store, and I randomly found an art store (Accent Arts)! Happy to see one I went in and dove into the world of art supplies. I got three pens and after I ran a few errands I found a nice little area to sit and sketch as I waited for my train back home. I remember reading a post on someone's blog about including the white space (I'll have to find that blog/post) so this was my attempt at it. Also wanted to try all three of my new pens so this is the final outcome. 

SO! Back to the daily routine in California..

In Claremont, again.

I visited Some Crust in Claremont again. Their egg sliders sure are addicting plus the fact that my fridge is empty because I'm jetting off tomorrow for a month made it an even better excuse for me to visit.

Quick sketch of the day today. Ten minutes. Was about to sketch the same thing from the previous post, since I was devouring the egg sliders at the same counter, but my eyes wandered right and this building of California Bank (and trust?) building came into view. Wooden structure served as the main entrance and other wood structures surrounding this rectangular building. Intricate buildings that evoke thoughts about how crazy this architect or designer was (ie Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry) while holding ground of his view and beliefs are what we are attracted to because it's something different (and don't we all love something new and different.. ie technology these days) but sometimes it's a nice break to see some calm blocks of bricks or cement with proper landscape planted around it. Anyways I feel like my words aren't making sense now. 

The wooden structure as the main entrance (I think it's the main entrance) reminded me of the days that I spent hours on AutoCAD drawing wooden decks, trellises, and railings for my landscape architecture class. Now, drawing this in AutoCAD was easy but now sketching it was another story. The trellis in my mind and what I see somehow got mixed up in my brain as it transferred to my sketchbook. Ah the beauty  of sketching - this is my interpretation of what I see. Practice will get me closer the definition of 'my signature look' and I will get the hang of it. 

I also took some notes about Some Crust. 'Oh wow this place has a happy hour let me take note in my mind that will forget in the next few hours'. I mean, I'm never around Claremont at that time but maybe now this will give me an excuse to go visit. And it's summer time when it's still nice and bright at 6 (no, not 7, an hour before closing is happy hour)

Packing for my trip, maybe a post on that next. Amateur, beginner, cheap, urban sketcher's packing list.. 

In Claremont

Went to Claremont today for their farmers market only to realize I didnt have cash or my ATM card. Went to Some Crust Bakery to feel better and ordered delicious egg/veggie sliders and coffee. That long strip of paper is the order form that I took so I can continue to dream about the countless pairings for a delicious egg slider. Choose egg or veggie, bread, two fillings, and sauce. Meats and avocado become extra $. Remember to mark ‘sauce on side’ next time. I got an egg slider on rosemary bread with spinach, tomato, and pesto sauce and a veggie slider on rosemary bread with bell peppers, red onions, and garlic aioli sauce. Their veggie slider is good (or that sauce was so bomb) but something about the egg, you know that taste that veggies can’t simply capture. Both are delicious and at two bucks a pop you cannot go wrong.

This sketch was done while in Some Crust and looking out their window. The silhouettes I put in, the child is too weird (well because I made it up) and people kept on walking by so this is my attempt at trying to draw a moving silhouette. People are definitely hard to draw! Then I spilled coffee (note to self to dab at it with a napkin instead of wiping it off with hand) and so that’s what the weird stain is all about. Cars are a bit too awkward, should’ve put that silhouette in front of that car on the left because I enjoyed how my truck came out. Maybe put in more detail in the roads and the background buildings. Gain more confidence to sketch in public without the feel of rushing because of possible onlookers judging my sketch…. 

here goes.

Going to start posting my sketches here. Still a beginner but I believe practice will help me improve. Sketching really captures the moment, allows me to pay more attention to detail, and gives that moment of time where I am in my own world interpreting what I see in front of me. I hope that this blog will help me become a better sketcher and will also encourage me to sketch on a daily basis. You gotta start somewhere right? Let's see where this will take me.