Thursday, November 20, 2014

Minimal Sketch Kit

When I first went urban sketching I brought way too many things with me the first few sketch outings. I wasn't sure what was 'normal' for an urban sketcher to have along out there in the wilds of the urban setting.

I also worried because I wasn't  sure what supplies I might want or need to actually use, so I brought several grades of hardness in lead pencils, sharpeners, mechanical pencils, extra leads, several kinds of erasers, masking tape,  bungy cords (not sure what for), pens of all sorts, watercolors-and palette-and water jug (a too large water jug), colored pencils, and, several kinds of small and large sketchbooks. 

I prepared myself for changes in weather, both in the layers I was wearing...and in the supplemental garments to be found in my sturdy rolling cart. I was ready for wounds, hunger, mapping my journey, taking out trash, having a place to sit, a way to clean hands, preventing sun burns and mosquito bites...and....the list was longer, but I'm too embarrassed to go on listing items.

My first urban sketcher lesson learned: One's gear will be heavy if one's packing philosophy includes the phrase 'just in case.' 

So, now I try to be a minimalist. I decide what supplies I would enjoy using this particular day...and that is what I will happily use no matter where I wind up or what I find to sketch. I try to limit myself to what will fit in my pockets, though admittedly, I have some jackets and vests with good-sized pockets. Second-hand shops are great for garments like that.
This is one of my smaller sketch kits: black and white ink pens, a mechanical pencil, an eraser. One pen is missing, because I used it to make this sketch.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Hotel Murano



 (Above: The entrance of the Hotel Murano, the bar in the lobby (which serves coffee in the morning) and, a beautiful glass sculpture, also found in the lobby of the hotel.)

These are some of the sketches I completed at our first sketching outing since we learned  we had met all the requirements to become an official member of the worldwide Urban Sketchers movement. We are very excited to have achieved this, and hope you join us for our upcoming sketch outings in the months and years ahead, on the first Saturday of each month from 10 am to 12:30. (With occasional ad hoc outings on other days and other times of day.) Simply watch this blog for updates on our outings!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

First outing as an Official USK Group

Urban Sketchers Tacoma had our first outing as an officially recognized Urban Sketchers group on Saturday, 1 Nov 2014!  We still have a ways to go to be up and running on the USk website.  We've been meeting, though, since June 2013.

We met at the Hotel Murano The hotel is known for it's art collection and unique decor.
Details on the collection are here  It was a wonderful place to sketch!  Thank you to Keri Porritt, one of the Operations Managers,  for coordinating with us.  She also offered us a lunch reservation, which we accepted.  It was delightful!


The glass Viking Boats caught my eye immediately.


I was so amused by the lamp as life sized horse that I sketched it twice.
First sketch of the horse is a straight-on side view.

and then from the back end.
Sharing sketches


Here is our first group photo as an official Urban Sketchers group!


I made a lot of photo images around this beautiful hotel.  They are all here. 

Sketching in Denny's

Two sisters and a baby having breakfast at Denny's in Puyallup.Winter clothes--now that November has brought a bit of rain and chill to the area. Pentalic Sketchbook; Sigma Micron .01 pen.