Description

Stretch your visual art muscles by learning how to sketch on black paper in Sketching on the Dark Side, a workshop that presents challenges to traditional visual interpretation. David Roberts returns this year to show you how to create a vibrant colorful sketch with drawing exercises on black paper. We will learn how to look at our subjects in reverse and build the sketch beginning with light edges, surfaces and reflections. Traditionally we use dark pencil/marker/paint to fill in shade and shadow on white surfaces to describe our subjects; when working on black paper, we use white and light colors on a black surface to describe light on or from our subjects. 

Distance to sketching location: 0.1 mile
Average walking time: 1 minute

Supply List

• Black drawing paper: listed types will work well, and there are other quality black papers available.
• Be aware! The cheapest black paper available does NOT yield quality results, and will fade quickly
• Blick Art typically stocks several brands and sizes.
  • Canson Mi-Tientes – pad or single sheets. Paper has a nice texture for soft pencil layering and shading
  • Fabriano – pad; various  sizes. High quality paper has a smooth surface for a harder pencil application
  • Stillman & Birn – bound sketch book. High quality paper has a surface in between the other options. It comes bound in a sketchbook format. 
• White pencils
  • White pencil – my favorite is Caran d’ache SupraColor II soft. I like a pencil that bites well and can also softly shade using the side. Bring several types of white pencils if you can, and you will discover your own sketch eye and style.
• Color pencils – Caran d’ache SupraColor II soft. Note: Any quality color pencils will work well
• White pens
  • White GellyRoll Pen Sakura – 8 or 10 for occasional highlights/accents
  • Faber Castell – Pitt Artist Pen – White 101 – bullet nib and/or brush tip
• Black pen/market
  • Micron or equivalent small/medium/large tips. For occasional editing of white marks.
• Eraser
• Pencil sharpener and razor blade

NOTE: I suggest testing pencils and pens in store on black paper before buying when possible.

Optional Supplies

• Color Pens
  • Color GellyRoll Pen Sakura – 8 or 10 yellow, green, red, blue. for occasional highlights/accents

Description

Trees play a vital role in creating a harmonious balance between urban development and the environment. However, trees can be a challenge to urban sketchers. In “Sketch Trees in an Urban Context, Jing Zhang explores techniques for drawing trees in an urban context, specifically in the vibrant city of Chicago. By understanding the interplay of foreground and background, participants will learn how to incorporate trees into their urban sketches to add depth, character, and a touch of nature to their artwork.

Distance to sketching location: 0.1 mile
Average walking time: 1 minute

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Learn skills needed to confidently draw trees 
• Understand the foreground/background concept to compose a drawing
• Explore various media/techniques

Supply List

• Dip pen and brown waterproof ink
• Paper/Sketchbook – Watercolor papers are recommended
• Watercolor set

Optional Supplies

• Dip pen and brown waterproof ink
• Paper/Sketchbook – Watercolor papers are recommended
• Watercolor set
• Watercolor pencils
• Acrylic makers

Description

Create great compositions with high contrast in “The Value of Composition.” Joel Berman will show participants how to quickly map out the fundamental elements of the sketch at the beginning of the process in order to cultivate an extraordinary final sketch. The course will stress a formulaic approach to developing compositions, using thumbnail studies with immersive exercises in value and contrast.

Distance to sketching location: 1.5 miles
Average walking time: 40 minutes (includes walking to various sketching locations during the workshop)

Supply List

• Pencils: 3b / hb / 2h
• Pencil Sharpener
• Black Sharpie
• 8 1/2 x 11 drawing paper pad

Optional Supplies

• Pens

Description

Experience the joy of using soft pastel sticks to create quick, powerful urban sketches. You’ll go directly from pigment to paper as instructor Ken Czech shows you how to employ various techniques to achieve desired effects. Suitable for beginners as well as experienced pastel artists, participants will learn mark-making, composition and styles of approach for subjects including buildings, landscapes and people.

Distance to sketching location: None
Average walking time: None

Supply List

• A selection of soft-pastel sticks, maybe 6-8, including lights and darks
• Small sheets of pastel paper cut to size (about 8×10)
•  Stick of vine charcoal for sketch layouts on paper
• A sketchbook with a stiff cover or backing board to support the paper
• This is a new course; more supply details to come

Description

Urban sketching is more than just drawing; it’s a unique way of engaging with the world around us. From iconic cityscapes to hidden gems tucked away in alleyways, urban sketching captures the spirit and character of a place like no other. In this workshop, Kris Van Stockum will show you how to demystify the art of sketching, breaking it down into manageable and enjoyable steps. You’ll delve into the essential techniques that form the basics of urban sketching, starting with foundational skills and mindset needed to tackle any urban landscape.

If you’re new to urban sketching and want to learn easy-to-understand steps, capture the energy of the urban environment and develop confidence in your sketching abilities, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in together and discover the exhilaration of sketching confidently on location!

Distance to sketching location: .3 mile
Average walking time: 7 minutes

Supply List

• Sketchbook or 2-3 loose sheets of watercolor paper (no bigger than 8×10); 140 lb paper works well
• Watercolors – any existing palette will work
• Water brush or conventional watercolor brush
• Spray mister filled with water
• Container for water (for the watercolor part of the workshop)
• Waterproof (not permanent!) fine liners, such as Micron. I like Micron’s PN nib.

Description

Interesting elements such as doors, windows, trim, ornament, and portions of a building can get overlooked while sketching the entire structure. In this workshop, Instructor Mark Jones will show how to focus on sketching building features. Capturing these elements on a larger scale or simply by themselves creates an emphasis on them and creates a different perspective and subject focus.

Distance to sketching location: 0.1 mile
Average walking time: 1 minute

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Learn how to observe and focus on the different building elements.
• Learn how to capture the character of a building without having to draw the entire building

Supply List

• Participants are encouraged to use the format and materials they are most familiar with
• Sketchbook
• Small stool or chair

Description

Sketching a complex scene can be intimidating, but the COLOR First Ink Later approach from Mike Daikubara can make it easy to create vibrant, dynamic and fun sketches! Instead of line work followed by adding color, broad watercolor washes of loose color are applied first using a mop brush and line is added later. This approach ultimately makes it easier and less intimidating to get started and you’ll quickly find that the colors will perform their magic by mixing on their own on the paper. Once the initial layer of the color wash has dried, the sketch is brought to life with ink, additional colors and highlights– all using limited tools in a limited amount of time. The workshop is based on the sequel to Mike’s book “Sketch NOW Think LATER,” and is perfect for beginners as well as more for more experienced sketchers.

Distance to sketching location: .3 mile
Average walking time: 7 minutes

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Learn how to immediately jump into a sketch with broad watercolor washes without hesitation
• Learn to stop trying to control detail by applying colors first in direct water color
• Discover how colors will help you add ink in the following phase
• Bring focus to the sketch story line work, additional colors and highlights, resulting in a rewarding sketch

Supply List

• Sketchbook with paper thick enough to be able to handle lots of water. My personal favorite is the Stillman & Birn Beta series with thicker paper appropriate for use with water media.
• Pen –  Waterproof ballpoint pen, felt tip pen or fountain pen. I enjoy using the Uni Ball Signo 0.38 Black pen
• Mop brush – My favorite is the Davinci #2 mop brush but any brush that can hold lots of water works well.
• Small water container ( I use a Nalgene 2 oz container but any small container/ jar will work)
• Water brush – One brush will easily last a couple of years! Medium tip is a nice size.
• Grey brush pens – Tombow brush pens (N75, N65, N55) are perfect for adding 3 grey values
• White ink – Sakura Gelly Roll and Uni Posca White
• Watercolor kit –  Any water kit is fine, but if you do not have one, a nice intro kit can be purchased from Sakura Koi. I used the Koi for years, but then later have continued to use the outer case with colors removed and with new colors added in from Holbein.

Optional Supplies

• All of my personal favorite Urban Sketching supplies are listed here:
  Miked’s Urban Sketching Supplies (Amazon)

Description

Gouache is an amazing medium for urban sketching, and instructor Rachel Pasch Grossman returns to show participants about its excellent qualities. With just a few exercises and tips, you will learn about the quirks as well as the advantages of gouache in capturing the urban landscape quickly and confidently.

Distance to sketching location: 0.1 mile
Average walking time: 1 minute

Learning Goals

• In this workshop, participants will: 
• Learn how to control the all-important paint-to-water ratio
• Discover how to approach a scene thinking about shape instead of lines
• Understand the pros and cons of gouache as a medium, especially for urban sketchers

Supply List

• Large sketchbook with minimum 100 lb (150 gsm) paper
• 3/4” flat synthetic brush and small round synthetic brush
• Tubes of gouache: yellow, ultramarine, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, white (Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, Holbein, or M Graham)
• A small stool or chair

In this class, I loan each student a gouache setup, which includes a board, a palette, a water cup, some clips and a rag. I also give each student a few inexpensive cardboard coasters to paint on.

Description

How do you tell a good story with limited time and tools while drawing in a busy place? In this workshop, instructor Rita Sabler will introduce you to the basic ingredients of a visual story and teach you how to put together one of your own using a simple formula. You will be learning how to capture the essence of what is going on using a handmade accordion sketchbook or a larger sketchbook spread.

Distance to sketching location:
0.2 mile
Average walking time:
4 minutes

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Get an overview of how urban sketchers can approach visual storytelling in this condensed introduction. A handout outlining the key concepts will be provided.. 
• Understand what makes a visual story
• Learn how to communicate the sense of place and time in drawing
• Choose a protagonist
• Learn one simple formula for choosing what to draw in order to tell a story
• Design and compose your story on a page or concertina

Supply List

• Favorite line making tools: Graphite pencil or black ink pens with waterproof ink (Artist Pitt pen by Faber-Castell or similar)
• Inexpensive sketch pad for quick studies and exercises (Clairefontaine Crok’ Book 8″ x 12″ Sketch Pad or similar)
• A sheet of watercolor paper that could be folded into a concertina (no bigger than 48 cm x 20 cm) or a landscape sketchbook with a double spread of at least 48 cm. Alternatively, students can create a concertina with these dimensions using small sheets of paper following this tutorial
• Pentel Water Brush with large round tip
• Portable watercolor box with lots of surface for mixing and favorite watercolors
• Watercolors (can be purchased in tubes and squeezed into half pans, student grade watercolors are fine)

Optional Supplies

• Color pencils, not watercolor
• Portable sketching stool

Description

Learn how to draw people in motion in “Dynamic Stories with People Movement and Time,” a workshop from Suhita Shirodkhar that explores gesture drawing, basic proportions and perspective. We will sketch people’s movements and actions to capture dynamic stories that unfold over the passage of time.

Distance to sketching location: 0.2 mile
Average walking time: 4 minutes

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Learn how to draw people in motion, including gesture drawing, basic proportions and capturing bodies in motion.
• Explore drawing a crowd, including understanding a crowd in relation to perspective, relationships between people and the sketcher’s point-of-view
• Learn how to capture time in sketches, including overlapped figures, incomplete figures and one person in multiple poses to describe a sequence of actions. (This is a “stretch goal” that participants can grapple with if they want to take on an extra challenge.)

Supply List

• Your regular sketchbook
• Variable line tool – I like to use a brush pen, but you can also use a very soft (6B or 8B) pencil or any mark-making tool that makes thick and thin marks.
• Any pen with waterproof ink
• 3-4 colored pencils, any brand
• Any coloring medium –  wet and dry media all work (I will use watercolor)
• For the final exercise I will hand out a larger sheet of paper for those that would like to explore a bigger sketch.

Description

Thumbnailing is often called a beginner’s tool. This workshop by Uma Kelkar will revive its use as a valuable problem solving method, especially for sketchers who are overwhelmed or stuck in the process. At the end of the workshop, participants will have a “Manual for Experimentation” that can help them to restore their practices and get unstuck from either a confusing scene or too many choices. Because participants work with postcard-sized thumbnails, the sketch from start to semi-finished can be quickly repeated to unlock the thought process. This workshop is also open to digital artists.

Distance to sketching location: 0.4 mile
Average walking time: 8 minutes

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Learn how to pick the biggest shapes for the most attractive composition
• Show how to add distance (volume) to a sketch, even with just 2 large shapes and 2 colors
• Learn how to isolate either the focal plane or focal quadrant for the addition of highlights

Supply List

• This workshop is open to digital artists if they would like to participate (bring charged iPads).
• Sketching paper for initial pencil/marker sketches
• Watercolor sketchbook
• Pencil and Markers. If only getting pencils, get 4B/6B. Black markers, such as Tombow.
• Watercolors, limited palette preferred, tube paints (no cakes)
• Brushes: medium round (size 10 or 12) and a small round brush (size 2). Uma will use mops. For mop brushes, the size is #2 for the medium and 0 for the smallest
• Tube of white watercolor/gouache
• Stool

Description

When urban sketchers capture the architecture and surrounding landscapes of an urban scene, vehicles are a very important member of the supporting cast. Vehicles in an urban setting may include cars, trucks, delivery vehicles, construction equipment and buses. Instructor Wes Douglas will show participants how they can add those urban vehicles to their urban sketches in a way that contributes to the personality and beauty of their drawings, without having to stress out about the specific make and model of the vehicle.

Distance to sketching location: 0.2 mile
Average walking time: 3 minutes

Learning Goals

In this workshop, participants will: 

• Hone individual observation skills
• Apply the “Rule of 3s” to ensure proper vehicle proportions
• Select and analyze a vehicle to help match the angle with the view of the scene
• Learn how to sketch at different speeds to capture key details
• Magnify important details to help communicate the vehicle’s personality
• Build the art of storytelling through visual media

Supply List

• Sketchbook, at least 8” x 10” and something to draw with
• I use markers and will be happy to give tips and tricks to students wishing additional help with markers but if they are comfortable with pen and ink or watercolors, these will also work just fine.
• As with all Sketch Seminar workshops, some walking will be necessary.
• Portable stool