Friday, January 29, 2016

USk-Tacoma Hosts Sketch-outs in Greater-Gig Harbor

Urban Sketchers-Tacoma is adding a third sketch-out per month to its year-round schedule of urban sketching opportunities.

First Saturdays, Second Thursdays, and Third Wednesdays: 

These are each free sketch-outings (unless we go to a location requiring an entry fee.)

ALL WHO WOULD ENJOY SKETCHING WITH US ARE WELCOME! 
Bring sketching supplies you would enjoy using.

Thursday, February 11th, from 10:00 am- 12:30 pm: 

The Harbor General Store

7804 Pioneer Way, Gig Harbor

Hwy 16 to Olympic Dr. NW--> Go right on Olympic Drive--> Go left on Soundview Drive.
 

"We sketchers will Meet & Greet at 10:00 and then disperse (or sit together) to sketch. At 12:30, we'll gather to share our sketches (It's voluntary + we never critique!) and take our usual group photo. Likely some of us will plan to order a beverage/snack to enjoy as we sketch...and will consider store displays, food & beverage choices, the store's patrons, or the view from the window possible 'models' for our sketches. We promise to bring name tags!"
Hosts: Frances Buckmaster, Mary McInnis, Feather Hilger 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Books on Urban Sketching

As both an urban sketcher and librarian, I thought it might be a good idea to combine my two passions and provide readers with a list of books related to urban sketching. I am a consummate reader and collector and, most importantly, active user of art instruction books.  
I am also mindful of the competing interests that can occur when talking about art books. We have excellent libraries here in the Pacific Northwest but we, of course, want to support our fellow artists and teachers through our purchases. One way to leverage your art instruction book dollars is to use your public library to preview works AND then support our fellow artists and authors by buying their books. 

Your public library is a great way to review books over a longer period of time. You can get a better sense of the quality and nature of instruction than simply perusing them in the bookstore or just guessing that they might be what you want from an online source.  Once you decide that you would like a particular book, (and, even as a librarian, I almost always do-since it is difficult to learn the techniques in a particular book if you have to return it in two weeks) then purchase it. And, if you can't afford to purchase every book you want, I am sure most artists would prefer that you borrow it from a library and use it to help you learn and create art.  

If the author makes the option available, I recommend purchasing directly from their website.  A good first step is to go to an author/artist's website to see how they prefer you buy their books. I also advocate using local independent bookstores whenever possible.  

For those new to urban sketching, here are four of the most popular and my personal favorites!  There is a growing number of instructional books on the topic of urban sketching. I post those below as recommendations. 



The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around The World

by Gabriel Campanario

Check out Gabi's website
http://gabicampanario.blogspot.com/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Urban-Sketching-Location/dp/1592537251




The Urban Sketcher: Techniques for Seeing and Drawing on Location

by Marc Taro Holmes

Check out Marc's website:
http://citizensketcher.com/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Urban-Sketcher-Techniques-Location/dp/1440334714



Archisketcher: Drawing Buildings, Cities and Landscapes
by Simone Ridyard

Check out Simone's website:
http://www.simoneridyard.co.uk/






Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color

by Felix Scheinberger 


Check out Felix's website:


http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Watercolor-Sketching-Painting-Storytelling/dp/0770435211



As I said, there are many others!   The four above are considered standard works in this area.  A search in your library catalog, your local bookstore or Amazon, Barnes and Noble will reveal many more! 

Here also are links to the libraries in Pierce County.  Staff there can assist you in locating the books you are interested in borrowing.  

Pierce County Library System

Tacoma Public Library

Puyallup Public Library

I will refrain from advocating one bookstore over another, but a search in Google will point you in the right direction!   

Please let me know if you are interested in learning more about books related to urban sketching by commenting below.  I would be happy to post actual reviews of newly released works if you would find this useful. Please also share your favorites in the comments section below!  

(Note: All images used with permission of the artist-author.)

Correspondent: Beverly Choltco-Devlin

 



Thursday, January 21, 2016

Children's Museum

Our sketch outing yesterday was to the Children's Museum.  It sounded like a good idea at the time.  There were lots of interesting structures to sketch. 

I arrived early... no surprise there!  I set myself up in a coffee shop across the street and sketched the interesting view through the window. 



Once there, I realized this place is more indoor playground than Museum.  There were a few dozen pre-schoolers inside. The noise level was deafening.... quite literally at the level to cause damage.   I managed one quick sketch of the structure I most wanted to see and then left the building!   My ears hurt.  This is the "Voyager"... front end looks like an old fashioned tall ship and the back end like the Star Ship Enterprise!   Of course, it was that back end that I liked.  This might not have been the best view, but I was pressed tightly into a corner to be out of the way of running children!



I again escaped to the coffee house across the street and sketched another view out the same window. 



We met back inside the museum but in the cafe area so it wasn't as noisy.  We shared our sketches and had a group photo.





If we do ever sketch here again, I'm bringing the best ear plugs I can find!

February 6 Sketch Outing


The First Saturday outing:  February 6 
Sanford & Son Antique Mall

 Sanford and Son Antique mall
743 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402

http://www.themiddlefloor.com/

Please take note of time change from the usual starting time....
We will meet at 11am just inside Sanford and Son at the door on Broadway.  When I checked in there, I found it rather chilly, so I'd advise dressing in layers.   There are 3 floors to explore with several different businesses.
There are also several other antique stores nearby. 


We'll sketch until 1:30pm.  After sharing sketches, perhaps we'll have a late lunch at a local place.  
 

Parking:
Metered parking on Saturday is $1.50 all-day.  Street parking and there is also a nearby garage:

 
You can also park for free at the Tacoma Dome parking station and take the Link (Tacoma's light rail) for free.  Get off at the last stop (The Theater District).  Look for the purple building with the green door.  You'll be entering on the lower level.  Come up to street level on Broadway to meet the group!  If you take light rail, you can either walk back down Commerce to 9th and then up the hill to Broadway OR enter the shops on Commerce and go up the stairs.

View from Commerce Street level
(by Kate Buike)

Friday, January 15, 2016

Upcoming USK workshops in Seattle

I've posted these to our workshop page (see tab above) but also want to put them in front of readers' eyes here on the main page.  





By Seattle's own Gail Wong and Frank Ching.  






 Another by Seattle's own... Stephanie Bower 


More information here on both. 

--Kate Buike

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Companion pieces

"Fine Art" - watercolor & micron
   There is something to be said about work that belongs together. In this instance when scouting a place to work I walked the town to see what was available and recognized the similar art-deco motif of architecture in some historic structures. Since I knew this was something I was interested in drawing it seemed logical to draw them as companion pieces since they were both theaters.
"Campus" -watercolor & micron
   I began the morning doing the "Fine Arts" building which took longer to get the proportions then I had planned. Though the cars never moved (there was a 2 hour parking limit) when I returned from reparking mine, the sun was quickly changing the scene with its shadows- a challenge to set and leave alone.
   For the 2nd theater I was fortunate enough to have the building facing to where the shadows didn't change as much (except on the sign and stage door). It was the afternoon so I was in the shade and it in the sun the whole time. Also having done the 1st piece in the morning had me well practiced for the 2nd effort so it went faster. -Feather
* to see more companion pieces visit:  http://gypsyartistsketchbooks.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Sketch outing Wednesday January 20

Third Wednesday Sketch-out --- January 20th, 2016---10 am-12:30 pm.

All who would enjoy sketching with us are welcome to join us!

Children’s Museum
1501 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402
 at the corner of S. 15th. St.






Entry is "Pay as you Will" which means that it is by donation only. 





The closest stop on the free Tacoma Link is the Convention Center station stop. (on Commerce.)

Nearby parking options:
The lot under the Tacoma Art Museum; Republic lots: 1305 Pacific Ave., 1498 Pacific (Umpqua Bank) or 1500 Broadway. (The Freight House garages may be an option, but fill up very early.)

Maximum on-street parking is only 90 minutes.

Lunch Location: Pacific Coffee House & Deli: in the Wells Fargo Building, 

1201 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402
(first floor, NW corner)

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Meeker Mansion at turn of the year

Despite the freezing weather with fog, 21 sketchers met at the Meeker Mansion in Puyallup this morning.  It was still beautifully decorated for Christmas.

I did two sketches with those decorations.  The first was a small clock on the wall with a set of china choristers underneath on the table.




While sketching this, I have a good conversation with Roy's grandson.  He had a lot of good, insightful, questions about drawing.  Roy had just bought him a sketchbook and pens for Christmas and he did a very good job on his sketch!



I dashed off this next sketch in the 10 minutes remaining!.  It depicts the top of the banister with holiday bow and an upstairs door with a large wreath. 



We shared sketches and then filled the stairs with our group shot.






More photos here.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Announcing that we, Tacoma, are hosting.......


We will be the hosting group for this large annual event. More info later about how you can be involved in helping! Meanwhile, there is both a Blog/website and a Facebook page with more information on what is planned for this event. 

http://4thwcuskskcrawl.blogspot.com/


https://www.facebook.com/groups/609852259154110/


(posted by Kate Buike)