Skip to main content

Urban Sketching


To the victims of the recent tragedy in France, peace, prayers and blessings!



____________________________________________________________________________________




Breakfast at the bar

This is my first experience of coffee shop sketching, I've been wanting to try for a while. I imagined a happy scenario, and many sketches would come out of it. Unfortunately the waitress cleared my table before I was able to say anything, oh well... people smoking and sitting with friends are allowed to linger longer. My sketch above is what I was able to get down. I'm happy with the gestural line and the few colors I managed to capture. I wanted to go back in and work on the cup more but it being an exceptionally foggy morning, nothing was drying.


 A "quiet" side street in Rome

Afterwards I transferred to a side street. I wasted valuable time finding an out of the way place to sketch. It is not an easy task in Rome.  Parked cars leave, people constantly walk around you. It seems no matter where you are, YOU are in someone's way. The balancing of my materials was also quite hard while trying not to get dirty. I do have a tendency to spill paint on myself or end up with ink all over my fingers. Rome is so colorful and offers many possibilities to sketch. Perspective is difficult because there is so much to include sometimes, building upon building.  I especially find the balconies hard to do but love the hanging laundry or potted plants. Maybe next time I will just focus on one...


  while on the metro


A fun challenge is to draw a passenger while riding the metro.  You never know when they are getting off! This one took me four stops. I've noticed men are more reluctant to notice you sketching them while women realize it immediately. This gentleman was reading an actual book with pages, it's nice to see people do this...


Crab on the beach

Peace was found when a tiny crab washed up to shore on the beach. Best experience of all, listening to the waves, enjoying the solitude away from the hustle and bustle of city living. 

One never knows what will happen while out sketching. It is a great exercise in observation of the surroundings. Indeed, the coffee shop has not seen the last of me!


Labels:

Comments

  1. Manon,Stéph♡Mia17 November 2015 at 22:56

    Bonsoir Celia,
    Tes Esquisses sont tous vraiment très beaux et le petit crabe est mignon comme tout!

    Bisous

    Manon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Judy17 November 2015 at 23:32

    Great sketches, Celia! Brave to sketch in public, especially if people are aware of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco23 November 2015 at 11:37

      I try to not be obvious, it makes me uncomfortable. Thank you so much Judy!

      Delete
  3. hmuxo18 November 2015 at 04:18

    Beautiful sketches and a lovely tribute to the people in France!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jane18 November 2015 at 08:47

    You are very brave and you did some great works in difficult situations. Really like your breakfast sketch and the intent look on the face of the man reading :-) Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco23 November 2015 at 11:40

      Thank you Jane, I appreciate the encouragement!! Hugs

      Delete
  5. Catharina Engberg18 November 2015 at 12:40

    Enjoyed your paintings and sketches. I´ve scrolled down many posts not to miss any ;) I also have my paints and papers on the worktable again now :) so you will soon be able to see the result of my Jeopard.
    Take care!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco23 November 2015 at 11:41

      I am looking forward to seeing your work, Catharina! I'm so happy you visited my older posts as well, thank you!

      Delete
  6. Carmella Tuliszewski18 November 2015 at 14:42

    Such an impressive array of sketches in difficult situations! I used to sketch around Philadelphia years ago. I parked myself in front of Independence Hall and sketched the whole structure always with a crowd around me. City sketching is a challenge which you rose to beautifully! Your side street sketch is especially good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco23 November 2015 at 11:45

      You are very kind Carmella! I really need to work on architectural sketching, it is something I would like to improve upon. I can imagine your awesome sketches!

      Delete
  7. Deborah Nolan18 November 2015 at 16:39

    Celia I join you friend regarding prayers for France.
    Your sketches are delightful. The sketch of the gentleman is especially great. Smiled when you said he was reading an actual book. I so relate. So glad you shared. Have a blessed day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco23 November 2015 at 11:46

      I'm happy you like my post, Debbie! Thank you!!

      Delete
  8. Barbra Joan18 November 2015 at 17:45

    Celia, we are both at the same place ...except you do so much better.
    I got into this sketching after finding the blogs of Liz Steel... I'm betting you know about her.. but now she is such a pro, getting hard to follow...
    LOL ! Your doing wonderful.... I look forward to more .
    hugs, Barbra Joan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco26 November 2015 at 12:10

      I love her loose style, she works tirelessly, very inspiring person, but then again so are you! Thank you so much for the kind words and visit! I am looking forward to the completed lighthouse painting! :-)

      Delete
  9. Barbra Joan18 November 2015 at 17:47

    oh ! sorry Celia ! I now see you DO follow Liz Steel too. !!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lorraine Brown18 November 2015 at 21:18

    Great sketches Celia, bravo you for getting out there with all of the cities obstacles. I have never even tried

    ReplyDelete
  11. Joan Tavolott18 November 2015 at 23:08

    Nice collection of sketches. I think it is much easier to sketch in a coffee shop if you are at a table with another sketches and you linger for a while. Your cup and spoon and your snack came out really nice. I have trouble with the snack part...it always disappears too quickly. lol Glad you are getting out to sketch en plein air. The more you do it, the easier it is to balance the materials and ignore the people around you. Good for you that you sketched on the Metro. It is always a challenge because you never know how long the person will be there.

    Lovely tribute to the people of France. I hesitate to watch the news because there is so much going on there and other places in the world...so much violence, and hearbreak, and intolerance. It is a difficult world we live in. Peace to all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco26 November 2015 at 12:13

      Mine disappeared rather fast too and I usually take a picture before but forgot this time! I want to try going with one of my daughters, hopefully they will be willing! It is fun and I like the challenge. Thanks for the visit Joan!

      Delete
  12. juliefordoliver.blogspot.com19 November 2015 at 06:06

    What a lovely post - tinged with sadness about France, but I enjoyed your words as much as the sketches. Uplifting - thank you Celia.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Polly Birchall19 November 2015 at 08:32

    These are really good. Great thing to do, hope you do more and more.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ann19 November 2015 at 16:47

    Wonderful sketches! There is so much life in them. I wish I could join you on your sketch outings, what a vibrant place it must be. Lovely tribute too. Light, life and hope for peace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco26 November 2015 at 12:17

      That would be fun Ann and I would love it! Rome is a crazy city but offers great inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. Helen H Trachy21 November 2015 at 03:56

    This urban sketching thing agrees with you Celia! Great sketches and you had fun, that's not to be neglected. I admire your going out on the field.
    I join you in your prayers for peace. Hugs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco26 November 2015 at 12:18

      Thank you Helen, I love to sketch. I always learn something new!

      Delete
  16. Laura Leeder23 November 2015 at 18:26

    Celia, thank you for sharing not only your delightful sketches but your impressions of the activity around you! I found myself wanting to follow you around and take it all in..... Bowing my head for France.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco26 November 2015 at 12:19

      That really makes me happy, thank you Laura! Hugs

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Happy 2015!!

 Clementine watercolor on paper  20x14 cm.   I am very excited to start off the new year because of the opportunity to focus on what lies ahead. My  goals for the coming months include many positive wishes!  I have written out a physical list for the first time in my sketchbook  to be able to draw a balance at the end. My first painting of the year is a clementine. The contrasting colors and the long shapes of the leaves  are always fun to paint; the fruit's taste is definitively delicious and brightens the dreary winter. I wish all of you a joyful, creative year! Happy 2015!
56 comments
Read more

Parsley

Parsley watercolor on Garza Papel paper 20x14 cm. 300 grs Parsley is my favorite herb, I always keep a pot close to my kitchen. It is an interesting subject to improve leaf painting skills. I did minimal prelimanary drawing to keep the painting spontaneous. I focused on layering the shapes and observing the fresh colors in front of me.  I found parsley leaves fun to paint and instrumental in gaining more awareness and control when painting leaves! working from life is always my favorite! finding the right mix of color I can't believe this is my 100th post. Thanks for stopping by!
43 comments
Read more

Pansies

 Pansies with Lemon  watercolor on cold pressed Daler Rowney paper  10" x 10" / 25 x 25 cm.  Available I wished to paint the happy faces of the pansies I planted earlier in the fall. They are hardy plants, lasting through the winter on my balcony. Soon I will have to pull them out and replace them with petunias or begonias, but not for another month. I love the different shades of purple and had fun mixing my own. I hope everyone is having a nice week!
45 comments
Read more