Workshop description
Most location sketches are a carefully cropped view of a larger scene. We often like to focus on visually interesting scenes and vignettes, selecting and editing our compositions carefully. But what if we pull back, and try to put it *all* down on paper? How does one describe your entire field of view, which is a lot of visual information, within the restricting confines of the rectangular sketchbook page?
This workshop will meet on location in New York City. (Brief periods of travel will be required) Locations TBD
Morning Session 10:00 am – 1:00 pm / Lunch 1:00 – 2:00 / Afternoon Session 2:00 pm – 5 pm
In this workshop we will learn how to “build” space either from the outside-in or from the inside-out, even using yourself as a reference point included within the drawing. By constructing an imaginary grid, you can work further out into the space away from your immediate location, including a surprising amount of your field of view and cataloguing quite a bit of what you see. Also, by locating information in the right spots and with the right proportions, the space in your sketch will appear more convincing and rational, even if you have no training with “proper” linear perspective.
Learning goals
That it’s okay to be ambitious. Don’t be intimidated by scale or scope; try to find a way to capture it all.
Better understanding proportion and location. By accurately describing proportion and relative scale of subjects in your field of view, you’ll be able to make your spatial relationships feel convincing and rational.
Learning to economize. In a big, inclusive composition, it’s important to explore how much you can describe visually in fewer lines or marks.
Perspective? What you don’t know can’t necessarily hurt you. Topsy-turvy and curvy perspective aren’t always bad things, and they can often lead to a great sketch.
All of our workshops are filmed for later distribution on Drawing America. By purchasing a ticket you are agreeing to being filmed as well as your work.
- Mixed media or watercolor sketchbook no smaller than 8×10”, ideally 11×14
- A few harder pencils (2H-4H) and a white vinyl eraser
- Selection of fine liner pens (Pigma Micron, Staedtler Pigment liner or similar) in variety of widths
- A water brush (Kuretake, Niji, Pentel or Derwent are all great) filled with diluted gray or black fountain pen ink (I prefer Noodler’s Lexington Gray)
- If you choose to bring a fountain pen make sure you have it filled with waterproof FOUNTAIN PEN ink only (Platinum Carbon, De Atramentis or similar)
- A lightweight foldable camping stool if you don’t want to sit on the ground And whatever else you need to feel comfortable sketching outside (hat, sunblock, water bottle, etc)
My preferred supplies:
- Stillman and Birn Epsilon or Alpha sketchbook
- Stillman and Birn Nova beige sketchbook
- Etchr hot press watercolor sketchbook
- Fude or bent nib fountain pens (Sailor Fude de Mannen, Hero 9018, Moonman C1 bent nib)
- Lamy Safari fountain pen with Medium nib
- Derwent water brush filled with diluted Noodler’s Lexington Gray fountain pen ink (in other words mostly water and enough ink to make an intermediate gray tone)
- White Sakura Gelly Roll pen
