Category Archives: Urban Sketching

Bad Drawing

July 18, 2023 cyn 2 Comments

I took my sketch pad to the Britannia Shipyards last week and saw an old boat that looked pretty interesting. I found a shady perch that gave me a view of the hull from an odd angle and started in on a little sketch. Now, if you’re an architect or a drafter, please don’t scoff; I’m just an ordinary doodler and sometimes I just can’t get the angles right. Two bad sketches later, it was time to go. Besides, it was hot.

I’d taken a photo of the boat and later on did a sketch from that which was a bit easier. It’s not that I’m into perfection (I’m trying to concentrate on light and shadows) but I like a drawing to be a bit recognizable.

Old Boat near Britannia Shipyards — pen, watercolour wash

Here’s something that is recognizable from a weekend visit to Burnaby Village Museum with 35 or so Vancouver Urban Sketchers.

Waterpump, Burnaby Village Museum — Watercolour, pen, pencil crayon

drawing, Urban Sketching

Small sketches and a whine

May 25, 2023 cyn 1 Comment

The whine is about Langley City – the WORST place if you’re a pedestrian. Shopping is by car; you park at a store, buy stuff, drive to another parking lot and park, buy more stuff, drive to another parking lot, park, buy more stuff and so on. None of this “take your cart and walk from store to store” business. That would just be weird. Admittedly you need a car if you plan to buy a TON of stuff and hopefully it would be just a trip to a parking lot of one of the Big Box stores. Or maybe the Mall. Or maybe two stops – from the Parking lot at the Big Box store to the Parking lot at the Mall.

Fortunately, throughout the rapidly expanding Langley City and Township neighbourhoods, there are a lot of greenways. One of these places is Yorkson Pond (both a nature preserve and resevoir) and trail in the newish Willoughby Community in Langley Township (here’s a link to the Community Plan). I took a few photos of the pond and did a couple of quick sketches of the view from the bridge.

Yorkson Pond, Willoughby neighbourhood, Langley BC, Pen — Watercolour wash and Pen

Yorkson Pond, Willoughby neighbourhood, Langley BC — (Oops, I used watercolour in my new sketchbook that’s for dry media only…)

Speaking of walkable – two more sketches; one of Craig Bay near Parksville (I was there for a couple of days) and also one of the very walkable Granville Island/False Creek walk/bike path.

An old lady and flowers, Granville Island Walkway

Daily Drawings, drawing, Painting, Urban Sketching

Bits & Pieces – Summer 2022

August 3, 2022 cyn 2 Comments

We’re into August and I’ve been procrastinating about updating the blog because I didn’t think I’d done much that was blog-postable. However, now that I’ve sat here for a while, turns out there may be some bits that just make the grade. Just.

Ongoing: I believe I’ve moaned about trying to make my work a little more dynamic. I continue to do value studies, particularly as I hope to attempt some larger foliage-type pieces soon. Soonish. Here’s a small study and a small watercolour study of the same subject.

Nitobe Gardens - Bridge, value study in pencil

Urban Sketching – Made it to the local Farmer’s Market and listened to the Band!

Holidays – Had a pleasant sojourn in the Interior with family – and drew their house. Random Bits – I take so many photos of things that momentarily pique my interest – the sunflower garden at VanDusen was particularly fascinating last December. I did a quick watercolour and ink sketch from a photo and, although the blue wash in the background is regrettable, (mistakes are learning moments, right? ) I still like the image.

Cartoons, drawing, Urban Sketching

Art in the time of Coronavirus*

March 29, 2020 cyn Leave a comment

Hunkered down like everyone else, I’ve found comfort in doing art – I’ve kept up with my Daily Drawings and am online with the Vancouver Urban Sketchers who have started to gather together virtually. We’ve pushed the rules a bit – we’re not necessarily outside drawing the urban landscape but we’re still drawing stuff!

I’ve also been drawing my anxiety. We’re all anxious, right? And we have to find ways to deal with it like keeping in touch with friends, meditating (not enough, but anyway…), beer, (did I say beer?) and silly cartoons:

This is today’s daily drawing, by the way. And, really, I haven’t reached the official retirement age. I also know of people older than me** who appear to have the energy and vitality of people much younger.

Yesterday, the urban sketchers did “Food & Drink” and I participated by spending time drawing my lunch:

This was also my Daily Drawing. I had the time, so I spent a couple of hours on it for a change. I think I mentioned that I’m accountable to another artist for the Daily Drawing so I asked if I could include one of her Dailies in my blog. The artist is Lori Fillo and this is one of my favourites:

Stay hunkered and take care!

*This is also a good time to read and here’s a suggestion: “Love in the time of Cholera”, by Gabriel García Márquez.

** Of course I’m a fan!

drawing, Painting, Urban Sketching

Mount Pleasant Sketching

February 16, 2020 cyn 2 Comments

By golly, this daily sketch thing is very – pleasant. I feel more energized about my practice even on the days when I get home from work, it’s dark and the last thing I feel like doing is drawing. I do it anyway. Because I’m accountable. To another artist who’s doing the same. While I’m still in Officeland, this kind of practice keeps me sane (or reasonably close to it, anyway).

Today, I met up with the Urban Sketchers in Mount Pleasant and did two fast sketches. For the first one I went outside. It was wet-ish, chilly and slightly rainy and water drops kept diluting the ink in my pen. Then, while trying to erase some weak pencil lines, my drawing went a little smudgy. What a mess! I’m posting it anyway. For the 2nd one I was on the third floor at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre. This one is also a wee bit messy, but – who cares! The urban sketchers who got together today have posted their work here if you want to take a look. It’s such an interesting neighbourhood but it’s under threat from development now that the subway is going in. I hope that it retains its character and its old buildings – some of them anyway.

work in progress