Sketching at the Memorial Union Saturday February 25th

Pam, Mercedes and Gretchen

Sketches in the Union Theatre's "sun room" overlooking the lake

Welcome to Mercedes who joined us for the first time today.  She also draws wonderful cartoons!  It was a nice bright morning if a bit chilly.  There are so many great places for sketching at the Union now but the 2nd floor was still closed off for remodeling.  Still there is plenty to sketch on the first floor.  We wandered over to the Union Theatre's cozy room overlooking the lake and it was a great place for sketching with a nice gas fire going, potted plants and lots of students to sketch.  We will be going back to Memorial Union on March 12th from 1-3pm.  

Sunday February 12th - Olbrich Gardens

Mike, James & Betty

Betty

Louise, Ruth & Elsie

Loiusa's sketches on Strathmore greeting cards

My sketch using Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and crayon

Olbrich Gardens was a perfect place for sketching on a windy day but Louise ventured out in to the gardens for several plein air sketches!  Louisa sat right down on the bridge to get a close up of the koi.  Thanks to Mike for bringing a visiting friend, James with him and we encouraged him to check out Urban Sketchers  Denver when he gets home but when I looked online I see there isn't a regional chapter there but there was a site for urban sketching so I hope some group sketching is happening in Denver.  We were happy to have a visitor.  I believe I counted 9 of us sketching today but I think I am missing one - sorry!

We decided to go to Memorial Union on Sat. Feb. 25th AND Sunday March 12th.  It is a good place this time of year and since the union was remodeled it offers many sketching choices.  

Pocket-size Sketchbook and Pizza Brutta

Pizza Brutta

Yesterday I had lunch at Pizza Brutta at their Middleton location (they also have one on Monroe St.) and did this sketch in the smallest Moleskine sketchbook.  This paper is fine for ink sketching but watercolor sort of beads up on it.  The night before I watched a short lecture by USK founder Gaby Campanario about why he likes using a small pocket-sized sketchbook.  He said he can do more sketches faster simply because of the small size and that learning to sketch large scenes in a small space helps him to compose drawings in larger formats, too.  I've had this little sketchbook for years so now I am determined to fill it up as fast as I can.  The staff at Pizza Brutta were so nice and enjoyed seeing my little sketch and I explained what Urban Sketchers is about.  I enjoyed the arugula salad which is excellent there.  The flat bread that goes with it is also delicious.  

Worldwide Sketch Day

I pondered what to draw to connect on common ground with each of you where ever you may live. We ALL need nourishment.  I opened up the refrigerator and started to draw.  How bountiful the land; look not far to help others...

Saturday January 21st at the Geology Museum and Women's March

Chris

Salvor

Gretchen

We had a good time sketching various rocks, bones and other visitors at the UW Geology Museum.  It was well attended but not crowded.   We went to the Women's March after along with 75,000 to 100,000 other people!   I heard a policeman laughing and telling someone they had only expected around 10,000 marchers.  My sketches below were done from my photos after the fact as I felt a bit overwhelmed to sketch on the spot.  I have been enrolled this month in Veronica Lawlor's "A Drawing a Day" online class at Sketchbook Skool and the past week focused on working with colored crayons.  One assignment was to make our own coloring book page with black ink lines so that is what I did for these sketches.  I enjoyed the class and it helped me get the new year off to a regular drawing start.

Downtown at the Women's March

I naively headed to the bus stop near my house to make  my way downtown on Saturday. The bus went by fully packed. Everyone was headed to the Capitol for Saturday's festivities. This was such an interesting event, one that was a challenge for me to sketch as it was so packed. I opted for quick sketches of some of the people around me on the right side and a view of the Capitol from a phone pic that you see on the left. Pink hats and signs were the patterns of the day!

Madison, Wisconsin 2017 Women's March

Sketching at the Chocolaterian Jan. 8th

Louise, Ruth, Pat, Gretchen & Mike - what concentration!

Linda, Ruth, Mary & Gretchen

Mike & Salvor look at the day's work

Some of today's sketches

My finished sketch

It was another cold day but warm and cozy at Chocolaterian with coffee and Parisian Hot Cocoa to keep us warm.  Ten sketchers came out and did some excellent work.  Next sketching date is January 21st in the morning at the UW Geology Museum.  Mike was glad to hear they have dinosaurs!!

"Plein Air" Sketching in Winter

Today was bright and sunny and a perfect day for sketching. Renowned Urban Sketcher Shari Blaukopf has a great blog featuring her wonderful watercolor sketches,  http://www.blaukopfwatercolours.com/  She said she often sketches from her car, especially in winter which in her home city of Montreal is even colder than Madison.  Here's one of her blog articles discussing how she paints watercolor sketches from the front seat of her car:  https://shariblaukopf.com/2016/09/24/the-car-studio/  The palette she is using is the Mijello Fusion Airtight Watercolor Palette which is available from Dick Blick for around $15.  (I use mine for gouache along with Masterson's Sta-Wet Painter's Pal sponge and paper combo which is easy to custom fit to this palette. It keeps gouache from drying out even on hot summer days.) And here's a link for helpful hints for winter sketching from Shari and some other Urban Sketcher correspondents:  http://www.urbansketchers.org/2016/12/cold-weather-urban-sketching-tips-from.html

Today I stopped off at Brittingham Boat House on the way home from downtown for a couple quick sketches.  The temp was in the 30's but the wind off the Monona Bay felt pretty chilly.  I managed to find a place out of the wind long enough to do 2 sketches and then retreated to my car to finish them with watercolor.  My new Paintbox works great for in car painting. It was handmade by Craig Young in the UK and I love it!  Solid brash with a dark green high gloss finish.  It is a pleasure to use.  There is a thumb ring on the back and it balances perfectly on my hand if I want to stand up and paint at an easel in the field.

Ice Fishing on Monona Bay

I'd love to see some more sketchers post some plein air work this month, too.   Sketching from the car definitely counts as plein air in our winter climate!  Hope to see you next Sunday at the Chocolaterian.  Happy New Year to USK Madison!!

Urban Sketchers Symposium 2017 - Chicago!

The 2017 Symposium will be held in Chicago this year July 26-29.  What a great location for Madison sketchers!!!  Keep checking Urban Sketchers blog for upcoming details.  I think they are still working on workshop proposals now and it will probably be a few months before registration begins.  It may be years before the symposium is held in the US again so we are pretty lucky Chicago won the bid this year!  So many great opportunities for urban sketching in the Windy City!!!

Keeping a Sketchbook in the Car

I was really glad I keep a sketchbook in the car for "emergencies" last week when a stopped train made me stuck downtown after my swim.  I hate "wasting" time and this way I could have a good lunch and draw a bit, too.  I used a Faber Castell felt tipped pen and one of their calligraphy pens to print with.  I guess I could have stayed stuck in traffic and drawn the train instead but I was hungry and Fair Trade has a good salad.  

Sketching at the State Historical Society December 10th

The morning's sketches 

And the sketchers

Salvor found a comfy place for sketching

This was our first time sketching at the State Historical Society because it is unfortunately closed on Sundays.  It is a cozy and interesting place to sketch on a cold winter's day and I noticed a thermos of coffee did not seem to be forbidden.  Lots of students studying in there but plenty of seating in comfy chairs and at desks.  Some of us focused on architectural details of which there are many interesting ones to choose from.  I plan to go back soon.  10 sketchers came out today which is great and we are so happy to welcome first time sketcher, Pam.  Next month we will sketch at the Chocolaterian cafe on Atwood Ave.  Great coffee, desserts and authentic French hot cocoa. 

USK Symposium 2016

http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/symposium-lectures.html  -  Here's a link to some lectures given at USK's annual symposium 2016 in Manchester, England.  It's fun to see and hear some of these sketchers whose work I have been looking at for years on the USK blog and get some great tips on sketching.  

CHAZEN
Linda

I was unable to go to the Chazen on Saturday, but went on Sunday.  I sketched an odd little statue of a Cupid-type figure in the older building.

Next Sketch Date: Saturday December 10th - State Historical Society

Chazen Art Museum Saturday Nov. 19th

Clockwise from upper left: Louisa, Deb, Salvor, Tsumugi and Pat

My sketch after brushing water over Derwent Inktense pencil drawing in Neutral Grey

We met for sketching from 11am to 1pm at the Chazen yesterday.  I missed Ruth's sketch but hopefully she can post it for us.  The museum was not crowded and a pleasant place to sketch.  Since we will not be sketching on a Sunday next month we thought we would like to do another Saturday morning sketch date and decided on Dec. 10th at the Reading Room at the State Historical Society on Library Mall.  We will meet there on the 2nd floor just outside the Reading Room for sketching from 10 am to noon.  Hope to see you there!

Sketching at Hilldale Mall November 13th

Louisa braving the elements - it was a bit cool outside

Ruth, Gretchen and Elsie also brave the elements

Linda, Reba, Elsie and Mike

Ruth's handmade sketchbook with breakfast cereal covers - very cool!!!

                                                                             Pat, Ruth and Linda with today's sketches
We had a good time sketching at Hilldale and agreed that it would be a good spot for outdoor sketching in warmer weather but a few of us did some outdoor sketches despite the cooler temps.   It was not very crowded today at the mall but there were ample opportunities for figure sketching.  Salvor and Gretchen had to leave a little early and I missed seeing their sketches.  

Next Saturday we will meet at the Chazen at 10 am for sketching until noon and lunch for any one who has time after.

Veteran's Day on the Capital Square

Recent Trip to Utah--VALLEY OF THE GODS
Linda 

A really beautiful place, next to Monument Valley (think John Ford movies), and a few miles from Bluff.  Micron pen in Moleskin notebook:

Sunday Sketching at Olbrich Gardens

Sketching Sunday at Olbrich Botanical Gardens-  every element was right:

Sunshine, flowers in bloom, energetic sketchers and plenty of families outside enjoying the gardens...

Some of the day's sketches

And some of the sketchers!

Inktober 2016

I forgot that October is also Inktober month.  Here's the link:  mrjakeparker.com/inktober and if you do some Urban Sketching in ink please feel free to post it.  For any Madison Urban Sketcher who would like to post but is not yet a blog author (you have to be one to post) just email me your gmail email address and I can invite you. (You do need a gmail account to post on Blogger).   After seeing Don Colley's buttnekkiddoodles.com work on toned paper at the workshop last week I am looking forward to using a brush pen in the Strathmore Toned Journal.  Those come in grey and tan and it is amazing how many values you can get with grey and black brush pens and some sort of white ink, paint or pencil.   And colors really seem to pop against the grey paper.  Happy Sketching!!