Japanese Quince

Short of joining my NYC USK group outing at the Prospect Park, I thought I'd try drawing some nice spring flowers from this shrub.  It's the Japanese Quince, scientific name Chaenomeles, a spiny shrub that blooms clusters of pinkish red cup shaped petals.

With my portable sketch easel lowered at walk stool height, I thought I got some decent pencil mark.

Sunset hour has come and gone.  It was difficult to color without the real flowers in front of me.  Coloring will have to wait another day.

Not sure how the flowers would look like after the rain we had overnight but surprisingly, they held up okay without much difference except this one bud had bloomed overnight (it's that top middle cluster sandwiched between the left and right pink highlights). 

A few strokes here and there using a #4 Filbert, #1 Round, #1 Script brushes made out of synthetic bristles and I was done.  I used the 6 colors DS Essential WaterColor Set to mix the green, grey, and brown hues.  A few strokes of pure pigment with almost dry brush.  It was really fun to experiment with the watercolor and some color pencil highlights.

  

A view from the ice cream shop

The Paleteria Fernandez ice cream shop on 33 N.Main Street, Port Chester, NY is the place to buy the best fruit bars.  My favorite one is the avocado (aguacate).  

It wasn't busy that time so I enjoyed a window view.  Out with my sketchbook and pen, I wasted no time sketching with my favorite fountain pen (Pilot Custom Heritage 912 FA) and the tiny Pentalic sketchbook.  Using approximate measurements by sighting, I slowly worked on capturing this scene before me.  Color added later at home.

Sirracha Succulents

My favorite window table spot was already occupied when I came here for lunch in Rye Brook.  Not exactly crowded yet but I found an open spot in the back area to enjoy my food selection.

Practicing to be mindful at anything is difficult.  Here I want to do just one thing - eat my lunch - but I could only resist Facebooking for a while before giving in to the urge. Oh well, there was this other urge, too, to sketch while eating lunch.  The former prevailed until I finished chewing that last bite.

Phone aside, I took out my small Pentalic sketchbook and the Pilot Custom Heritage 912 FA with De Atramentis Document Black Ink.  This cute succulent plant was a good subject to be drawn.  After getting all the lines drawn and a little hatching done, I took some pictures and noticed some color is needed.  How to do without a watercolor kit on me?  Well, this left over sirracha sauce would do just as well.  Here it is.  What do you think?

Bland Sketch

It was a little past five o'clock yesterday afternoon when I pulled in and parked my car along Washington Mews parking spaces in Port Chester, NY.  I thought this scene would be a good one. 

Lately, I've been focusing on getting the correct proportions in my sketches so there is a lot pencil sighting measurements here and there.  One of Bert Dodson's important tip is to find the midpoint, making sure that the top half of the scene/image will fit 50% of your canvas and the bottom half will fit as well.  It works for vertical or horizontal orientation.  This way, you don't run out of canvas space.

The lines were initially done in pencil and as I continued to play with other media (watercolor, color pencils, permanent ink and water soluble ink, Gelly Roll white, etc.) something is still amiss even though it is a finished product.  

It was the light and shadows!  I spent so much time looking at the proportions and details that I lost sight of the light and shadows.  Maybe the value shade study should have been done once I identified the big shapes.  Of course, that is another tricky thing to learn.

Walking and sketching the dog

After listening to Danny Gregory's video session in Day 2 of the Sketchbook Revival Online Workshop, I got inspired.  Danny had mentioned his morning ritual of drawing the tea cup while waiting for the water to boil.  He also mentioned drawing his dog over and over and this was all the drawing entries he made in this one book.

That opened the idea of having a sketchbook on me whenever I walk Sage.  I started that yesterday and it was fun.  There's a quiet street not far from home where we let her loose from leash.  We trust her enough to stay by our side and for the most part she's really good at that.  I don't need to chase after her and I could try to sketch her.

Not knowing where to start, I looked at her head and focused on her ears.  I noticed the asymmetrical folds of her left and right ear flaps.  She did a lot sniffing so I couldn't get a good look of the ears.  I thought I got some good lines when I shifted my focus on her legs.  

I think it's a good exercise in observation.  The sketchbook will definitely become a part of our daily walk. 

The Met Cloisters

Sunday was just the perfect day to have a picnic at the Fort Tryon Park last weekend.  The park bench overlooking the Hudson River gave us a nice spot to enjoy our lunch (turkey sandwiches, a bottle of Rosé wine and the cantaloupes) and a nice view of the George Washington Bridge at a distance.

Last year, I sketched the Pontaut Chapter House Gallery but it's currently off limits to the public due to the upcoming Exhibit "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" next month.

Anne hasn't visited here in years.  As she wandered around, I picked a convenient spot to sketch.  While many other visitors took a phone and/or camera pictures, I sketched the Cuxa Cloister (North Elevation of North Arcade).  Some curious passersby looked at what I was doing.  Some others asked a few questions.  I even got a cool thumbs-up from this one guest.  Nice!

Van Cortland Museum House

This past weekend, the International Sketch Crawl was held at this park and the Van Cortland Museum House was the initial focus for the morning session.  Artists all over the world were supposedly out drawing together that day.  A big thank you to Parker who hosted the event.  Pictures and a scan of the completed sketches were taken at the end of the event.   

The portable sketch easel (PSEV4) was a big help in having a steady support for my hand, acting like a desk, sort of.  I really like that feature!  This was the first time I've taken PSEV4 in a USK weekend outing but I've used it a few other times before.  I'm still learning how to efficiently manage using it (the set up and break down) but it is quite fun and enjoyable to use.  

   

Drink & Draw

Last week, I went to a live figure sketch meet-up on the 2nd Floor of the landmark Tarrytown Music Hall.  It was very well attended.  I was even surprised and glad to see Janet, another NYC Urban Sketcher, at this event.

While we waited for the official start at 7:30PM,  I noticed the four ladies seated just over to my right side, front row.  I figured I would practice on sketching them first before the actual model shows up front.  One of them has an iPad digital sketchbook resting on her lap.  I've never been comfortable using one although it is desirable since it would solve my problem of bringing so many things (watercolor tin pans, sketch book, pens, pencil, portable sketch easel and tripod, etc.) to cover my "what if I need" sketching scenario.

Glass reflection

Not sure what I was doing here but my idea was to capture the reflected images and shadows hitting the front glass entrance to the Kneaded Bread bakery in Port Chester, NY.  I was seated at a table next to that door and by the window.  

I thought it would be interesting to see how a sketch would turn out using just one color in a water brush filled with diluted De Atramentis Document Black Ink.  It was difficult to vary the values and tone.  I couldn't seem to achieve what I originally envisioned so I abandoned the idea and added some light color pencil marks for shading and used the Platinum Carbon Ink pen to define the lines.

Perhaps it would be different if I were to use a black and white watercolor paint.  One day I'll come back to this again.

North Baptist Church

Today, I found a nice lead parking space on Highland Street that gave me a nice view of this beautiful North Baptist Church along King Street in Port Chester, NY.  Although it was bright and sunny, the weather is still too cold to be outside so I sketched inside my car.

Instead of using a regular sketch book, I settled on using a Series 200 cold press Strathmore Watercolor Paper.  I figured this should be the right material for the job today.  The portable sketch easel made my sketching a bit easier too, I think.  

SONO

It turned out to be a good to sketching day after meeting a friend for lunch in Norwalk, CT.  Along Washington Street, near the corner of North Main and South Main Streets, I found the second open spot from this side of the street.  At first, I wished mine was the first one so that I could see a good view of the railroad bridge.  But that's okay.  I just included this Mazda 6 car in front of me. 

There's a railroad museum at the other end of Washington Street past that intersection and many turn of the century buildings dotted what they call SONO (South Norwalk).  Glad to have done this sketch in the comfort of my car.  It was still cold and I wasn't ready to put out my sketch easel setup.

Lifelike

We visited the Met Breuer Museum last Sunday and saw the intriguing current exhibit on two floors.  The antique marble sculptures on the fourth floor piqued my interest.  The Bacchus' statue description says his measurement was about 6 heads, not the classical 7.5 heads.  Sure, I wanted to test that.  Using the Sotheby's pencil, I measured Bacchus from a respectable distance.  Indeed it was 6 heads!   At that point, I decided to sketch all three sculptures starting with Bacchus, followed by Hermes and California last.      

It was in measuring the proportions that I noticed the elbows lie almost at the waistline level.  I wasn't conscious of that before but I'll apply this new observation when I do people sketch next time.

The exhibit really captured my attention, I wouldn't mind coming back to see it for a second time.

High School Percussion Championships

I went to see my nephew's team, the Shelton Percussion Team, compete for the Percussion Championships held at the West Hill High School last Saturday evening.  Never been to one before but I thought I'd bring my sketchbook and try to sketch the scene.

Each team had maybe 3-5 minutes to display their best.  Surely, that wasn't enough time for me to be sketching them.  It was crazy.  It felt like each team's performance only took thirty seconds and I was just barely starting to draw the lines. 

At first, I was ambitious in my sketching but then the reality took over.  It was difficult to sketch this crazy scene.  Besides, I was primarily there to see my nephew perform and render support.  

Amidst all the loud noise, dynamic energy and lively atmosphere in the gymnasium, all kids were there for the experience of a lifetime.  These kids were doing their absolute best to propel their team to victory.  By the way, the Shelton Percussion team placed Fourth in the competition.

Forsythia Flowers

It was an unbelievably warm yet breezy day yesterday.  No surprise, many people were seen walking, jogging, biking, gardening, etc.  We haven't had this kind of weather since that one warm day last February 21st.

Evidently, the explosion of bright yellows of the forsythia shrubs was in full display.  I had to take out my easel and sketched a random selection with my Fude pen.  Watercolor was added later at home.

Good morning

Today's forecast calls for a sunny day.  I can see the morning glow outside the window.  The buds of green sprouting from the tree branches.

The Waiting Area

This was the Health Center cafeteria scene yesterday morning while waiting for a friend. I sketched the two background figures first before adding the person facing right.

As I was ready to discreetly sketch a "grandpa" seated across from me, he stood up and decided to leave.  He put his coat on and then "grandpa" was gone!  Too bad, he would have been the perfect foreground subject.    

"Someone will hopefully choose that table again", I remind myself. Good thing I wasn't in a hurry to leave. 

Soon a couple picked the spot where "grandpa" was and I had enough time to include him on this sketch.  That completed the scene for me (foreground, middle, and background figures).

A touch of red watercolor and light brown pencil shading later added at home.

The Boatyard

A cloudy morning turned to a sunny afternoon yesterday.  I thought it would be good to sketch at the Grass Island Marina.  Deceptively sunny, it was still chilly windy and more so near the waterfront.  

I saw the service road scene I want to sketch right across from where I parked my car.  I setup my portable sketch easel at my choice spot.  The sun was behind my back, right over to my left shoulder.  The elongated shadows of winterized boats marked the service road.    

This time, I started with a pencil and lightly marked the lines, aiming for the right proportions, before adding the watercolor wash. I forgot, this one paper wasn’t meant for watercolor!  

How do you paint that white plastic cover on the boat?  That was the dilemma.  In the end, the Micron 005 was used to define the lines. It's the one thing I'm familiar with.   

My Left Hand

Last year in August, I started practicing how to write with my left hand.  My non-dominant hand.  I may have read a blog about ambidexterity so I took up the challenge.  The one thing I like about this exercise is the way it forces me to slow down and concentrate on the task at hand.  It is good to learn how to be comfortable no matter how difficult it is to make a straight line.  It helps to create the necessary muscle memory and brain wire connections.  

I drew a second version of the figure model last night.  Note that I had to shift the paper, moving it in all different directions, to where my non-dominant hand felt comfortable laying down the lines.

Using the Japanese #6 Round sable brush gift I received last year, I added some color using a mix of Burnt Sienna, French Ultramarine and Quinacridone Rose.  

 Here are some practice notes from last summer.  The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

The morning news

In front of me sat this man who was preoccupied with reading the morning newspaper.  Unbeknownst to him, I was busily sketching his obstructed view of mine until I was called in by my eye doctor.

Finishing details and color later added at home.

Vietnam's Central

This restaurant is located in Scarsdale, NY.  We've dined here a couple of times before and we really like the food.  Friday evenings tend to be the busiest so getting there early is a plus.  It didn't take long to get seated before ordering the Lemon Shrimp appetizer and our favorite Beef Pho dish.

As we waited for our food, I started sketching the scene before me.  Not soon after, our appetizer was served and the main dish followed.

Vietnam's Central is the correct name,
not Vietnamese Central.

Eye Doctor Instrument: The Slit Lamp

Yesterday, I was at my eye doctor for a checkup.  I know I'd be waiting for some time so I started sketching this gentleman filling out the new patient forms.  I thought I'd start with the crossed legs then work my way up.  But not soon after, I was called in and was shown the way toward one of the exam rooms.  I took the eye chart test with prescription eye glasses on.  Good results.  20/20 vision!  

This young lady administered the first dose of eye drops to dilate my pupils and left.  She would be back minutes later for the second dose.  While waiting, I thought I'd sketch that eye instrument before me. 

"Would you mind waiting outside for a few minutes?" she asked.  I stepped out of the room, sat on a chair just outside by the hallway.  Another patient walked into the room where I exited.  

Here's the slit lamp instrument I sketched.  See the feet hanging from the bottom of the platform?

Portable Sketch Easel Version 4 (PSEV4)

Well, I thought I'd be done and happy with PSEV3 but, NO... almost there, but not quite the fully flat folding sketch easel!

Yesterday's lousy weather wasn't inspiring but was good enough to tinker and make version 4!

If you have been following the Portable Sketch Easel versions, you'll know that James Gurney's work was my inspiration.  So far, I think I satisfied all his 8 goals in making one.  I have a very limited set of tools to work with but sufficient enough for the first two versions of the project.

Tools:

1.  Black & Decker Electric Drill and Drill Bits.

2.  Phillips and Flat Head Screw Drivers

3.  Leatherman Tool

With the original version (PSEV1), not having a wood saw wasn't a problem because of the already pre-cut Cedar Grilling Planks found at the Home Depot seasonal section.  Installing the hinges with adjustable torque require 8 pcs of screws, not included in the Amazon purchase, so I had to buy them per piece at the local hardware store. After PSEV1 was completed, I wasn't happy.  The top plank wouldn't fold all the way flat because of the hinge hardware design.

So why not try another type of hinge?  I thought a constant torque control position hinge without needing adjustments was the answer!  Having almost identical required materials,  I dismantled PSEV1 and installed the new hinges with a narrower foot print.  Alas, the hinge fold all the way flat, and smooth, but the torque load tolerance wasn't strong enough.  Definitely an issue!

Nothing got recycled from PSEV2.  

For the third version (PSEV3), I purchased new materials from Home Depot and at the local hardware store.  I found the unbelievably thin aluminum screw posts, normally used for binding papers, as a fantastic solution to the screw head issue.  

Excited about this solution, I emailed James Gurney and received a prompt reply.

"Thanks for sharing that tip on how to make those pesky hinges fold all the way flat.  It seems like a more efficient solution than adding the piece on the back and building up the slot angles.

I've been meaning to do a blog post sharing some of the readers' innovations, so maybe I'll do that if it's OK with you." 

Of course, I said OK in my reply.  

Remember, I don't have a wood saw but at Home Depot, they have a free service where you have your purchased wood cut to length.  I did that to finish PSEV3.  I thought the aluminum posts narrowed the gap when in fold flat position.  The gap was still an issue because the hinges were mounted atop the board!  There's gotta be a better solution!

Enter version 4 (PSEV4), a fully folding flat easel!  Because I have limited tools, I needed to use some creativity.  I purchased the aluminum bar at Home Depot.  While the Plumbing Section don't have a metal cutting machine for flat bars (it's only for pipes), they let me borrow a Hack Saw from their tool box.  At the Lumber section, I borrowed the regular carpenter saw to cut out the hinge's footprint section from the panels I used in version 3.  I also picked up some more loose hardware items at the local hardware store.  

Now, it has gotten a little bit more complicated.  It was tricky drilling the holes onto the aluminum bars.  The first mistake I made was to pre-drill all the marked spots before fitting the hinges.  Well, it turned out the holes were misaligned so I had to redo it.  This time, I measured the fit countless times before fully drilling the holes.  It paid off. 

Presenting the newest version PSEV4.

Front View

Side View

Upside-down View

Three Quarters Side View

Fold Flat Hinge

Wing View

Height Comparison:  Apple Keyboard versus PSEV4

There are some minor finishing touches I'd like to be done for the protruding screw tips but for the most part, I'm very much pleased with this design.

So what did I learn this time around?

1.  It is way better to have the right tools for the job.

2.  It is wonderful to find a solution to an issue.

3.  It feels good to realize how a crazy idea was a solution to the problem. 

Thank you for the many feedback on the PSE design.  I believe this newest version wouldn't have been possible without your precious input.  Glad "our" collaboration on PSEV4 was a success!   

UPDATE:  It's so modular, I love it!  If I want a bigger size board, I'll just unscrew the old boards and replace them with whatever size I want!