W 38th and 5th Avenue Scene

This building used to be the Lord & Taylor's Building on 5th Avenue which was bought and owned by WeWork before getting acquired by Amazon.  I was attracted to the scaffolding and since I pass by this route almost daily after work,  I kind of knew what I would like to capture in the scene.  Now that I'm no longer intimidated in drawing people, I see it as a fun way to make the sketch more interesting.    

Commuter Sketch on Car 9193

I barely made it on the 7:59am train to Grand Central Terminal but I had the two seater all to myself.  Not much of a view from my seat.  Since I've been doing a lot more of this daily commute sketches, I want to draw some variety from what I see.  It's a bit problematic at times since the car interior doesn't change.  The view is always the same.  The commuter always add to the scene but it's a bit tricky to navigate the sketch lest I get caught sketching them.  

Commuter Sketch on Car 9135

These ladies were captured within view on the morning commute to the city.  Two of them busily entertain themselves with the mobile phone.  I think the lady in front of my seat, too, as does most of the passengers on the train.  Me, I have my sketchbook to capture and sketch the start of my workday.

The Big "C" Collaboration Work

I was mulling on this idea of doing a collaboration work with the black marker series.  In today's sketch meet, at Inwood Hill Park, I brought out my marker and asked Suzala and Jeffery if I could "collab" with them.  All they needed to do was to mark a clean sheet of paper for me and I will do the rest.  I think it went well.

There goes the Summer!

Last Saturday's warm weather was perhaps the one last summer-like temperature we'd have for quite some time.   It was just fitting that day to enjoy a glass of wine at our favorite winery, the Hopkin's Vineyard in New Preston, CT.  There was afternoon entertainment going on and this lovely couple in front of us was there to enjoy it, too.

Commuter Sketch on Car 9204

I missed my usual 6:39 PM train, and the next one after that, because I had to work late the other night.  On the next local train at 7:15 PM, it wasn't as crowded so I had the whole seat to myself.   The inside-the-train window reflection was a good scene for a sketch practice.  Once I got home, I added some watercolor and I was quite pleased with the results.

 

Sketch Location: Roosevelt Island

Last Sunday's USk sketch meet at Roosevelt Island was well attended.  So nice to meet new friends and also reconnect with those I haven't seen in a while.  It was a sunny, cold, and windy day but a beautiful crisp autumn day nevertheless.   Great views down stream the East River when you're at the southern tip of the FDR State Park. That day, I chose to sketch this view of midtown Manhattan near the United Nations Headquarters.  Newer high-rise buildings seem to go up at record pace in New York City these days.

The Columbus Circle and Monument

It rained a little bit on our drive down to the city on Sunday.  Anne bought a ticket to see a show at the David H Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center and didn't want to commute by train.  It was a 2.5 hours long show so I used the wait time to sketch the nearby Columbus monument.  Up on the second floor of The Shops at Columbus Circle, you can see the monument and a good portion of the West 59th Street.  Tomorrow is the Columbus Day holiday, also celebrated as the Indigenous Peoples Day. 

 

A Fire Alarm Call in Nyack, NY

We have just arrived at a corner shop on S Broadway and Burd Street in Nyack, NY when the blaring siren came tearing through the street.  A small fire alarm apparently got triggered in another shop not too far from where we were.  Since I already had my sketchbook out anyway, I did a sketch reportage.  Didn't have my phone on me (I left it in the car) so I wasn't able to take an on-site pic.  Color added later at home.

 

Sketch Location: DUMBO

DUMBO is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.  We were there this past weekend to sketch a scenic view of the Manhattan Bridge from Front Street.  You can even see the Empire State Building framed by the bridge's pillar arch.  It's a famous and popular sport for pictorials thus many tourists and onlookers.

In the afternoon, I sat among the many tourists taking a rest on the rows of benches nearby the East River.  There was a fantastic view of Jane's Carousel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the skyline of Lower Manhattan in the background.  I have new fountain pen with a non-permanent blue black ink cartridge that I used for sketching.  Not exactly the fine nib I want but it was okay to use for sketching.  A little too wet and make a broader line for my preference.  In the end, I used a water brush to make instant shading from the water soluble ink.  Mixed with Burnt Sienna, it was just fine for a minimalist sketching setup.  I think it worked well for this scene.

  
  

Sketch Location: Governors Island

The NYC Urban Sketchers met at the Governors Island the first Autumn Sunday.  The first ferry ride from Manhattan, 10 South Street port departs at 10:00 am but since I got there much earlier, I spent some time sketching the nearby scene.  Here are some people gestures.

We Urban Sketchers gathered together and took the first ferry out to Governors Island.  For the morning session, I sketched this view at the Nolan District.  The red Adirondack chairs caught my attention.  Then a biker came along and plunk himself down on one.

For the afternoon session, I focused on the park visitors enjoying the view near the Castle Williams.  Like them, I found an unoccupied lounger, which was very comfy for my sketching.   This view was looking west toward Jersey City and the Staten Island Ferry ply this waterway on schedule.  I didn't want to get up from that prized seat but it was time for the group to gather and do the show and tell (my favorite part of the weekend outings).  Thus another enjoyable weekend of sketching with my Urban Sketchers group.