Sketching People in Motion Craftsy class with Marc Taro Holmes

 

A sketch from this week in a café - 6 weeks after starting to use Marc's concepts.

Adding people to my sketches on location has always been a challenge. Particularly when I'd devote an hour or two trying to capture a building and then fear I'd destroy the overall image with distorted out of proportion figures that had nothing of the conviction I might be able to give my building.  However through Sketchbook Skool classes it became more and more clear that in order to communicate all that I want to in my sketches, to tell a story,  I needed people to complete most scenes.  Finally, I seemed to have found what would get me regular sketching people live in Marc Taro Holmes Craftsy class "Sketching People in Motion".

 

Live sketches from a week or two of using Marc's technique.

 Marc's style is I think quite unique to him and at first it seemed foreign and unlike my own work to add such things as a vertical shading/background line. But by having the focus of following a set method I seemed to be sketching without worrying about what people looked like until I'd made my way through all the stages. Only at the end of it did I stop to assess the sketch to realise I'd drawn a couple of people, sufficiently proportioned, telling a bit of a story. That they didn't always look recognisably like the people in front of me ultimately became irrelevant and liberating. I know that will come with further practice if I want it to.

 

3 weeks ago - Having to sit in waiting room became a joy - great time to study people!

I dedicated a sketchbook solely to sketching people live and ensured it was the only one I carried with me. Trying to keep myself honest to my commitment I didn't allow any food, coffee or building sketches in this sketchbook - if I had time to sketch, it had to be from live people. After getting a bit more confidence in doing this I started moving back toward more of what I think is my style and away from Marc's. One particularly huge help for me in Marc's strategy is being able to get the gesture and general shapes down in pencil first. I like sketching straight out in pen first often as it feels quicker but to get proportions right and get my confidence up, the pencil first approach is a great advantage to start with.

 

Last week - Watercolor first (no pencil) then pen after.

In the past week I have also been playing with watercolour first on some occasions (no pencil) which I still lose a bit of proportion on, but I find it fun and relaxing. My aim now is to keep up with the regular people sketching, maintain using Sktchy app once or twice a week (keeping familiar with faces up close helps me when people leave or are moving their head about a lot), move onto Marc's more advanced techniques (much of the above is based only on the first part of the Craftsy course) and learn more about communicating gesture, relationships and actions.

 

I would love to know what has helped you with sketching people live?

How to make a Terrarium

The Storytelling course from Sketchbook Skool is underway. Koosje Koene provides instruction as to drawing a recipe. I slightly tweaked it for indoor gardening.

Sketchbook Skool - Seeing

A second semester of Sketchbook Skool themed "Seeing" was introduced in July this year to follow on from "Beginnings". Urban Sketcher Liz Steel was part of the teaching staff and I was keen to see how her online class would go after the success of her workshops here in Sydney. Danny Gregory, Koosje Koene both returned to teach with the addition of Brenda Swenson, Cathy Johnson and Andrea Joseph.

 

Self portrait challenge - day 7

 

One of the biggest challenges for me came with Koosje's week which focussed on self portraits. This was time and energy consuming and confronting. We needed to complete several and I had barely attempted any self portraits prior to the course. But by my final piece I was pleased with what I'd achieved. The motivation and inspiration that comes from sharing that journey with other students online has a very positive impact.

 

Nature studies with the guidance of Cathy Johnson

 

Cathy Johnson is renown for sharing  valuable tuition and demonstrations online and through her books. Her week was great for revisiting some key watercolour fundamentals as well as looking at nature studies. From this I made studies of the local cranky Common Myna. They are annoying birds but with plenty of character.

 

Ball point pen and watercolour as a result of Andrea Joseph's week.

 

Andrea Joseph shared insights into her unique and distinctive style of illustrating with pens/biros. The result she achieves with the cheapest, or even better, free ball point pens is astonishing. I did enjoy taking a shot at this method, but I know I don't have the sufficient patience required to pursue it much further. The aspect of trying such a diverse range of ideas each week throughout the course is a good way to learn what does (or doesn't) suit your own capabilities and character.

 

Sketching in The Rocks, Sydney.

 

From an afternoon at the Tea Cosy in The Rocks, Sydney.

 

Finally, it was Liz's week and time to return to more familiar methods. Liz organised a sketching day in the Rocks and it was a great day to catch up with sketchers I already knew as well as meet a few new ones who I had conversed with online in the groups. We spent the morning sketching buildings and then headed to the Tea Cosy to sketch tea cups and high tea. Fabulous way to round off another semester!

Sketchbook Skool - Beginnings

In April this year I joined the 6 week online sketching course "Sketchbook Skool" (co-founded by Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene). I was familiar with a few of Danny Gregory's books and his blog, and the course featured Prashant Miranda, Roz Stendahl and Tommy Kane as teachers - all sketchbook artists I have admired for some time from an urban sketching perspective.

 

For the last 2 years I have learned sketching skills and concepts mostly from Liz Steel's classes in person, having the great fortune of living in the same city as her. So the idea of learning more from other sketchbook artists seemed like a good one and by the end of the 6 weeks I was very glad I'd signed up.  Following are a few of my homework pieces from the course. We don't get assessed as such but the motivation to make the most of anything these teachers are offering is enough to push me along.

 

Pre-dinner sketching - working on composition with Jane LaFazio

Sketching taxidermy - Understanding sketching animals better from Roz Stendahl's class. Thanks to my friend Olga for taking me to her bar "Honeyrider" in Neutral Bay for my subject!

'Shirley' (Olga's beautiful greyhound). I made this from a photo after sketching Shirley in a variety of poses. This seemed to capture her character. A further developed piece from Roz Stendahl's class.

My kitchen - after week 6 with Tommy Kane.

 

 I have recently completed Sketchbook Skool - Seeing, and will write more about that class in my next post.