Drawing in the rain and ... Portraits!

Since this weekend's event with the SF sketchers was later in the afternoon, I actually had the time to arrive in the city early enough to stop by somewhere else to paint first. Mission Creek Park was just a couple of blocks away from Arch Art Supplies, so I parked my car by the neighbourhood and strolled along the creek looking for good vantage points. 

I was planning to draw the other side of the creek (since I did the boat side last time), but on closer inspection, it is really just new condos and trees - nothing too eye catching. Then I spotted the bridge (on 4th street) and the view at the end of it gave a wonderful view of the creek, distant hills, and the criss-crossed ramps. Just as I pulled out my drawing supplies though, I felt something light and cold on my head and thought uh-oh... the ripples on the water surface really left no doubt that it *just* started to rain. I half debated to take shelter in Philz next door and just wait it out, but in the end decided to hell it, I'm going to draw in the rain and just see how it turns out. 

I hid under a medium-sized tree, which stopped the constant drizzle, but just had bigger droplets of water coming down once-in-a-while (hence the blobs on the bottom right corner) In the brief intermission between the drizzle, I was able to put in most of the details. The wet climate really made the reflections in the water blend in beautifully. As the drizzle started again, I quickly packed up and walked to my car in the awkward position of holding my watercolour pad upside down.

The portrait party at Arch was fun as well. We took turns posing for each other and it was a huge relief that I can finally stare at/sketch people without any fear of retaliation. It is a long-time weakness of mine that I could not sketch people in public without worrying about being discovered.

Figure Drawing, round 3!

Went on another around of figure drawing at Fort Mason. It was my first try at the toned paper sketchbook I bought last time at Arch. It is very easy on my eyes and takes watercolor very well. The paper itself is also very smooth so I found it easier to add in details than previous times with my usual Arches paper. 

The 10-20 min room with packed with people, so I took the armchair down the centre aisle of the classroom. It was a nice change that I could finally sit back and rest while figuring out what to put on my paper. (Usually it is either standing on the sidewalk dodging pedestrians, or trying to avert my gazes from time to time so that my subjects don't get suspicious...) 

Guy with red flag

Model in Chef costume (the hat was a delight to draw!)

I messed up a bit on the arm area...oh well

I went in with a white charcoal for outlines since I'm using a toned paper. I think it worked out very well with the watercolor since it doesn't stand out too much or repel water like crayons do.

Annual Figure Drawing Session!

Joined the annual figure drawing session at Fort Mason hosted by the Bay Area Model Guild. The morning session in the 1,2-minute pose room consisted of furiously scratching pencil (or charcoal), lightening fast page turning, and that dreadful sound of the alarm clock (signalling the end of a pose). I was going through my sketchbook so fast, that it took me almost 7-8 pages in to realize I'm drawing in the last of its kind, rare moleskine watercolour book that I grabbed up in China (by that time all North American outlets have phased into the new edition, which has a slightly different surface texture) So I ran out during the 5 min break, stormed into FLAX next door, and got myself whichever sketchbook I found first.

Another frantic 30 minute session later, I thought that was enough stress for the day and switched to the long pose room at the suggestion of a fellow sketcher. Truly it was a bless. No crowd, no stress. Since I draw quicker than the pose change (most other painters are using oil/acrylic), I move around myself to get different poses (hence the above result). Bonus point for having a sink to wash off the paints in the classroom!