A bunch of updates at once!

I haven't updated in a long time, probably because I don't have much free time at work to type away...unlike at my previous job. Also my seat is along the main walkway, so there are people walking by all the time...not exactly an ideal situation to work on one's personal blog!

Below from July 27th, when attending a calligraphy demo / exhibition at the SF public library. SF City Hall is always a challenge to draw. I find the curve and subtle blue hue of the dome especially hard to capture. This time I decided to forgo the color and focus on the shade and shape, which had some pretty good results.

Below from Aug 4, when attending a sketch meetup with SF Sketchers at Mission Dolores Park. I remember it was supposed to be a Caturday event, but as far as I could see, there was no single cat in the entire park. (Mind you, the park was full of people!) I did a panorama first then headed somewhere with noticeable shadows.The lady in the silhouette was playing with her infant kid, but I was too lazy to include more figures lol.

Below from Aug 18, also attending a meetup with SF Sketchers at Fisherman's Wharf. Unfortunately I was terrible at finding parking at high traffic areas, so I gave up after 2 loops and headed for empty Fort Mason (thankfully there was no event that weekend). The parking is not free, but hey Flax art supplies is right there!

After finishing the first one I headed towards Fisherman's Wharf and did another one at Maritime Historical Park. I actually had to stop midway and head for the show-and-tell, then came back to my perch. Thankfully the light didn't drastically change (phew

Putting People in the Foreground, a few snapshots in the city

I don't usually put people in my landscape watercolors, mostly because by the time I finish with the scenery I'd be too exhausted to include any people. This time, however, some figures managed to find their way into the foreground of my drawings.

This one is from Fort Mason, before I went into one of the buildings for a figure drawing session. At first I was captivated by the silhouette cityscape in the background and palm trees, but as I worked my way down the page into the greens, it felt a little empty... then I noticed a couple sitting by the curb! Generally I don't sketch people too close to me in fear of being mis-interpreted as a stalker (which unfortunately has happened before) but this time it seems the figure is simple enough that I only need a couple of minutes actually looking in their direction.

I was initially unsure of the result, but the more I look at it the more interesting it becomes... it feels like the figures are almost adding more complexity to the drawing, like it's actually telling a more complete story.

The next figure-in-scene I attempted was before my visit to Asian Art Museum in Civic Center. I usually draw the building from the front, but I decided to change things up a bit and draw it from up close and angled. The light revolves around the dome as the day progresses, so the building never quite gets boring to look at. There were a few people on the plaza in front of the building (I assume some are homeless, some are resting), so I decided to include in the man sitting at the base of a light pole.

Since I was standing next to the paid parking lot (while using its stand to put my water jar) I was also semi-observing the parking situation at Civic Center. For the record, no spot was left empty for longer than a minute.

Second time around: Fort Mason Center

This is my 2nd time drawing Fort Mason Center, this time sitting at a lower location because the wind is too brutal on top of the hill. I was looking for an excuse to sneak out of JPOP summit (happening in one of the red-roof pavilions) all day and I finally got my chance after 2pm. Usually the hottest most unbearable time of the day in South Bay, but only barely warm enough to sit still under the sun at Fort Mason. The wind almost flipped my drawing board onto my face a couple of times...

The view onto North Bay right after sunset (from Fort Mason). The fog has covered the city, but the remainder of the sunset is still visible under the cloud. The view was quite unusual, but it was too cold at the time to draw anything (plus it is really hard to capture on camera). So I memorized the scene and drew this snippet on my tablet a few days later.

Fog at Fort Mason and first figure drawing session!

 Since even the earliest Caltrain couldn't get me to the morning session of the Figure Drawing event, I hung out on the hills overlooking Fort Mason and drew the foggy landscape while waiting for the afternoon session. (Turns out the there was really no cut-off entry time for the event, but I was too scared to intrude in late anyways...) Since this is where all the cycling tourists pass by on their bike tour of the coast (and who inevitably all stop and rest because it is the top of the hill after a steep climb), I put on my earphone to avoid any noise......and to avoid mistaking the wows' aimed at the scenery for my painting instead :P

As a self-claimed landscape drawer, I had to admit figure drawing is much harder than I imagined. My pen just refuses to curve! (especially my first attempt, first one on the left page)

The event was organized by SF Models' Guild...and man were the rooms crowded!