Week of Virtual Plein Air!

I've been continuing with my virtual Plein Air exercise on Photoshop with the help of google streetview.

County Cavan, Ireland

Portoferraio, Italy

Valais, Switzerland

Vestbygd, Norway

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.

Warmer Tones: Scenes from Mission Bay

Another weekend outing with the SF sketchers took me to Mission Bay. I missed the SF sketcher anniversary gathering at the Mission Creek Park last time, and finally I'm close enough to it this time to stop by. After sketching at a nearby antique shop and gathering at Arch's, I stopped by Mission Creek Park. It really was interesting that it has quaint boathouses on one side and neatly packed new townhouses on the other. (Glad I picked the correct side to park my car haha) Anyway, the slanted sun really has a stunning effect on the scene; even though it's really just around noon, the west-facing walls were splashed with a bright light. The background is in a fuzzy pink (you could see the raised bridge of AT&T park to the very left)

I also made quite a mess on the ground while trying to shake up the reflections...eh... hope no one noticed...

Then I left my car in Mission Creek Park and walked up to Blick on Market Street (Arch ran out of the watercolor block I use) On my way I stopped to work on the intersection of 4th & King (also the Caltrain Station that I used to frequent) I really couldn't pass up on a nicely-shaped shadow, namely the slanted one in the middle. This 1-hr delay put me into dinner rush hour traffic when I attempted to navigate from Mission Bay to Japan Town... uphill, in my manual car. That was a fun ride lol

View from the Top: Lafayette Park

Today I had one of my firsts! Driving into SF city proper by myself... in my manual car. I somehow came to this otherwise unthinkable decision owing to a few factors. Time of the day: 10AM on a Saturday (minimum risk for other cars) Location: A park at top of hill in Pacific Heights (probably nobody will show up at 10 AM (minimum risk for other cars) Almost impossible to reach by public transportation in a timely manner (so I can get up later in the morning) And so I ventured gingerly towards town on a bright Saturday morning after downing a few Onigiri's.

My hearts started pounding even before I got off the 101. As I was approaching the exit into town, I could feel my eardrum thumping rapidly and my palms started sweating. Thankfully as I approach the first major uphill road (with multiple intersections in between), I realized that if the cars keep a certain pace, the green lights up one after another as if leading us onto the top smoothly. So I followed the pace of the cars in front of me, and successfully made it to level ground with no incident! (I did have to keep in 2nd gear, because I was paranoid of having to brake for cars trying to cut into my lane) Anyhow, as I was approaching within one block of the park, I was asked to turn left by GoogleMaps, I signaled and glanced left and saw a big incline... along with several cars lined up for the traffic light.... so I immediately drove straight ahead. The 2nd intersection was the same, even with anti-slipping markings on the pavement! Now I fully grasp why the description said sweeping views of the the city and alcatraz...it is on top of the hill alright. In the end I parked my car on level ground the just walked up the hill so I don't put any unsuspecting cars/people at risk. 

The view was indeed splendid! Although I did need a few moment to calm myself down after the intense drive. It was also my first time hearing and seeing a woodpecker for real! I heard this knock knock sound when I just started working on my first piece, and the sketchers beside me chatted, "Oh, look at that woodpecker working, always so busy". And then when I asked, they kindly pointed out its location to me the uninitiated. I did try to contain my excitement ;P
(Alcatraz is hidden just behind the building on the right hand side)

Then I decided to find a sunny spot to work on a more city-focused view. And man was it sunny. It got so hot I took off my coat, rolled up my sleeves and still was wiping sweat off my forehead! That's California Winter for you... and I thought I was crazy when I considered bring the sunscreen along.

Quickies in Shanghai

Being kindly offered by my boss to embark on a quick 2-day business trip in China before the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to join my family in Shanghai 3 days earlier than schedule (Thursday night instead of Sunday night) I originally meant for the trip to visit my ailing grandpa, who had been hospitalized for several months. Unfortunately he passed away one day before my scheduled departure, and by the time I touched down, all the proceedings have been completed. (My family has been prepared for this for a while now, but the thoughts of the upcoming business trip did not let me fully react to the news emotionally... I'm still struggling to come to terms with my own reaction (did I under-react during the phone call? Was the right call to drop the business trip and head to our hometown first? In reality, I was afraid to call my mother directly for some weeks now in fear of hearing her breakdown after picking up the call

Anyway, here are some quickies (using a brush pen) I did while in Shanghai during the TG holiday. It was unbelievably cold (even though I've been through Canadian winters wearing my uniform skirt). You could feel the freezing damp air pierce into you.

 While resting after shopping for some books. Haikou Rd

The backstreet of Jin'An with the Shanghai Exhibition Center (formerly Sino-Soviet Friendship Building) looming in the background. It is already very rare to see a non-high rise old neighbourhood in the high-end Jin'An district, let alone one with such a dramatic backdrop! Worth braving the cold for this one

In Celebration of USk 10 Year Anniversary!

Joined the SF Sketchers in Union Square for the USk 24 hr Global Sketchwalk for the 10th anniversary of Urban Sketchers organization. As always, I arrived more than 1 hour late, so I started straight into painting after I got off the Bart station. It was an unusually warm autumn/winter day in SF... I remember I was huddling indoors about the same time last year. Also thanks to the low angle of the sunlight, a few buildings that are usually in shadows had some very nice sunlit surfaces.

What first caught my eyes were the crowded signs on the right, but the building in the background (Humboldt Bank Building, 1908, more info here: https://untappedcities.com/2012/03/30/architecture-spotlight-the-humboldt-bank-building/)  The dome in the sunlight looked very impressive!

After the group meet at the Apple Store, I hopped back down to Union Square (instead of getting some proper lunch) because there were so many interesting shadows criss-crossing the narrow streets there! I liked this one in particular because the shadow came down halfway on the "Hotel Stratford" sign. (I would like the red to be a little brighter, but it was too late when I realized...oh well) The tracks on the road are for the Powell Street Cable Cars.

Fall colours, at Forbes Flour Mill Museum

Stopped for a cycling break at the Forbes Flour Mill Museum. There was one shiny SUV parked right at the focal point of this piece, but it pulled away even before I finished with the pencil outlines... :(

Glad the other two cars cooperated until the end!