Last sketches of 2010 at Crystal Mountain

Looking out the lodge window on the main level.

Bullwheel Bar and Restaurant

Pacific Science Center

On a rare driving trip into Seattle (we were a large group) with family to see the Harry Potter Exhibit at the Pacific Science Center. The show was pretty slick, though as I noted, would have been too expensive (for what you experienced) if paying the non-member price. We got there an hour early which gave me time to sketch in the warmth of one of the other exhibits.

My son on the computer.

My 16-yr-old wanted to show me an online game he enjoys, so I took the opportunity to do a sketch over his shoulder while I watched.

Season's Greetings

Best to you all this Holiday Season and look forward to more sketching in 2011!

Happy Solstice

Wishing everyone a Joyous Holiday Season and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year!!!

Waiting at Seatac

Quickie over Irish Coffee at The Wedgwood

I was sitting in the Lounge at The Wedgwood (yes, they spell it without the second "e") with a friend after a long day, and mentioned that I was sorry I hadn't done a drawing all day. She said, "Do one now." I looked around the dark, busy room, and thought, what the heck, and pulled out my sketchbook. I'm usually a little fussier than this, but decided to just scribble it in, by candle light, with no pencil or planning marks, distractedly chatting and drinking my Irish Coffee. Hence the awkward distortions. Oh, well. It captures how I saw the room.

Pacific Place - December Gathering

Pacific Place was decked out for the holiday season, they also had a fundraiser going on where artists embellished the Nutcracker theme (I believe) with the pieces to be sold at auction. The sketch above is of Jimmy H the nutcracker (I didn't check to see who the artist was).

Friday Night at Vios

Drawing my friend as she grades papers in the little Greek cafe in Third Place Books, North Seattle. (Friday night. That's how we roll...) A couple at a nearby table (First date? Good friends? Hard to tell) walked over to talk about my sketchbook and to chat about art for a while.

Another View of Pacific Place

It was great sketching indoors and we had a lot of choice.  Just another view of Pacific Place Atrium.  This was opposite Franks sketch from below looking up towards where he was standing.  This took me the whole time I was there.  I may go back and splash some color on it if I have time.

Two Views of Pacific Place

Wonderful to be drawing indoors while it was raining outside. Here are two views of the Pacific Place atrium. The first view is looking down into the atrium from the fourth floor, done with my trusty Lamy fountain pen in about 45 minutes. The second sketch, looking up from the lower level, is done with the Sketchbook mobile app on my iPhone and took about 30 minutes, only some of which was spent actually drawing. A lot of the time, I was getting used to the small screen, zooming in and out, accessing the menu options, etc. The nature of the tools we use definitely affects how we draw. The fine nib of a fountain pen and the touch-sensitive tip of the forefinger lead in different directions with very different results.

ST MARKS CATHEDRAL

Gail threw this suggestion out as a possibility for this weekend and I couldn't get it out of my mind. The church sexton toured me through their archives and shared stories and images of the many design iterations the cathedral has undergone in the past 85 years.

Warm and dry at Pacific Place

I'm not sure whose idea it was but sketching at Pacific Place on this most rainy of days was perfect. Bustling people, lots of color, music to sketch by and good company. A very nice outing. I sat outside Top Ten Toys and enjoyed the shoppers' delight in the beautiful window there.

Psychic Energy Readings

Sat in a greasy spoon diner across the street from this place on Aurora Ave in North Seattle, and drew it through the window as I ate bacon and toast. 12/8/10

that penguin

December 12th Sketch Crawl @ Pacific Place Mall

Hi all,
Reminder of the sketchcrawl this Sunday at Pacific Place at 10:00.  Plan on getting there early.  I hear that there is a Jingle bell  run happening downtown that morning too  that ends at 9:00. So it might be busy.  You need to give yourself time to find parking.  click on the December 12 label below to find the blog that has the maps and meeting location.

Gage Drawing Jam

Hi all. Surprised I didn't see you, Gail. Ha ha. Might have had something to do with the fact that there seemed to be about three thousand people there. Good drawings by the way! I was so intent on getting to the life room that I didn't even think to draw "the place," the way a proper Urban Sketcher should. All of my sketches are of people, but not just "people." They are figure models, and figure models are superhuman. The room I camped out in for most of the day had at least a couple hundred (not a typo) folks in it, and up to four models working at the same time. What a trip! After picking through my sketches for the ones that were presentable, and appropriate for this family-friendly site, here's what I ended up with.

When I'm in a life drawing session, and they insist (as they always do) on those exasperatingly short "gesture poses," I just do quick portrait sketches to keep myself from going (more) insane:


This was a longer pose, but I didn't have much time (I was afraid they might run out of wine in the cafe) so I just did a quick sketch with pen. The "resignation" that for me comes with working in ink has a way of freeing the mind. Sometimes.

During the longer poses I was able to do a little watercolor-ing, and without bumping too many other artist-elbows in the process. I did have to keep the dramatic flourishes with my brush-arm to a minimum of course, but there are always sacrifices to be made:

Seattle Sketch Pistols at the Georgetown Art Attack!

FYI: The Seattle Sketch Pistols will be attending the Georgetown Art Attack this Saturday, Dec. 11, starting at 6:00pm at the Georgetown Liquor Co. ( Ste. B, 5501 Airport Way, Seattle Wa 98108) We'll probably move on at about 6:30pm to tour the artwalk prior to choosing a sketch location, which is always TBD since I like to let the gang decide where to land for the sketching, but we'll begin drawing no later than 7:30pm usually, going on 'till around 10:00pm.

This will be an indoor event but dress for rain as we will visit several buildings prior to sketching. Contact me on Facebook for my cell phone and other contact info. I can also hook you up to the Facebook Sketch Pistols Group, where I publish the alerts for the events.

Hope you can make it!

Cheers,

Dave Adams

Drawing Jam At the Gage Art Academy

Went to my first Drawing Jam at the Gage Art  Academy.  It was a great event!  Sketching, live musical performances, food,  free gift bags from art stores.  What more could you ask.
Here are my sketches.  Would love to see sketches done by other sketchers that went.

Fishermen's Terminal, 11/14/10

Pike Place Market, Pedestrian Bridge on a snowy 11/21/10

December 12th Sketch Crawl @ Pacific Place Mall

We are doing the Mall Experience!  Meeting  time: Sunday December 12th 10:00 am.  Location: Meet on the main level at the Penguin Statue in front of TWIST store,  inside the Mall.  Under ground Parking available at the Pacfic Place.  See map and photo below.

Sketches from Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Pies we had a total of 13 pies each home made and we had 17 people. 

Morning after Thanksgiving

Finger Citron from Town and Country Market

Ferry ride Home Bainbridge to Seattle

For story of our pie tradition check glwsketchworks later this week.

PORTRAIT_LIFE STUDY_Trapeze Studio_11.30.10

Drawing Opportunities this Weekend

Cultural events happening this weekend that should be great drawing opportunities.

There is the Drawing Jam this Saturday at Gage Academy of Art: 12 hours of drawing and creating art!  If you're not familiar with Gage it's a non-profit art school that has adult, teen, and kids programs and they are located on Cap Hill right next to St. Marks. It's $10 for adults, free for kids and teens, and they still need volunteers to help out if you want to get in for free and a t-shirt to boot! www.gageacademy.org

Also Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m.  is a Musical Revue at Garfield High School's Quincy Jones Performing Arts Center.   It is a fun night with singing and dancing.  Suggested donations $10.00 adults $5.00 kids.  www.garfieldsingers.org

November 21, Jaipur Market

I was sketching in a very different market, in the Pink City instead of the Emerald City. Also, my market was about 60 degrees warmer than yours! More sketches online.

Looking forward to seeing the group at the December crawl in familiar territory.