Or perhaps more accurately, suburban sketch. This building has long been on my radar. It sits along Highway 200 as it passes through my little blip of a community that is so close to the much larger Sandpoint that it may as well be a suburb. I have no idea what it once was; it looks to be unused and uncared for for some time. Some of the shingles have blown off the roof and the black plastic meant to protect that part has come loose and flaps in the wind. The upper windows are black (blacked out?) and the lower windows and door are boarded over. The door once had a small overhang to shield those coming and going from the weather but it too has come off. Other businesses along this stretch include motels, gas stations and a few store fronts. I can't decide what role this building played in this precursor of the strip mall. One thing for sure, the red around the windows and edges of the roof peaks still catches the eye. With a "for sale" sign out front, I've been worried that it might either be torn down or rehabilitated before I had a chance to sketch it. And with it being blustery November, I thought my outdoor sketching time was at an end for the year.
But today surprised me. I didn't expect it to be any different from the rest of the week which has been very rainy, windy and cold, but it was. The sun came out and it felt quite warm, and so I grabbed my sketchbook and pen and walked to where I could see the building. Ideally, I should be standing on the shoulder of the highway to get the angle I had in mind, but it's not wide enough to be safe. Instead, I found a spot farther away from my subject than I have for the last couple of sketches, which I think was a good thing. The downside was the railroad track between me and the building - I couldn't get up high enough to see over it; its raised bed hid the base of the building. But I could capture those red-rimmed windows.
I tried a different approach today, using pen instead of pencil (surprisingly freeing) to make dots at key points before drawing in lines. I still got a bit off, but it worked quite well. When there are evenly spaced details like the window peaks, it makes a lot of sense. Then you can just connect the dots! As I often do, I saved the addition of colored pencil for when I got home. Only had a few slight panics; it's amazing how much one forgets even after staring purposefully to supposedly burn the image into one's brain. But I think I got it mostly right.
6 comments:
Sketching from life. I really should do more - it's the foundation after all of everything we do as artists.
I think I'd recognise this building if I saw it.
Hilary xx
VERY impressive sketch.....will you turn it into a quilt?
Thanks Hilary and Mary. I could hardly ask for more than for the building to be recognizable! As for it ever becoming a quilt, I don't think so. I have other sketches that I think would make better subject matter for the transfer of sketch to fabric.
Lovely sketch! I somehow find drawing with a pen more freeing too... I think it is because the pen moves more smoothly across the paper (some pens, anyway).
Thanks, Liz. I'm always surprised when the pen drawings go well. My left brain expects it to be hard because, ya know, no erasing, every stroke has to be right the first time. But once I get going, it never feels that way, never any foreboding pressure. Just, as you say, smoothly gliding over the paper with a line that is easy to see.
This makes me wish I had the time to sketch again. I used to ... but now I'm doing PhotoShop (which in my mind is quicker gratification--even though I know I can spend as much time on that as sketching). January brings a new year. Perhaps I'll make that my new priority? So many possibilities ... and good books to read, too!
Post a Comment