Trains, Planes and Fire Trucks. Well, no planes

45 degrees and rain are perfect ingredients to exercise one of two indoor memberships I have: The Lamberton Conservatory, or the NY Museum of Transportation. We went with option B. 

If you haven't been, please head over and visit Jim and his hard at work volunteers. The museum is a whimsical collection of trains, a few cars and a lot of dust. It's like getting lost in grandpas basement. They are only open on Sunday's and from now until fall they are offering train rides on 1/2 mile HAND LAID TRACK! It's amazing! The experience is like jumping in a Delorian and heading back in time--AND you can sketch there! 

We hid in a dark corner in front of a cool 1941 Mack Fire Truck. I eventually snuck over to an old International Truck, which was very dark to start and then someone hit the lights after I had painted it. I guess it's another excuse to visit!

We also got a rid on the hand-laid 1/2 mile track on a refurbished cable car. While the conductor was giving us a history lesson Genine and I sketched furiously! 

[fancy pentel pencil, namiki falcon with DeArtementis Document ink, D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Gray skies, gray sketches

Pouring rain and a night alone means a trip to the Greenfront for some eats! And sketching! 

[pilot V5 pen, PITT cool gray markers, a gigantic PITT white marker in a gray toned Strathmore sketchbook]

Random sketch catch-up

Canandaigua Boathouses part 73

I've tried and tried to get these historic boathouses drawn well a few times now. I think they keep getting easier and easier, but this time was no different. 

I scheduled a meetup and had a few artists meet me out for an afternoon of drawing on Canandaigua's City Pier. I plopped myself down and tried to capture the beauty of these crooked, well-loved floating homes. They are so unique, and old, with a ton of character. I especially like all of the wire hanging from pole to pole. They are an interesting tangled mess. For temporary homes, they seem to have a lot of need for wires! 

Drawing 1:

-I used a pencil to plan out my attack and a thicker nib Lamy Safari for my lines. I added some watercolor as well--trying to be patient and not have my sketch turn to mud. 

Drawing 2:

-Same subject but I tried a "single line" drawing. I started on the left and cruised to the right with only one line. If I missed something, so be it--keep on going! 

Drawing 3:

I parked myself under a shady tree with some may flies and people galore. There was a bench situated right in front of me and people would come and go making perfect models! 

[pentel pencil, namiki falcon (and all of my pens!) with DeArtementis Document ink, D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Single line drawings

Surfing around the internet reviewing (read: stalking) the artists I like, I came across a few artists that were experimenting with "single, continuous, line drawings". They would start somewhere, put the pen down, and leave it until the were done on the other side of the page. It was like a blind contour line drawing (my favorite) but you could look. If you forgot a detail, oh well, keep on going. 

I added the watercolors in haste since I was being "interviewed" by a few young Mormon gentleman. 

[uni pin 0.2 pen, D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Curriculum night

I had two hours to kill between work ending and our spring curriculum night/vote night starting. I inhaled a cheeseburger sub and sketched the view outside the pizza shop. During the wicked good performances I sketched the paparazzi, I mean, parents. 

[pentel pencil, namiki falcon with DeArtementis Document ink, D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Downtown afternoon light

With this awesome spring weather, the sun is actually up past 3:30 in the afternoon. So now when I walk around downtown the light and shadows are magnificent! I found a nice park bench on main street, parked it there for an hour or so. 

My watercolor skills haven't been very strong as of late (were they ever?) so I stuck with some gray markers to add my depth. I was on a roll, and then the sun dipped behind a building and put my bench in a cool shadow and I started to get a little frigid. Which is middy silly considering 9 weeks ago it was -9 degrees out here. 

[uni pin 0.2 pen, PITT cool gray markers, a gigantic PITT white marker in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Greenfront creepin'

More Greenfront creepin'. 

[pilot V5 pen, PITT cool gray markers, a gigantic PITT white marker in a gray toned Strathmore sketchbook]

Mangoes, or is it mangos?

I was unhappy with my watercolor application on my "Buffalo Springfield" sketch, so I practiced some more with a few mangos sitting on the counter. I realized that:
A) I am impatient waiting for watercolors to dry 
B) adding watercolor pencils afterwards added some nice depth and shadows that I was desperately craving. (see the before and after pic)
C) much more skilled adding watercolor pencils than actual watercolors

[namiki falcon with DeArtementis Document ink, D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Mall creepin'

I hate, and I mean, HATE, Starbucks coffee, tea, desserts, even their napkins are horrible (try using them to clean brushes while painting). BUT the devoted fans lined up tapping on their cell phones, ordering half-calf, double espresso, caramel, non-fat, non-sweet, chocolate, cappuccino, latte, iced coffee dessert drink make for great subjects! 

[pilot V5 pen, PITT cool gray markers, a gigantic PITT white marker in a gray toned Strathmore sketchbook]

NY Transportation Museum

On the way to a friends house I saw a sign for the Transportation Museum. I thought "What a cool place to sketch!". I emailed the owner/curator and he was more than happy to have some happy sketchers out to his place! 

When we got there words cannot describe the place. I thought it was as if your grandfather had a REALLY BIG garage and attic and he collected train, bus and car stuff. He then just laid it around kind of haphazardly and worked on the collection when he could. Leaving tools here and there, and piles of parts in aisle and aisles of dark cinder block walled buildings. It was quite spectacular! 

It was too nice of a day outside so Genine and I planted ourselves outdoors and sketched some of the pieces they had by the entrance. I picked the "Buffalo Springfield" (no, not the band) and attempted a large sketch of it. The sketch was ok, but the watercolors came out a little, well, off. Oh well, that's why we learn. 

[pentel pencil, namiki falcon with DeArtementis Document ink, D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

Sketchbook 10 (short life)

I couldn't do it. The Hand-book Journal was a pain in the neck. After four sketches, I drove 20 miles to Rochester Art Supply and purchased my new favorite Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook. ahhhhhhhh. So much better. 

Sorry Handbook Journal.

Sketchbook #10

I finished my glorious Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook and dove into my stash of Handbook journals. These were my go to sketchbook when I first started a few years ago--but now that I have tasted the good life, these are far from my favorite. I like the shape, and size, but that is about it. The paper is okay, a little too thin for my liking. The binding seems weak--pages shuffle and get loose. The cover is weak, and too easy to bend. And the yellow tint of the paper is way too yellow. But since I have 2 of them in stock, I have to use them. 

Sketches at our 4th/5th grade band concert:
[uni pin pen in handbook journal]

 Sketches at our 2nd grade musical:
[lots of pens in handbook journal]

Some 2nd graders working:
[inktense watercolor pencisl in handbook journal]

Lunch sketches:

Random sketch catch-up