SketchingNow-Foundations Course
Week 11 Assignment: Working from a Focus-Cafe Sketching
This final assignment took me to the local Le Boulanger Cafe and Bakery. This is an actual working bakery where thousands of loaves of bread are made for the bakeries and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. I've been wanting to sketch this for a long time. I did have breakfast here, but did not sketch it--a good reason to return and complete the page spread. The image is of one of the bakery assistants standing on a ladder and adjusting the dough in a feeder that automatically cuts down and shapes the dough and sends out the loaves to rise before baking.
This was a challenging drawing because the worker was only up on the ladder for a few seconds. So I had to wait for him to toss in another 20 pounds of dough and then use the oil in the bucket to adjust and coat the dough to help it glide smoothly through the feeder. It took multiple episodes for me to capture the pose.
Week 10 Assignment: Creating a Focus
Image #1: Facade of the Triton Museum of Art
The Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California, is a favorite local art museum. I participate in the museum’s uninstructed figure drawing sessions on an almost weekly basis, so it almost feels like home to me. The building's sprawling modernistic shape is full of angles. Numerous redwood trees on the grounds soften its shapes. It has several iconic features, and outdoor sculptures. Unfortunately, I did not have time to capture them all. Since my time was limited, I opted not to draw any thumbnail sketches. Instead I made two quick sketches in which I tried to apply some of the principles of creating a focus.
Image #1: I was sketching from across the street on a sunny winter day. The sun is a bit low in the sky washing out the pale ochre of the building, but the light-dark contrast and the sculpture help create the focus on the entryway. I also used the rule of thirds to organize the composition.
Week 11 Assignment: Working from a Focus-Cafe Sketching
This final assignment took me to the local Le Boulanger Cafe and Bakery. This is an actual working bakery where thousands of loaves of bread are made for the bakeries and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. I've been wanting to sketch this for a long time. I did have breakfast here, but did not sketch it--a good reason to return and complete the page spread. The image is of one of the bakery assistants standing on a ladder and adjusting the dough in a feeder that automatically cuts down and shapes the dough and sends out the loaves to rise before baking.
This was a challenging drawing because the worker was only up on the ladder for a few seconds. So I had to wait for him to toss in another 20 pounds of dough and then use the oil in the bucket to adjust and coat the dough to help it glide smoothly through the feeder. It took multiple episodes for me to capture the pose.
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Week 11 Assignment: Image #1 Working from a Focus
Bakery worker @ Le Boulanger, Sunnyvale California, USA
Media: Watercolor and pen in Strathmore series 500 sketchbook
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Week 10 Assignment: Creating a Focus
Image #1: Facade of the Triton Museum of Art
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| Week 10 Assignment: Image #1 Triton Museum of Art Media: Ink drawing and Sennelier watercolors on Strathmore 500 Series sketchbook paper |
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| Week 10 Assignment: Image #2 Morgan Horse by S.S. Schnittmann, 1966 Ink drawing with Inktense colored pencil wash |
The Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California, is a favorite local art museum. I participate in the museum’s uninstructed figure drawing sessions on an almost weekly basis, so it almost feels like home to me. The building's sprawling modernistic shape is full of angles. Numerous redwood trees on the grounds soften its shapes. It has several iconic features, and outdoor sculptures. Unfortunately, I did not have time to capture them all. Since my time was limited, I opted not to draw any thumbnail sketches. Instead I made two quick sketches in which I tried to apply some of the principles of creating a focus.
Image #1: I was sketching from across the street on a sunny winter day. The sun is a bit low in the sky washing out the pale ochre of the building, but the light-dark contrast and the sculpture help create the focus on the entryway. I also used the rule of thirds to organize the composition.
Image #2: Morgan Horse Sculpture
Since my time was running out I decided to just do an ink drawing. I added a grey wash at home to emphasize the sculpture. The actual sculpture is finished in a rich, copper green patina. The central placement of the object on the page, and the building's angles help create the focus on the sculpture. I plan to return and do justice to this masterful sculpture.
This lesson really gave me some tools to improve my composition--thanks, Liz!
Hi Carmela,
ReplyDeleteI looked back through the comments on Liz's last lesson and found the link to your blog. I am so impressed with how your worked through and reflected on all of the lessons. That really is the way to get the most from this course! I am actually tempted to go back to the beginning and start again. I loved seeing your interpretation of the lessons and the freshness of your watercolour. Lovely.