Buttnekkiddoodles

Well, one thing’s for certain….I’m no architect. I really don’t dig drawing large wall after wall after wall of windows. Got back today to finish yesterday’s sketch of the pall over Chicago from the Canadian forest fires. I have a great vantage point of Lincoln Park as I sit by my north facing window. An interesting challenge of sketching the light at that time of day is that because of the haze, the buildings and trees in the distance resemble distant mountain ranges on hazy days; the top profiles are darker at their crest and lighten as they fall below the closer mountains. As each mountain range or ridge gets closer, its crest is darker than the one more distant. But, as the trees got closer to me, the sun lit the tops so that the closest trees had to be darker than the crest of the tree in front of them and closer to the viewer. The reverse of distant trees and features. So the challenge was to still get the sense of a pall from the smoke, the atmospheric perspective, and the raking afternoon sun striking the tops of the trees. One obvious trick is how you use contours, edges, contrasts, lines and details. Drop the use of line as you move into the distance, more clarity and detail in the foreground, greater contrasts in the foreground. It’s such a great view we have of the city and lake from our apartment but you might guess why I don’t perch by the window more often drawing these views; because it’s such a fun pain in the arse.

 

Wednesdays and Saturdays farmers and bakers from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana bring their produce and products to Lincoln Park for the Green City Farmers Market. I’ll soon be living a 5 blocks walk from this great asset that not only provides great produce but terrific sketching opportunities as well.

Made use of Pitt Artist Pens, Fountain Pens, Platinum Carbon Ink, deAtrementis Document Black Ink, on Hahnemühle Cappuccino and Watercolour sketchbooks, Stillman & Birn Gamma Series sketchbooks, Clairefontaine Goldline Watercolour sketchbook.