Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The Intrepid

The NYC Urban Sketchers met at Pier 83 on Saturday to sketch the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. We didn't board the ship....just sketched from the pier. To say it was an overwhelming subject is putting it mildly. There were so many parts and details and it was just impossible to get the whole thing in. So first I focused on one end...with all the planes on deck...

and then I focused on the other end. I missed the entire middle and all the pieces that stuck up with the radar and other technical things. lol 

When we were walking off to lunch and I looked back it would have been much easier to sketch it from a distance where some of it would have been a silhouette and the rest just large shapes. As I said to everyone...the next time I complain about how hard it is to sketch a sailboat, remind me of this day. lol

Several people asked about the pen I used in yesterday's post. It is an Elegant Writer. I had watched a youtube video by Karlyn Holman which if you are interested in the way the pen works is definitely worth watching. She also shows how you can "fix" the ink so that you can add watercolors at some point. Here is a link to it. I am hoping to use her process on a larger painting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBe6bG6ouZo





11 comments:

  1. After watching the video it makes you want to paint with watercolor......
    Your sketches are wonderful, Joan. Amazing details...

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  2. Great sketches of the Intrepid -- a formidable subject! Thanks for the link to the video, Joan! It's so cool that the ink becomes permanent once it's activated and then dry. All the water-soluble inks I've used stay that way and never become permanent. I'm inspired and curious! I'm going to have to get one of those pens! :-)

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  3. Two days of lovely sketches! I'm awed by the detail you've managed in these two pieces, however. Amazing work, Joan!

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  4. Thanks, Hilda!

    Tina, thanks. I'll have to do a sketch and actually let it dry before I add watercolors. It is an interesting way to paint and I love her effects.

    Sherry, thanks so much. I felt like I was getting carried away with the details but couldn't stop myself. lol

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  5. Dear Joan- I think you did a super job capturing certain parts of the ship with all those planes. Your sketches always look wonderful. Will check out Karolyn's video. I read a boo of hers showing the use of the elegant writer. I purchased one and have used it a bit. Really like the effect. Thank you for sharing. So glad you too stopped to visit me. Have a wonderful day.

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  6. Thanks so much, Debbie. I've got to experiment with it more. She gets such great results. Have a great day!

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  7. I wouldn't know where to begin with something like this, you did an amazing job! I love the video, I will look for the pen. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Great intrepid paintings. I would have been overwhelmed.

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  9. Great intrepid paintings. I would have been overwhelmed.

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  10. Great intrepid paintings. I would have been overwhelmed.

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  11. Two thumbs up on your sketches here, Joan. Great work! Boats and harbors are full of choices for composition and subject matter. I thought you gave your viewers a great feel for the experience.

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