tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13720862839526316082024-03-06T06:43:58.033-08:00SketchBlogMatthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-4080174457292898742016-08-18T14:19:00.000-07:002016-08-18T14:19:22.806-07:00Western Washington University<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsIxt0_Oy2u-TmHK9dp836mnNktDxAaNnQ5HzXUkFIQTDqLRCoviYQvOgB4r9t3pp93UfPprg_y976cNhLwk6kTeuX9OniXC0p_g6T02Z75GEql0zT-l2U4bnXV53paP_i07qZpDIBEs/s1600/20160815a-Wilson-Library-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsIxt0_Oy2u-TmHK9dp836mnNktDxAaNnQ5HzXUkFIQTDqLRCoviYQvOgB4r9t3pp93UfPprg_y976cNhLwk6kTeuX9OniXC0p_g6T02Z75GEql0zT-l2U4bnXV53paP_i07qZpDIBEs/s320/20160815a-Wilson-Library-sm.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
The elder of my two sons is heading off to college this Fall, so he and I
made a visit to Western Washington University for "Summer Start," their
version of incoming orientation. While the vast majority of our time
was taken up by attending info and advising sessions, I did manage to
sketch a bit - the best way I know of getting a feel for a place. It's a
small but very beautiful campus, and the people were uniformly
welcoming and helpful. I know that the visit helped my son feel much
better about his decision - if only because he could finally inhabit the
place he'd been considering for some time. And the visit had a similar
effect on me. It's difficult to grasp the fact that one of my kids is
already going off to school, so becoming familiar with what will be his
new home-away-from-home helped put my mind at ease. Here's hoping that
my son achieves great things at WWU, and I look forward to additional
visits in the future!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCqBSbPyAWgIMWJDhK5AEF7h0pGhgqTg3IjaEf6dVcHa5DCYeyjVCmhKwYDsyJjMdp2dY9QEXDrpr1zha8WH-l8db28qHIa2cL2TIRnSwjHIxVhv3n1mn40b7WVXDYfa_zgGYNCqiLYI/s1600/20160815b-Performing-Arts-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCqBSbPyAWgIMWJDhK5AEF7h0pGhgqTg3IjaEf6dVcHa5DCYeyjVCmhKwYDsyJjMdp2dY9QEXDrpr1zha8WH-l8db28qHIa2cL2TIRnSwjHIxVhv3n1mn40b7WVXDYfa_zgGYNCqiLYI/s320/20160815b-Performing-Arts-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-21574150184211516102016-04-15T11:40:00.001-07:002016-04-15T11:40:31.893-07:00Trying to Join the 21st Century in a Coffeeshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTy493lH47QyzrWGdcQVwUx_6EutH_XdOelwg6wtj8_87ZH080PE5i0H6DO5GamppLfNOEONrrwqYKHCA2A6YMwL-5wx5NN6V92yVS4KPNNaJTTse2eBJpck2gBK9frp6oiGLhQXh-v0/s1600/20160415-Bucers-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTy493lH47QyzrWGdcQVwUx_6EutH_XdOelwg6wtj8_87ZH080PE5i0H6DO5GamppLfNOEONrrwqYKHCA2A6YMwL-5wx5NN6V92yVS4KPNNaJTTse2eBJpck2gBK9frp6oiGLhQXh-v0/s400/20160415-Bucers-sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I finally got myself a "smartphone," after many years of using the most
basic and inexpensive phone I could find. Funny thing is, the
pay-as-you-go plan for the new phone is actually cheaper than it was for
the old phone. (It's sneaky tricks like this that they use to get you
hooked, I think.) Anyway, I figured I would try to join the rest of the
sketchers I encounter at symposiums and other events and drag myself
into the 21st Century - if only so I can streamline the process of
photographing and sharing sketches in something like real time. So the
drawing and sharing this morning from Bucer's here in Moscow was for the
express purpose of testing this workflow. I realize that this is old
hat to most of you, dear readers, and that there's really nothing
complicated or extraordinary about taking a photo and immediately
sharing it. But for me, it was a bit of a leap.<br />
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However,
one thing I will continue to do is actually photograph my drawings
later on, when I have access to a real camera and some decent lighting,
because I think it makes a big difference to anyone who might want to
look more closely at the work. While it's nice to get a glimpse of the
drawing "in situ," with some indication of what was being sketched, I
always like to see the drawing itself, reproduced at least reasonably
well. I'll keep trying to make this happen with the new phone, but so
far my experiments haven't been very successful. Please let me know if
you have strategies for using your phone to get good reproductions of
your sketches in the comments below. Thanks!Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-68423891045490618942016-01-29T10:15:00.001-08:002016-01-29T10:15:16.540-08:00Sketching Essentials in Graphite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It already seems like a while ago that I was in Denver filming my new course on "Sketching Essentials," probably because I've been so wrapped up developing drawings for my next book. But the course is attracting a lot of folks, and it's been fun answering their questions and discussing their work. The platform that Craftsy has created for administering courses is really nice - you can watch the video segments whenever you like, and as many times as you like, and there are easy-to-use tools for asking questions, uploading your sketches, and participating in discussions.<br />
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The course was created with all levels of sketchers in mind. It's probably most clearly directed at people who are just beginning to learn, but I firmly believe that you never get "too good" to focus on the fundamentals of any skill. To the contrary, the people I admire most - in just about any field - are those who have made the fundamentals of their craft central to what they do. I hope that, in some small way, this course helps all kinds of sketchers to develop their abilities.<br />
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<a href="http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MattBrehm_10190_F" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="www.craftsy.com/ext/MattBrehm_10190_F" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OojIr7HTAVAyg6d8MgnwwCKOEjPlNoSZvorMUoWgi-ICWtdby5JMU3kwoo7I-JJYh09TkbODsxvApi0xnwyPGLAd6cszpoUicqO4lXoEoNR9Hs_moXl1z-d5BXvv8OoXedO3AMqHp1jM/s200/box.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So if you or someone you know is interested, please click the link here and watch the overview video to get a taste of what the course is all about. Then join up, and start sketching!Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-74775466787539209302016-01-12T14:40:00.000-08:002016-01-12T14:40:03.646-08:00New Book!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAB1FPt1GLd4YbYQTIzwcRjg0PrYZY3LMNxGoBCz73Ooep5lTtLYFmx8NAGi4WQwIjtYr9s8__LQrPpf0RK0zhgtjmGCIrk0OU1xG_DrVrn_2O4cINnYY-InJpTJsUZH-nLF6GYXeQ3a7/s1600/IMG_8105-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAB1FPt1GLd4YbYQTIzwcRjg0PrYZY3LMNxGoBCz73Ooep5lTtLYFmx8NAGi4WQwIjtYr9s8__LQrPpf0RK0zhgtjmGCIrk0OU1xG_DrVrn_2O4cINnYY-InJpTJsUZH-nLF6GYXeQ3a7/s320/IMG_8105-rev.jpg" width="320" /></a> One of my new books just arrived! It's being printed by three different publishers - Barron's Educational here in the US, and Search Press as well as New Burlington Books in the UK - and each one is apparently producing its own version, with a different title and a different format. They're all really nice, high-quality books ... though, if I had to pick a format I like best, I'd go with the Search Press version, which has cover flaps with a couple of my watercolors on them. But really, I'm thrilled about all three. I'll have to update this post, or create a new one, when I know where
these will be available online. I think Barron's has a pre-order page up
on Amazon already, saying it will be available March 1, but I'm not
sure about the other publishers.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UkqxMP_qaExQYku8UVkwrfbUdIHdTCJivJVGDzSgEshiXSE6tCsubfMllPwuvNkj9E2cqagcuv8ItcqNvtepOW4DgHM9Lbqbe_YpCYds_470xfoXIWRUFtnS8Mev9H4e61_IKoUtaPJv/s1600/IMG_8106-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UkqxMP_qaExQYku8UVkwrfbUdIHdTCJivJVGDzSgEshiXSE6tCsubfMllPwuvNkj9E2cqagcuv8ItcqNvtepOW4DgHM9Lbqbe_YpCYds_470xfoXIWRUFtnS8Mev9H4e61_IKoUtaPJv/s320/IMG_8106-rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's great to have this one done, as it was a LOT of work over the past several months. My most sincere thanks go to all the fantastic artists who contributed their work: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/armyth/">A.Rmyth</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/flaf/">Florian Afflerbach</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bajzek">Eduardo Bajzek</a>, <a href="http://shariblaukopf.com/about/">Shari Blaukopf</a>, <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/g/wordplanet">Marianne Campolongo</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/daniel-castro/">Daniel Castro Alonso</a>, <a href="http://criscurto.blogspot.com/">Cristina Curto</a>, <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/g/elenathewise">Elena Elisseeva</a>, <a href="http://www.arnohartmann.de/">Arno Hartmann</a>, <a href="http://www.miguel-herranz.com/">Miguel Herranz</a>, <a href="http://omar-paint.blogspot.com/">Omar Jaramillo</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/84131556@N06/">Richard Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu_kerr">Stuart Kerr</a>, <a href="http://www.lesillustrationsdelapin.com/">Lapin</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gerard_michel/">Gerard Michel</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/petervanayk">Hans Muerkins</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/101135290@N04">Brenda Murray</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithnevens/">Keith Nevens</a>, <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/g/olgysha" target="_blank">Olgysha</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/aidibus/">Ana Rojo</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/maartenruijters/">Maarten Ruijters</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/luis_ruiz">Luis Ruiz</a>, <a href="http://petescully.com/">Pete Scully</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonsmart">Sharon Smart</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/southernpearce">Pat Southern-Pearce</a>, <a href="http://www.lizsteel.com/">Liz Steel</a>, <a href="http://tribbie.blogspot.com/">Christian Tribastone</a>, <a href="http://alexandreveron.blogspot.co.uk/">Alexandre Veron</a>, <a href="http://www.nathanwalsh.net/">Nathan Walsh</a>, <a href="http://lineandwash.blogspot.com/">Lis Watkins</a>, <a href="http://johnwoodcockillustration.co.uk/">John Woodcock</a>, and extra special thanks to <a href="http://www.analogartistdigitalworld.com/">Thomas Thorspecken</a> for his invaluable contribution to the workbook portion. THANK YOU ALL!<br />
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Now it's back to work on my next book. No rest for the weary, as they say.Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-49999808833745390462015-12-18T09:33:00.000-08:002015-12-23T08:49:17.708-08:00Busy Times ....<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b2e2f; font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; font-size: small; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I know it's been a while since I blogged anything, but I've been a busy guy, to put things as mildly as possible. But I'll get to that stuff in a moment. First, I want to announce my new "<a href="http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MattBrehm_10190_F" target="_blank">Sketching Essentials</a>" course on Craftsy! I just did the filming about a month ago, and it was great fun working with the Craftsy folks - they really know how to put together a valuable teaching and learning experience via the web, and I'm looking forward to getting started working with everyone who signs up!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b2e2f; font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; font-size: small; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Now, to explain my absence from blogging. I was in Rome over the summer, as usual, but this year was more challenging than most - I won't get into detail here, but the difficulties were related to our housing and studio space, and dealing with this took a crazy amount of time and energy. So while I was drawing as much as usual, there were other activities - like blogging - that had to be set aside. On top of this, I've been developing a new book on perspective, which carried into the Fall but is now complete - more news on this when the book becomes available in the Spring. As if that book wasn't enough, I'm currently working on another drawing instruction book, which should be out in the summer. Again, more news on that as the publication date approaches. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b2e2f; font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; font-size: small; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Also, I went to Singapore, to teach at the Urban Sketchers Symposium ... and I wouldn't even know where to begin to describe that experience! So I'm not going to start right now, because it would take me so much time that I'd get nothing else done today ... and I have a deadline this evening for a couple book chapters! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b2e2f; font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; font-size: small; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">And finally, I've been trying to teach and be a responsible faculty member, not to mention a responsible husband and dad. All the book stuff and travel stuff and Craftsy stuff has been a blast, but I'm looking forward to a respite - as soon as the next book is done, I'll be downshifting a bit, and hopefully drawing more, just for fun.</span></span><br />
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Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-55407272737193142272015-04-28T12:54:00.002-07:002015-04-28T12:54:17.270-07:00The Cupola of Art & Architecture South<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had my “Introduction to Architectural Graphics” class go
outside to draw this morning, because it’s a perfect spring day, and by the
time I answered a few questions and actually got out there I only had about 25
minutes to draw. So I limited my focus to one detail of the building where I’ve
worked and taught for the past eleven years. Designed by J.E. Tourtellotte and
built in 1904, what is now known as “Art & Architecture South” started its
life as an armory and then the Women’s Gymnasium before being converted into
offices and studios for the University of Idaho’s College of Art & Architecture in 1976. At some point the original cupola was removed, and the upper
level studios would get very hot in the early fall and late spring. So in 2009 a new
cupola was designed and built to replace the old one, and it now works
effectively to vent the heat from the building. Here are some historic photos of the
building and its original cupola in the years <a href="http://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/pg1/id/1438" target="_blank">1906</a>, <a href="http://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/pg1/id/1443" target="_blank">1907</a>, <a href="http://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/pg1/id/1445" target="_blank">1926</a>, and
<a href="http://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/pg1/id/1439" target="_blank">1936</a>. [9" x 6" in a Stillman & Birn Gamma Series Sketchbook]</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-60849125205483100322014-09-29T12:43:00.000-07:002014-09-29T12:43:22.753-07:00The People of Clyde Common, Portland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Kd6bNLCLZyA5FVioT2IuCgZ5kbCcArRMXKmO6Cx-PfNbpV5sddWsJ5ywLewVmpoP7YdQKMVIvrUsCwY9oDl0l7aob5b4V1QtVFhntONmLug2SCSFmwV3BWprRndnHHVQse4PjOeS28V5/s1600/20140926c-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Kd6bNLCLZyA5FVioT2IuCgZ5kbCcArRMXKmO6Cx-PfNbpV5sddWsJ5ywLewVmpoP7YdQKMVIvrUsCwY9oDl0l7aob5b4V1QtVFhntONmLug2SCSFmwV3BWprRndnHHVQse4PjOeS28V5/s1600/20140926c-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I most often draw subjects that are architectural, or urban, or even landscape-oriented, and I go to figure drawing sessions as often as time permits ... I don't often draw people in public places - buses, cafes, bars and the like. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuEo3Y7jFKrh3Xp9QO4E7mEDgUKq757FXElxf6hHg_1UTuXxf5mLaqKXv4ODTiXM5FsGE-fwTKrBsvOQM95Enb2VgDUqI6BaenKHx_ktT7eh_ItMgg6y4_LE_tJdiauClNTOLN60OAb2z/s1600/20140924f-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuEo3Y7jFKrh3Xp9QO4E7mEDgUKq757FXElxf6hHg_1UTuXxf5mLaqKXv4ODTiXM5FsGE-fwTKrBsvOQM95Enb2VgDUqI6BaenKHx_ktT7eh_ItMgg6y4_LE_tJdiauClNTOLN60OAb2z/s1600/20140924f-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> However, after my recent trip to Brasil for the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/uskparaty2014/" target="_blank">5th International Urban Sketchers Symposium</a>, where I found myself surrounded by artists who are more or less constantly drawing the people around them ... I've been inspired to follow suit more often. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdoLin2mN533wh8Ma1mvU7STnY_FHUtMpoPgFQ_J3FnVllA2G9k7-3X9xNmVhZTKKfWQaOhnykz_346FCJ-JGx3AAbadPjR89P1_Bac5x47QSUXujWRclmksOMNEj6T40ziwpqi0Xyylz/s1600/20140924e-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdoLin2mN533wh8Ma1mvU7STnY_FHUtMpoPgFQ_J3FnVllA2G9k7-3X9xNmVhZTKKfWQaOhnykz_346FCJ-JGx3AAbadPjR89P1_Bac5x47QSUXujWRclmksOMNEj6T40ziwpqi0Xyylz/s1600/20140924e-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here are several of my efforts from my recent visit to Portland, completed in a few evenings of having drinks at <a href="http://www.clydecommon.com/" target="_blank">Clyde Common</a>. This is an award-winning bar that has been managed for the past several years by an old friend of mine, <a href="http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/" target="_blank">Jeffrey Morgenthaler</a>. Unfortunately, he was out of town during this visit, but that just left me with more time to sketch. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4_7mlvzEY952wmfrEDzQV0tnhFs1Tpea45JM_Qs0FqJVGpkvMb0rZcJAxoK8ZHFEW4NSu-lETwzLI7NJ6w_6Iid3LKfoc90FfL-0MtyjkM0TJWBrjhcTdaFrq1RbXS1bgn3GXT1XkoDs/s1600/20140925c-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4_7mlvzEY952wmfrEDzQV0tnhFs1Tpea45JM_Qs0FqJVGpkvMb0rZcJAxoK8ZHFEW4NSu-lETwzLI7NJ6w_6Iid3LKfoc90FfL-0MtyjkM0TJWBrjhcTdaFrq1RbXS1bgn3GXT1XkoDs/s1600/20140925c-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drawing in bars and cafes like this is obviously a time-honored tradition among urban sketchers, but it's relatively new to me. I must say, though, that it's a fantastic conversation-starter. Of course people are curious about what you're doing and why you keep glancing briefly in their direction, and when they see even a halfway decent representation of themselves, it seems to really pique their interest. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Kd6bNLCLZyA5FVioT2IuCgZ5kbCcArRMXKmO6Cx-PfNbpV5sddWsJ5ywLewVmpoP7YdQKMVIvrUsCwY9oDl0l7aob5b4V1QtVFhntONmLug2SCSFmwV3BWprRndnHHVQse4PjOeS28V5/s1600/20140926c-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QMa_tkzxSKxW_PXeqrnO6NMERkYhAFQlTCQO6AjopcNVKifEH1WFRRDtFvfoubTs5UQTsa8Dh5VfxXoaYE6CTY0PIdmzlnGkj-gCXxrIW5C-m4LtqRmgzh6P9yZzzV7BN8yzkbfnYkHb/s1600/20140925b-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QMa_tkzxSKxW_PXeqrnO6NMERkYhAFQlTCQO6AjopcNVKifEH1WFRRDtFvfoubTs5UQTsa8Dh5VfxXoaYE6CTY0PIdmzlnGkj-gCXxrIW5C-m4LtqRmgzh6P9yZzzV7BN8yzkbfnYkHb/s1600/20140925b-Clyde-Common-sm.jpg" height="217" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I also did a fair amount of journal-writing, occasionally having some fun with the formatting of the page. In this case, the people were basically a composite image - I sketched various individuals and people in the background as though the bar was much longer and more crowded than it was in reality. A fun exercise, just like all the people-sketching I did over the weekend.</span><br />
<br />Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com1Downtown, Portland, OR, USA45.522579543536935 -122.6835885392090445.519798043536937 -122.68863103920904 45.525361043536932 -122.67854603920904tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-45852508064306182242014-09-29T12:11:00.000-07:002014-09-29T12:11:06.438-07:00A Few Architectural Moments in Portland<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent a few days in Portland guiding a field trip, and managed to do a fair amount of sketching while there. It's always nice to go back to this city, because each time I seem to discover new places or to see familiar places in a new light. The city is also full of memories for me from the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/urbansketchers/collections/72157624670562918/" target="_blank">1st International Urban Sketchers Symposium</a> back in 2010 ... I still almost can't believe that so many sketchers from around the world descended on this city and started a phenomenon that has only continued to grow. Anyway, here are a few of the drawings form my visit - this first post will focus on buildings, and will be followed by a post about drawing people. [All these drawings were done in a Stillman & Birn Gamma Series 9" x 6" Landscape sketchbook.]</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIegOvn7nTJ55JdynZRaw_DmwdarkBShRRTTSft-YotPn2GcK9fQyUD0Vz0g9yLPBd-3xChunyIp_AgY6TnjSwriTeEC972-uvPCCw9fIXTvmNg_nl_c0Jb6Gr811wV6egYXFKpQSkyY9o/s1600/20140924c-Fed-Reserve-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIegOvn7nTJ55JdynZRaw_DmwdarkBShRRTTSft-YotPn2GcK9fQyUD0Vz0g9yLPBd-3xChunyIp_AgY6TnjSwriTeEC972-uvPCCw9fIXTvmNg_nl_c0Jb6Gr811wV6egYXFKpQSkyY9o/s1600/20140924c-Fed-Reserve-sm.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This is the Federal Reserve Bank Building by Pietro Belluschi, 1949. A very sleek facade and selective use of stone cladding ... one of my favorite buildings in the city.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vj6FN_7VVJhYvb9smBg4cXsBQ26aO0FFiogiK_Veq_E7vqIfPFs_iCttTreL_jiFUMoS83Ed2C9JPMXHuV5xM_lelFKce1x_3wJ4C45UDcmJHqznlkKgJy6ddQouGhkB96iw3FOr1gfK/s1600/20140924d-Governor-Hotel-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vj6FN_7VVJhYvb9smBg4cXsBQ26aO0FFiogiK_Veq_E7vqIfPFs_iCttTreL_jiFUMoS83Ed2C9JPMXHuV5xM_lelFKce1x_3wJ4C45UDcmJHqznlkKgJy6ddQouGhkB96iw3FOr1gfK/s1600/20140924d-Governor-Hotel-sm.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Governor Hotel, East Wing, designed by William C. Knighton in 1909. A very curious building, with highly unusual details at the cornice - anthropomorphic and/or robot-like 'sentinels' in glazed terra-cotta.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Converted railway loading docks at NW 11th Avenue between Hoyt and Irving. I stopped to sketch here with my students, who are currently studying various housing typologies. This little stretch of street shows what can be done with existing industrial infrastructure - it's a very pleasant space, and I imagine the interiors are nice as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A simple courtyard on NW 19th, immediately adjacent to <a href="http://commissarycafe.com/" target="_blank">The Commissary Cafe</a>, a beautiful little space where I got my morning coffee.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEs-xWJXt1JVZocR_w2p7WVCNbT65a18KjeRQcdqv6DWjNZRe5RLoVsH-mrtkLPOOCvX44LsP34B0akdewPNxsN1J2DUU5Y91VO2XzCJYWlpBZAE-G0yZH_XPj57vms0uvfO6lilK1pnp/s1600/20140926b-ZGF-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEs-xWJXt1JVZocR_w2p7WVCNbT65a18KjeRQcdqv6DWjNZRe5RLoVsH-mrtkLPOOCvX44LsP34B0akdewPNxsN1J2DUU5Y91VO2XzCJYWlpBZAE-G0yZH_XPj57vms0uvfO6lilK1pnp/s1600/20140926b-ZGF-sm.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, <a href="http://issuu.com/zgfarchitectsllp/docs/twelve-west?e=5145747/2621878" target="_blank">"The Indigo"</a> ... this is a building we visit each year for a tour of <a href="http://www.zgf.com/" target="_blank">ZGF Architects</a>, who designed the building and have their office here. I've always loved the way this building reflects the sky, and that's the main point I was trying to get across in this sketch. It was a struggle, as I'm still getting used to the paper in the Gamma Series sketchbook (watercolor behaves quite differently on this paper as compared to the Moleskine I've been using most recently), but I'm glad I made the effort.</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-55071302658366604262014-07-09T08:08:00.001-07:002014-07-09T08:08:26.303-07:00Light in the Portico of St. Peter's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBq6Fxxgsd04wtMtBvtAoumvvlOyOwTKq1Hm5hNbGaQpTkOihjycht8qO7Y7LQgpThWDRr5jRc0Ha-zNIjob7ocszJIgozObGaijFQ739d_T3nGc4Gil7J_QvHT0diOAi9BIDuyjSOV_Z/s1600/20140708-SanPietro-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBq6Fxxgsd04wtMtBvtAoumvvlOyOwTKq1Hm5hNbGaQpTkOihjycht8qO7Y7LQgpThWDRr5jRc0Ha-zNIjob7ocszJIgozObGaijFQ739d_T3nGc4Gil7J_QvHT0diOAi9BIDuyjSOV_Z/s1600/20140708-SanPietro-sm.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
Yesterday I met my students for sketching class in Piazza di San Pietro, with its portico designed and constructed by Gianlorenzo Bernini from 1656-1667. They were sitting on the steps just inside the piazza while I talked about the variety of potential sketching subjects we could tackle, and some strategies for dealing with the complexity of the place. I mentioned how focusing on just a small portion of the portico can be a good antidote to feeling overwhelmed, and, as I said this, I noticed some beautiful light and shade in the colonnade behind the group. So I decided to demonstrate what I'd just been saying, and focus my attention on this relatively simple scene, trying to capture the gradations in light and dark, and trying to render the volume of the columns in a convincing way. A little later, <a href="http://www.chriskerins.com/" target="_blank">Chris Kerins</a>, who I'd had the pleasure of meeting at the first USk Symposium in Portland, walked up to say hello (he and I had communicated about this a bit, so it wasn't a complete surprise). Chris had his group of students sketching there as well, and we did a brief show-and-tell with the two groups. A nice morning spent in an amazing place!Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-28748212487219251862014-07-07T00:22:00.000-07:002014-07-07T00:22:35.027-07:00The Angel of Grief in WatercolorDrawing sculpture is something I've been enjoying more and more over the past several summers of working here in Rome. With some of the most amazing sculpture in the world collected in the museums and churches, and also scattered around the city, there's always 'someone' who will hold a pose for as long as you like, and those poses are most often rather dramatic. In drawing sculpture, as with most subjects I find especially challenging, I typically prefer to use graphite, which makes it easier for me to find my way into the drawing slowly, to map out the lines, curves, and forms of what I'm seeing. For reference, some examples can be seen <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbrehm/sets/72157634350917653/" target="_blank">here</a>. But on an afternoon last week (after a long walking tour of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testaccio" target="_blank">Testaccio</a> neighborhood guided by my colleague, <a href="https://sustainablerome.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Tom Rankin</a>), I decided to try watercolor.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAiFcLEH8jtVEgmTLxgYSbUTmjyAGGoACcFoc7uwBj-nq6OYl0DLEWtZorannbZzM73n9QeAWTeNgetwAvvMEQkfOhCajPanuXFA2iGpTOPk_DT9FN4B_Ni-OfV3_q4k6JWy6eBiQqJUc/s1600/20140702-Story-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAiFcLEH8jtVEgmTLxgYSbUTmjyAGGoACcFoc7uwBj-nq6OYl0DLEWtZorannbZzM73n9QeAWTeNgetwAvvMEQkfOhCajPanuXFA2iGpTOPk_DT9FN4B_Ni-OfV3_q4k6JWy6eBiQqJUc/s1600/20140702-Story-sm.jpg" height="450" width="640" /></a>I was in the Cimetero Acottolico, otherwise known as the "Protestant Cemetery." This is where you would have been buried if you happened to die in Rome and you weren't Catholic. So it's quite a who's-who of foreigners who lived in Rome - there are Keats and Shelley, Antonio Gramsci, Hendrik Christian Andersen, Chauncey Ives, Gottfried Semper, Gregory Corso ... the list is long and the funerary monuments greatly varied. But perhaps my single favorite tomb there is the "Angel of Grief," the final work of American sculptor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wetmore_Story" target="_blank">William Wetmore Story</a>, carved for his wife, Emelyn. There are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_Grief" target="_blank">numerous other versions</a> of this sculpture but, as far as I know, this was the first. It's such a dynamic sculpture that it's difficult to find the best point of view for a sketch, but there's something about the angel's drooping hand that I found appealingly expressive. Also, the shadows were most interesting on this side at this particular time of day. The sketch needed some background, if only to give form to the upper part of the wing, but I'm glad I made the decision not to get into drawing plants and other tombs - I figured these might distract from the sculpture. It was really a nice drawing experience - quiet, peaceful, contemplative - and I look forward to drawing at this location again.Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-18668831354295203522014-06-19T06:22:00.000-07:002014-06-19T06:22:08.610-07:00Graphite Finds Form on the Gianicolo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhnTcV_Tb32o5MUSVq4xCxC7cmTIysEDJtQAhiGc4iK5fee9qxxk7h50LUW3Uq1yMaytdY_uZbZm1e_0GqIkaxVH599p6F6w_WZX1tqI2Rork_TzB2rTbR7UH_JGrIkZ3LpAj474BhhtN/s1600/20140619a-Fontanone-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhnTcV_Tb32o5MUSVq4xCxC7cmTIysEDJtQAhiGc4iK5fee9qxxk7h50LUW3Uq1yMaytdY_uZbZm1e_0GqIkaxVH599p6F6w_WZX1tqI2Rork_TzB2rTbR7UH_JGrIkZ3LpAj474BhhtN/s1600/20140619a-Fontanone-sm.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
This morning we had our sketching class on the Gianicolo (aka, Janiculum Hill) here in Rome. When I'm working with my students during our sketching sessions, I almost always use graphite - it's clean, fast, expressive, and extremely easy to use. It's easily the best medium to work with when you want to find form in a gradual way - light lines that search for the correct angles of perspective and relative proportions, followed by broad, strong strokes that define shade and shadow. The 'set up' for this sketch of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_dell'Acqua_Paola" target="_blank">Acqua Paola</a> only took about 10 minutes. I then made my way around to the students to show them how I had laid things out, and to give instruction on their works-in-progress. After I had talked briefly with each student, I had only about 20 minutes to add value to my drawing - so there was no time to get distracted by the small details; it was all broad stokes of darkness and midtones. From here, we walked down the hill to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pietro_in_Montorio" target="_blank">San Pietro in Montorio</a>, home of the perfect little building known as the <a href="http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/tempietto_of_san_pietro.html" target="_blank">Tempietto</a>, designed by Donato Bramante around 1502.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWSi5Iycghia63aEuK6Qv2VMpvKP2zZgitxJcsrLjrSJ-dGhGt7lXUaGM5-K-p-lBgBMLcYfUZ0Pbegk_7iQU5jg5HwWgQeDpOM_39oKSbiJ3-CINFabcNz7YWu8gohaPUIzYhyphenhyphenj5Rcxq/s1600/20140619c-Tempietto-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWSi5Iycghia63aEuK6Qv2VMpvKP2zZgitxJcsrLjrSJ-dGhGt7lXUaGM5-K-p-lBgBMLcYfUZ0Pbegk_7iQU5jg5HwWgQeDpOM_39oKSbiJ3-CINFabcNz7YWu8gohaPUIzYhyphenhyphenj5Rcxq/s1600/20140619c-Tempietto-sm.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OUi39Cva0Yy0nK4R0NZZaUBB0CC8WK06W-RJOBAbZmBPpXFWMd16JxlLZI2JPta8S9RQyTbx8Vwkm-Cis8AWvI-eeGQcLaxpoE_Eb1Fedry8wKmKiB15qi7k20OrqHc3mVBTeAgO0N1Z/s1600/20140619b-Tempietto-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OUi39Cva0Yy0nK4R0NZZaUBB0CC8WK06W-RJOBAbZmBPpXFWMd16JxlLZI2JPta8S9RQyTbx8Vwkm-Cis8AWvI-eeGQcLaxpoE_Eb1Fedry8wKmKiB15qi7k20OrqHc3mVBTeAgO0N1Z/s1600/20140619b-Tempietto-sm.jpg" height="320" width="257" /></a>Here we worked on an exercise - one I learned from my sketching teacher almost 30 years ago - for finding the form of this 'simple' little building. In practice, these sorts of subjects - ones that appear simple on first glance - often create the most trouble. We typically try to draw every detail without first finding the overall form and proportion. By focusing on the elliptical forms of a circular structure seen in perspective, we can get a much better handle on the overall geometry of the subject. So I have my students draw in a continuous spiraling motion, really using their arms rather than their fingers. Perhaps 10 or 15 minutes of this exercise usually leads to more accurate proportions and less focus on detail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrjncD4C1hiwjsEjZ8rEDZ1xjedOp2FaTeAoVUHTn8vO0sseDod4jF511soaEhYljWL4s57AWufbeKy9O7qKZ0Vb0z-KaHltMi8YZSykx6eeo9dlC24nmgz2uPjH_Dgqv5_ME3caaSeBH/s1600/20140619d-Garibaldi-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrjncD4C1hiwjsEjZ8rEDZ1xjedOp2FaTeAoVUHTn8vO0sseDod4jF511soaEhYljWL4s57AWufbeKy9O7qKZ0Vb0z-KaHltMi8YZSykx6eeo9dlC24nmgz2uPjH_Dgqv5_ME3caaSeBH/s1600/20140619d-Garibaldi-sm.jpg" height="320" width="286" /></a>We ended the day with a sketch of the equestrian statue of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Garibaldi" target="_blank">Giuseppe Garibaldi</a>. Perhaps the ultimate challenge in 'finding form' - at least for a group of architecture students - is to draw human and animal figures. Our brains tend to over-analyze or objectify the subject, and get in the way of what our eyes are really seeing. So this was an exercise in seeing line and form, and trying NOT to draw a 'person' on a 'horse.' All in all, it was a wonderful morning of walking, sketching, learning, and enjoying yet another day in the Eternal City.<br />
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<br />Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-62647265766687987042014-06-18T05:31:00.002-07:002014-06-18T05:31:21.311-07:00A Few Days in Atrani<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYuhJ_rGruja_aQgB1Birsy2w96AwBv0ZchfNB6sLk8clX2tEZa9rLhE_V2JRwCaQWTszJqJ4ueIP5GX4P9mSyLbo3NVfaMhnbDdgbh8wXt9KangZgcNDL6cXNiAkMLf5wt0L_ilowiQA/s1600/20140615-Atrani-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYuhJ_rGruja_aQgB1Birsy2w96AwBv0ZchfNB6sLk8clX2tEZa9rLhE_V2JRwCaQWTszJqJ4ueIP5GX4P9mSyLbo3NVfaMhnbDdgbh8wXt9KangZgcNDL6cXNiAkMLf5wt0L_ilowiQA/s1600/20140615-Atrani-sm.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a>Our group from the University of Idaho made a visit to the Amalfi Coast over the weekend, staying three nights in the small town of Atrani and a day at the Greco-Roman city of Paestum. It's always a bit of a challenge coordinating travel for this trip, as I prefer to use public transportation and the rail/bus/boat schedules rarely align the way I'd like. There was only one real glitch - we went to transfer from one train to another in Napoli, and got on the train that was sitting on the designated track ... only to discover a bit later that the actual train had been sitting further down the same track, and had already left the station. Crazy. So we had to kill an hour or so waiting for the next train. In the end, not such a big deal, as the destination always renders insignificant any difficulties along the way. While I hate to give away what I feel is a bit of a secret ... Atrani is a wonderful place, and one of my favorite locations for drawing. MC Escher spent time there, which becomes obvious when you see his initial "Metamorphosis" woodcut and also consider his images of never-ending stairs and crazy perspectives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUqfc38IcCSOomE2Axw8p_2jmxDnICIZm6lCVmqYH6UhNRH7y3hilbM4JWRX6VfWWSOyNeMy94Y74UBTvE6SlEzIBkwxCn5ghteChPP3QreGY6FehEIkQR2nBLnOkh18JQr5bwsvOwZpc/s1600/20140614-Paestum-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUqfc38IcCSOomE2Axw8p_2jmxDnICIZm6lCVmqYH6UhNRH7y3hilbM4JWRX6VfWWSOyNeMy94Y74UBTvE6SlEzIBkwxCn5ghteChPP3QreGY6FehEIkQR2nBLnOkh18JQr5bwsvOwZpc/s1600/20140614-Paestum-sm.jpg" height="224" width="640" /></a>And then there's Paestum, just a little way down the coast from Salerno, where we take the bus or boat to get to Atrani. Paestum was a Greek colony from the 5th Century BC that was subsequently made into a Roman city before falling to the Saracens in the 9th Century AD. It then lay all but undiscovered until the 18th Century when it became inspiration for English Romantic poets. Now, it is simply a magnificent place to visit, with three major Doric temples in immaculate condition. They make challenging subjects for drawing, and in this case I was trying not to get worked-up about the details and let the paint flow freely.<br />
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Then it was back to Atrani, where we had nice weather interspersed with some intense storms. We all stayed dry until we got off the boat in Salerno on the way home - in the 10 minute walk/run to the train station, we all got drenched in a heavy rain. But it was ok ... we were going home, to Rome, where warm showers and dry clothes were waiting. We're almost halfway through our two months here, with lots more to do and always more to see and sketch.Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-77373476934951084122014-06-02T04:09:00.002-07:002014-06-02T04:09:40.976-07:00Roma, ancora una volta<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOG-F972c5zVcmYKG3zziW6h6x45DoaHQMd4THUardz_-OcV9JjDozBprV08sBSP4a1p8Gv6PHLcea8qght3PjiIuUBiZud7qTVyKVQt10lObOj9ocpUHhXKSV-ZdqRwF-CUxC3gv3UH8/s1600/20140525-fountain-sm-new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOG-F972c5zVcmYKG3zziW6h6x45DoaHQMd4THUardz_-OcV9JjDozBprV08sBSP4a1p8Gv6PHLcea8qght3PjiIuUBiZud7qTVyKVQt10lObOj9ocpUHhXKSV-ZdqRwF-CUxC3gv3UH8/s1600/20140525-fountain-sm-new.jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIycmxOl3aDNwj9Eem05Zc6_ashew0TVSd16dL6lzIfpz42wiBtWTxAnvE9g1hyNLPKyqHpE8hKj0svwJ2UCypfxNry6-9Cz4MNxH66Jz-zZ1sz74PE-okf9KwKb60j0Z9Kfj9HqFGkCcO/s1600/20140527c-Librari-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIycmxOl3aDNwj9Eem05Zc6_ashew0TVSd16dL6lzIfpz42wiBtWTxAnvE9g1hyNLPKyqHpE8hKj0svwJ2UCypfxNry6-9Cz4MNxH66Jz-zZ1sz74PE-okf9KwKb60j0Z9Kfj9HqFGkCcO/s1600/20140527c-Librari-sm.jpg" height="200" width="117" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm back in Rome again, for another installment of the annual <a href="http://www.uidaho.edu/caa/architecture" target="_blank">University of Idaho Architecture</a> study abroad program I created back in 2007. It's been a little over a week, and I'll be here for a couple more months. Most of my time is spent working with students, but of course I find time to draw on my own as often as possible. I'm trying to work on my watercolor skills, working in a Moleskine A4 Folio for the most part - sometimes doing single pages and other times taking advantage of the landscape format by doing full page spreads for wide panoramas or very vertical subjects. But I'm also enjoying graphite again for the first time in a little while (last year I did relatively few drawings in pencil). Graphite doesn't have quite the visual impact as watercolor, but it's certainly quicker, easier to work with, and the focus is almost exclusively on value rather than color. More can be seen on my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/mtbrehm/" target="_blank">flickr page</a>. It's good to be back!</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-41045662317765444482014-04-25T11:20:00.002-07:002014-04-25T11:20:31.725-07:00WSU Sketchcrawl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Sunday I had a great time connecting with <a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/seattlesketcher/">Gabi Campanario</a>, <a href="http://www.frankching.com/wordpress/">Frank Ching</a>, and <a href="http://glwsketchworks.blogspot.com/">Gail Wong</a> as they were wrapping up their workshop "Line to Color" at Washington State University. The workshop was organized by Associate Professor <a href="http://sdc.wsu.edu/people/robert-krikac/">Bob Krikac</a>, and he and I talked about the possibility of hosting a similar event next Fall between both WSU and the University of Idaho. Hopefully we can make something happen. Anyway, last Sunday was a beautiful day for a sketchcrawl, in part of the campus that I had never really explored before. I didn't have a lot of time for this sketch, but it was a lot of fun to take on the challenge of a reasonably challenging subject in an hour.</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-32355710246253380242014-03-17T16:02:00.002-07:002014-03-17T20:41:32.276-07:00Washington, DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just returned home after a week in the nation's capital, where I was guiding a group of 17 students on a field trip. We did a lot of walking, museum visits, and stopped by a few architecture offices. The day prior to the start of our touring, I did a quick sketch of Dupont Circle ... one of my favorite places in the city. Long ago, when I lived in DC for about five years, I worked in this part of town. So Dupont was a regular lunch spot for me on nice days. The central fountain was designed and sculpted by the same two people who did the Lincoln Memorial - Architect Henry Bacon and Sculptor Daniel Chester French - and was completed in 1920.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we had finished our touring, I had a free day to myself, so I got down to the Mall and took on a few more substantial subjects. The wind made sketching a bit of a challenge - I was working in a Moleskine A4 book, and did my best to secure the pages with rubber bands while I was trying to paint ... but it was tricky, and I probably gave up a little earlier on these than I would have on a calm day. The first is the Washington Monument, followed by the Tidal Basin with the Jefferson Memorial on the right, and finally the Lincoln Memorial.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-67650940904731154592014-02-21T14:16:00.001-08:002014-02-21T14:16:48.143-08:00Thomas Schaller Watercolor Workshop<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_xJA5Gz5krF1YdxGBVtZC8Erp7_cJyAZ0Q0omWusqL8vH_VBvrlkC1WSLkx76Oc8B833-G3Xa-n3vAmt6M3EtNBCDPQdQeSlnyjFcy3kbfwojcbKub9UMmYVwb6bSy0enkpMCRivYbG8/s1600/Schaller-20140203E-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_xJA5Gz5krF1YdxGBVtZC8Erp7_cJyAZ0Q0omWusqL8vH_VBvrlkC1WSLkx76Oc8B833-G3Xa-n3vAmt6M3EtNBCDPQdQeSlnyjFcy3kbfwojcbKub9UMmYVwb6bSy0enkpMCRivYbG8/s1600/Schaller-20140203E-sm.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently attended a fantastic workshop at the <a href="http://www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org/">Fallbrook School of the Arts</a>, in Fallbrook, California. It was taught by <a href="http://thomasschaller.com/">Thomas Schaller</a>, who has long been one of my 'heroes' with regard to architectural illustration, and who for the past several years has turned his attention - and his </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">formidable</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> skills with pencil and brush -</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> toward fine art watercolors. The workshop was titled "The Architecture of Light," which seemed to be right up my alley, so I was eager to participate. We spent four days together, mostly in the studio, watching Tom work and listening to his observations and thought process as he created a series of very instructive demonstrations. We followed each demo with our own attempts to incorporate his techniques.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would be impossible to describe everything Tom talked about, and demonstrated, in the four full days of the workshop. I'll just summarize a few things that really appealed to my own sensibilities regarding watercolor. First, the workshop really confirmed my growing understanding that value is far more important than color. I don't mean to say that color is unimportant, but it is a secondary consideration, while value contrast is primary. To maintain clear value contrast, the lights must be carefully retained as the white of the paper. As Tom put it, watercolor is a subtractive process - every layer of pigment subtracts light from the image. So it's very important to identify the lights and darks while composing things - which was done in every case with a soft graphite pencil in a separate sketchbook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another revelation from the workshop was seeing the sheer volumes of both water and pigment Tom used in applying washes. Most often, he would keep the washes wet (occasionally using a small spray bottle) long enough to drop in additional pigment, or so that one wash might be allowed to bleed into another one </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(strategically, for the most part). There were often times when water was running off the page, but the wash could be 'recharged' with additional pigment as long as it remained wet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOdGHG_kPxX_q3cz6nAqoZkHr3ZWwtQz8YgyGfgI53XdkQKKM7N9ZkUX24uUjwUvDZs_IA7cus4ZhD_CZ34XCpNQy3uav7lvnpgftGKFvIrCVehyphenhyphenGXTM9qcv0bBXPMQpyYajziiuqiqxT/s1600/Schaller-20140203G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOdGHG_kPxX_q3cz6nAqoZkHr3ZWwtQz8YgyGfgI53XdkQKKM7N9ZkUX24uUjwUvDZs_IA7cus4ZhD_CZ34XCpNQy3uav7lvnpgftGKFvIrCVehyphenhyphenGXTM9qcv0bBXPMQpyYajziiuqiqxT/s1600/Schaller-20140203G.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were many other techniques that I found very helpful, but I'll just mention one more. Not a 'technique' as much as an approach, I guess. It has to do with knowing when the reference (i.e., the subject or the view) has provided enough visual information, and when to stop being too much a slave to 'reality.' As Tom put it, and I'm paraphrasing here, 'at some point, you need to start listening to the painting ... what started as an interesting view is now a world unto itself in the image you are creating.' He advocated finding a 'story' that you're trying to tell, and developing both the composition and subsequent painting to most effectively tell this story - and if that means editing the components of the view, so be it. This is very different than my typical approach to sketching from observation, where I'm most often trying to be faithful to what I see ... but I found this idea of storytelling and listening to the painting to be both refreshing and challenging at the same time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything we did in the studio was from photo references. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had just one day of reasonably nice weather, so we headed out to work on-site at </span><a href="http://www.grandtraditiongardens.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Grand Tradition Estate and Gardens</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a beautiful place that seems to be primarily devoted to hosting weddings. Perhaps this doesn't technically qualify as <i>urban</i> sketching - it's leaning more toward <i>rural</i> - but it was certainly sketching on location, unlike the work done in the studio. After Tom did an on-site demo, focused more or less on representing skies and water, I tried the same subject seen here. The goal was to create a clear center of focus at the gazebo by emphasizing the contrast of light and dark in this area of the image. The trees at left needed to be dark enough to create an anchoring frame to the composition, but not so dark as to compete with the focus at right. I was also trying to incorporate a wet-into-wet technique to blur the division between the sky and the trees, and was experimenting with ways to indicate the reflections in the pond. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After finishing this sketch, I ventured into the semi-tropical forest in the background. Paved paths wandered among palm trees, flowers, and waterfalls, which I tried to capture in a very quick sketch in my <a href="http://www.stillmanandbirn.com/">Stillman and Birn</a> Gamma Series sketchbook.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f67xjj9Qlx8z83qstAkHjWP6mUlrmKtlsnncw93YKExT2RWuIgCzNNODceLvA1SkXLik9ni8rj13DUHNO9LHPdDpMQdmu79qjYtfA7r15Y_azIi4IRxdRLRjxN3XIr9FCmfmfum8I1ml/s1600/IMG_0456-sm-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f67xjj9Qlx8z83qstAkHjWP6mUlrmKtlsnncw93YKExT2RWuIgCzNNODceLvA1SkXLik9ni8rj13DUHNO9LHPdDpMQdmu79qjYtfA7r15Y_azIi4IRxdRLRjxN3XIr9FCmfmfum8I1ml/s1600/IMG_0456-sm-rev.jpg" height="320" width="115" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a wonderful week of painting and learning, and it will likely take some time to fully process all that I experienced. But many thanks go to the Fallbrook School of the Arts for hosting, and especially to Tom Schaller for being so generous with his time and advice. If he is ever doing a workshop near you, I can't recommend it strongly enough!</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6KIh6Zv_oepxysenRkREcYr5pO0YSL5fNfz9kpK16gJM7VUOwqy-Bsu8ght9Ll7wd63_q941T2HJF_tDOLhDulCt0g10tdygdJKkj-v3WdLmtCfwa4cMKRj1PwkZ-Yf5eNQrqCX0BOet/s1600/20130914-Saturday-Market-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6KIh6Zv_oepxysenRkREcYr5pO0YSL5fNfz9kpK16gJM7VUOwqy-Bsu8ght9Ll7wd63_q941T2HJF_tDOLhDulCt0g10tdygdJKkj-v3WdLmtCfwa4cMKRj1PwkZ-Yf5eNQrqCX0BOet/s320/20130914-Saturday-Market-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning there was a "Quick Draw" competition at the Moscow Saturday Market, part of the week-long <a href="http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/arts/Pages/Plein-Air.aspx">Palouse Plein Air</a> event. We had about an hour to sketch before the results were put on display for the public to vote on. I'm happy to report that this drawing was selected as the winner - I received a $20 prize that I needed to spend today at the market, so I brought home a few pounds of delicious local sausage. It was a beautiful morning out there on Main Street, a wonderful reminder of how much I love this little town on the Palouse. </span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-31162315901441723462013-07-22T17:05:00.000-07:002013-07-22T17:05:01.497-07:00Barcelona!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDeQlrNBCbOiPUwOo_kuRNm7tUiDfQrD10LcmOtbthqqmFSaCVlPRaXdzRlwknE1isgOW20DntKQQ23vhwseMpA1nl5zlaWkuVxpS6DGFM5y9em1KWKCV17Vfee_DCs6RGaztYMk1HyBS/s1600/20130711c-Bajzek-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDeQlrNBCbOiPUwOo_kuRNm7tUiDfQrD10LcmOtbthqqmFSaCVlPRaXdzRlwknE1isgOW20DntKQQ23vhwseMpA1nl5zlaWkuVxpS6DGFM5y9em1KWKCV17Vfee_DCs6RGaztYMk1HyBS/s200/20130711c-Bajzek-sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What to say? Barcelona was an amazing experience on every level. Reconnecting with old friends from previous symposiums and workshops ... making so many new friends ... learning from sketchers I have been admiring for years, in their workshops (Thank you so much, <a href="http://shariblaukopf.com/">Shari</a> and <a href="http://ebbilustracoes.blogspot.com/">Eduardo</a>!) and by paging through their stunning sketchbooks ... and enjoying a truly wonderful city ... my head is still spinning more than a week later.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmQI_Tq-RpayFM_ebggP2J0NRp5dlNRwLFSyTNzD9nvJJGw3CxD4quXpmg_L6njbRwz1ufcw7p5ycOd15ZSlyDygGgjZMauCRsyQCLjwiZYhuk6imwOKUyn9z-wXIPM8dUVoS-VT5BZyu/s1600/20130711d-Reial-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmQI_Tq-RpayFM_ebggP2J0NRp5dlNRwLFSyTNzD9nvJJGw3CxD4quXpmg_L6njbRwz1ufcw7p5ycOd15ZSlyDygGgjZMauCRsyQCLjwiZYhuk6imwOKUyn9z-wXIPM8dUVoS-VT5BZyu/s200/20130711d-Reial-sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't thank the organizers enough. Putting on an event like this, and having it run so smoothly ... it was really an impressive accomplishment! Thanks also to my fellow instructors - my only regret is that I couldn't go to ALL of the other workshops. Based on the many comments I heard from participants, everyone did an outstanding job.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigexCglDLiNfWnpxmjAuOwZs6p2l2YYPdoiZ4KbFaNa0GfmLxyWuU7fNrSXm-UUTiL52Nqsz-mDfXMoDBwAXrNtiOrJndqGkE61jJJ2RdWbe9BUfQiZaES3tbc-BNdSmN5XWywyzEEz4f5/s1600/20130712b-Blaukopf-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigexCglDLiNfWnpxmjAuOwZs6p2l2YYPdoiZ4KbFaNa0GfmLxyWuU7fNrSXm-UUTiL52Nqsz-mDfXMoDBwAXrNtiOrJndqGkE61jJJ2RdWbe9BUfQiZaES3tbc-BNdSmN5XWywyzEEz4f5/s200/20130712b-Blaukopf-sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks also, most of all, to the people who signed up to participate (and to those who made the trip even without being able to register!). I was so moved by the positive attitudes, the willingness to try new approaches, the abundant humor, and the general goodwill displayed by so many people from so many locations and walks of life. I can't describe how fortunate I feel to be part of this group, this movement, this crazy extended family!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44ThlmvYT_wCHjB4Uq64uRk1hdqiA511AxwgNeQCeEsTKwNzRCDsWwHfppovo-IbFPXmurrJilsMA21GMF5B6JFbsmJnHHJnoCiHSLTF-MmYy7u4AFhlJ3I5F0XhfiTX8ZgbrzwkEM-Cj/s1600/20130713a-Rei-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44ThlmvYT_wCHjB4Uq64uRk1hdqiA511AxwgNeQCeEsTKwNzRCDsWwHfppovo-IbFPXmurrJilsMA21GMF5B6JFbsmJnHHJnoCiHSLTF-MmYy7u4AFhlJ3I5F0XhfiTX8ZgbrzwkEM-Cj/s320/20130713a-Rei-sm.jpg" width="115" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reminded of something <a href="http://les-calepins-de-lapin.blogspot.com/">Lapin</a> and I talked about at the very first symposium in Portland - that these events are like "the Woodstock of Sketching." I was kidding when I first said it ... sort of ... because it struck me that we were a similar type of group. Obviously we're focused on sketching rather than music, but we certainly do come from a wide variety of locations and backgrounds to meet in one place and share three incredible days of art, laughter, and friendship. Of course, symposiums are better - Woodstock only happened once (and it was really muddy and there were too many people in just one place, hahaha), but we get to do symposiums each year in a new location! I only hope that I'll be able to attend the next one, and the next, and the next ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I'm going to make a real effort to start doing more regional, smaller-scale events, to keep the energy of the symposium going. I hope everyone involved with Urban Sketchers will do likewise, and contribute however they can to strengthen this movement that was started by our friend Gabi Campanario just six short years ago. Thank you, Gabi, and thanks again to everyone who made this possible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">F</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">orça dibuixants urbans!</span><br />
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Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-54309715524943178022013-04-13T13:04:00.002-07:002013-04-13T13:04:35.440-07:0039th Worldwide SketchCrawl in Moscow, ID<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCewdU90sU-b4XpJ8bKAopcvw75eNSjq14KBWZ_TO8eciszVSwDBdK_9zvPoJGibkKxSobpYALMP8h-nZZ76m2mnoucgn9bwjo65hiOtOcO2SwqfycOGRtYZti6-s4BrW0jHRePtymeWtm/s1600/20130413a-Moscow-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCewdU90sU-b4XpJ8bKAopcvw75eNSjq14KBWZ_TO8eciszVSwDBdK_9zvPoJGibkKxSobpYALMP8h-nZZ76m2mnoucgn9bwjo65hiOtOcO2SwqfycOGRtYZti6-s4BrW0jHRePtymeWtm/s320/20130413a-Moscow-sm.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYETekXbaczxjp0qs6Hf5TVThaxO6A8RnrSa3saKRr0pFcFXcazkD-rbWrpT13z2SHmQRolHB8g85byAg9a_y4Juh9rqOl09yg7m7d1j-jA5sYGcg8P3Ej9ap3EZaz24oYZmMlllZXJsLa/s1600/20130413b-Moscow-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYETekXbaczxjp0qs6Hf5TVThaxO6A8RnrSa3saKRr0pFcFXcazkD-rbWrpT13z2SHmQRolHB8g85byAg9a_y4Juh9rqOl09yg7m7d1j-jA5sYGcg8P3Ej9ap3EZaz24oYZmMlllZXJsLa/s320/20130413b-Moscow-sm.jpg" width="201" /></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crummy weather for outdoor sketching today ... windy, with occasional snow flurries. So the first sketch had to be done from the comfort of a cafe. I always try to depict light (as much as possible), and in cases like this, it's all about capturing the silhouettes with strong dark tones, and trying to catch reflections where I see them. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second sketch I started outside, but my hands started to freeze up, so had to finish it back in the cafe again. This alley view is one of my favorites here in Moscow, and some might recognize it from <a href="http://brehmsketch.blogspot.com/2012/12/palouse-plein-air.html">this post</a> ... almost the same perspective, this time done with a Yafa fountain pen and Lexington Gray ink. I hope everyone around the world had a great sketchcrawl day, I look forward to seeing the <a href="http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=65">results</a>!</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-30202143012312967722013-03-20T15:53:00.001-07:002013-03-20T15:53:44.156-07:00Sketching and Listening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJc0zFahihOH4vDIMdgyPic8ZoTK8H4OpvKkRYSUicpcHvCeayaCOxFR8vEQXtTyVvR00W4-gBkbfPwco3bR00TgLRfR7tKcSZi36x8hu9etWK0bN-eOu11SOtxJsqhSj022lOS2tFnQz/s1600/20130320b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJc0zFahihOH4vDIMdgyPic8ZoTK8H4OpvKkRYSUicpcHvCeayaCOxFR8vEQXtTyVvR00W4-gBkbfPwco3bR00TgLRfR7tKcSZi36x8hu9etWK0bN-eOu11SOtxJsqhSj022lOS2tFnQz/s320/20130320b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have a full-day symposium in our college today, consisting of several alumni giving talks about career, community, and identity. The information is geared primarily toward current students, rather than faculty like me ... and the quality of the presentations is quite varied, of course. Some have been really excellent (particularly the talk by illustrator <a href="http://www.illustrationnk.com/">Noah Kroese</a>), while others gave me more of a chance to sketch. But this isn't at all the same thing as "not paying attention," because sketching doesn't prevent one from listening, even from listening very intently.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sketching while listening is one of the few instances I'm aware of that can truly be called "multi-tasking." Most often, what people call multi-tasking is actually just shifting from one task to another in quick succession. Sketching and listening, however, can comfortably be done simultaneously. It's as easy as walking and chewing gum at the same time ... and more worthwhile to boot, because you come out of the experience with a visual record, a touchstone that can tie you back to a particular place at a particular point in time.</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-78000148344121918402012-12-20T11:47:00.001-08:002012-12-20T12:30:42.099-08:00Thoughts on Exhibiting Sketches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week was the opening reception for our annual </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.uidaho.edu/caa">College of Art Architecture</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> faculty exhibit at the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.uidaho.edu/caa/prichardartgallery/">Prichard Art Gallery</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> here in Moscow, ID. This is the ninth time I have participated, and it's always a lot of fun seeing what everyone has been up to with their individual creative pursuits. I typically take the exhibit as an opportunity to display a group of my sketches from the previous summer I spent in Italy. It's always nice to see these humble, quick drawings in frames and hung on the wall adjacent to all sorts of other artwork. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JVaraDLVXOBjozfn6kY6UXS_ozyL3hWszBSd47m_bbRSA-pFcwqB9DcMt3kDC9D70411gB33DiUBn90TrXuGZfU3MzB4URjCJm2iN_t_zJFWBbjhKGOu45GpBnpyYxheMPhupgYXPKfc/s1600/DSCN1174-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JVaraDLVXOBjozfn6kY6UXS_ozyL3hWszBSd47m_bbRSA-pFcwqB9DcMt3kDC9D70411gB33DiUBn90TrXuGZfU3MzB4URjCJm2iN_t_zJFWBbjhKGOu45GpBnpyYxheMPhupgYXPKfc/s320/DSCN1174-rev.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been great to see so many Urban Sketchers exhibiting their work in galleries over the past few years. As a result, I've been thinking that our</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/about-usk.html">Manifesto</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">could be updated slightly. Item #7 states that "We share our drawings online," but perhaps we should amend this to say simply, "We share our drawings." Certainly, our community relies on the internet for the bulk of our interactions, and the connections that we make around the world via online communication are fantastic. But there is really no substitute for the direct interaction that is facilitated through exhibits - after all, it's what we already do at the end of virtually every Sketchcrawl, at least in an informal way.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJmEtNFPq7Ddfog1qiq7nF5m7oBJ-50u2IoEQX6E9526OQfPOC-5jHMxfCY3QE1t12OTwdSTymLCh6vGwtRE5pkev1doD6GnYH5UTiYW4H1j84iQDOsq6y-rtsYErjy-HP2tY3uqnk66K/s1600/DSCN0947-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJmEtNFPq7Ddfog1qiq7nF5m7oBJ-50u2IoEQX6E9526OQfPOC-5jHMxfCY3QE1t12OTwdSTymLCh6vGwtRE5pkev1doD6GnYH5UTiYW4H1j84iQDOsq6y-rtsYErjy-HP2tY3uqnk66K/s320/DSCN0947-rev.jpg" width="189" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is one of the topics I discuss in my new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sketching-Location-BREHM-MATTHEW/dp/1465205268/">Sketching on Location</a>, in the chapter entitled "After Sketching." I strongly encourage everyone to seek out local opportunities to share your sketches. Most municipalities have some sort of arts commission that is tasked with supporting local artists, and group exhibits seem to be getting more common. In my experience, these events have been a fantastic opportunity to connect face-to-face with other local artists - whether they are professional or amateur, focused on plein air painting or urban sketching. Entry into local exhibits is most often open, though occasionally the selection process is juried and awards are presented in various categories.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I understand that the idea of juried exhibits doesn't sit well with everyone, and I agree that the most important objective in sketching is to do so freely, driven by a fundamentally intrinsic motivation. But I sometimes find it inspiring and motivating to draw with some additional purpose or, at the very least, to share sketches I have already made in a new venue. For example, the sketch of the Roman Forum on the front cover of my book was recently selected for the <a href="http://www.designcommunicationassociation.org/exhibitions.html">Design Communication Association's Juried Drawing Exhibit</a>, and it received the highest award in its category of "Observational Images - Faculty." </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The DCA is a group that was founded over twenty years ago, comprised mainly of educators who focus on design graphics at the university level. Many of these folks have been teaching aspects of what we now refer to as "urban sketching" for decades, and the jury for the exhibit consisted of <a href="http://www.psoles.com/bio-page.html">Steve Oles</a>, <a href="http://www.wghook.com/">William Hook</a>, and <a href="http://artanddesignstudio.com/architectural_illustrators.html">Anna Loseva</a> - three very highly-accomplished artists - so I was thrilled that this drawing was recognized with an award. But regardless of whether the exhibit is a group show, a solo event, a juried competition, or open to all, I strongly encourage every sketcher to share their work both online AND in bricks-and-mortar galleries at every opportunity!</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-70650137862705733012012-12-05T13:32:00.001-08:002012-12-05T13:32:57.030-08:00Palouse Plein Air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently took part in the "Palouse Plein Air" exhibit here in Moscow, ID, and was thrilled to receive an award for one of my two watercolors. The exhibit is organized and juried by the <a href="http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/commissions/arts.aspx">Moscow Arts Commission</a>, and asks artists to draw or paint on location in the areas around and/or within the city. Each person first must have their paper stamped by the Commission and then complete the work within about a week's time. I did these two sketches on the same day, starting in the late-afternoon and finishing the landscape watercolor as the sun began to set. I have always been interested in the alley shown here, which is a half-block east of Main Street. It has a fascinating series of wood structures that carry power lines behind the buildings. Further down, there is a swirling pattern of bricks in the pavement, and as a whole it feels less like a gloomy alley and more like a pedestrian street. As the sun starts to go down, as it was just beginning to do in this sketch, the light can become dramatic, so this is what I was trying to capture. This drawing received the "Best Moscow Downtown/Urban Award," which was sponsored by <a href="http://www.palousecommercial.com/">Palouse Commercial</a> - many thanks for their generous support of the arts in Moscow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After completing the first drawing, I decided to head out to the edge of town and attempt a landscape. The "edge of town" is about a two-minute scooter ride from the very center of town, so I still had plenty of light to work with. This region is known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palouse">"The Palouse"</a> and is characterized by its rolling hills - formed by wind-blown glacial silt during the ice ages. Most of these hills are now used for agriculture - wheat, peas, lentils, etc. - and in the late fall the golden colors of the harvested fields are spectacular.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it was another fun opportunity to get out there and draw in a slightly more deliberate way than my usual quick sketching. This is the second time I've participated (last year's efforts are part of <a href="http://brehmsketch.blogspot.com/2011/12/few-landscapes.html">this post</a>), and it was extra satisfying to be recognized with an award. I'm already looking forward to next year's event!</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-91239619324874465962012-10-20T11:23:00.000-07:002012-10-20T11:23:02.763-07:00A Small Homage to Mattias Adolfsson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was in a lecture yesterday, so I started drawing in my notebook. One of the things I enjoy about drawing is that it doesn't prevent you from paying attention to what someone is saying - somehow the brain allows auditory input through a clean channel while a different part of the brain is engaged with the process of drawing. Anyway, I recently received <a href="http://mattiasa.blogspot.com/">Mattias Adolfsson's</a> new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mattias-Unfiltered-Sketchbook-Art-Adolfsson/dp/1608862771/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350753862&sr=1-1&keywords=mattias+unfiltered">Mattias Unfiltered</a>, so his work has been on my mind. I've been amazed by his drawings for years and astounded by his ability to produce so many drawings of such exquisite detail and humor. I've often thought, "I should try something like that" when I see one of his spatial constructions that covers the entire page - like the axonometric on the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwXFhqQ6DtLnqDXh-4C8wUjxIafJCmicICxaBhtvnhkHm0O2cXext4Gz7uj6gJURVLoDBTDH4YWWfzS5izW6Q7PfZIlyXpQuW75OcoJSzeyGqzNl-A_unoh5moka5gE9JSXa6Zi0nJtQ/s1600/unfiltered2.jpg">book's cover</a> - giving the sense that the microcosm being illustrated extends far beyond the limits of the paper. I utterly lack the ability to draw characters like he can - all the people, animals, robots, etc. that populate his worlds are beyond me at this point, but I can learn quite a lot from his way of drawing places. Apart from my fascination with Mattias' drawings, I've also been thinking for a few years about doing some drawing projects of my own that focus on imagined spaces - large scale sections, mainly, that might draw on the tradition of artists like <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=piranesi+carceri&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=cemCUKbcHuPSiwK4moHQBg&sqi=2&ved=0CBwQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=653">Piranesi</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=escher+cycle+convex+concave&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=DuqCUNO8GOOkiQLDvIGgAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=653">Escher</a>. I've also just discovered <a href="http://mathewborrett.squarespace.com/drawings/">Mathew Borrett's</a> work on <a href="http://www.linesandcolors.com/2012/10/09/matthew-borrett/">Lines and Colors</a>, and his stuff has my mind moving in some interesting directions. It was in this context that I made the drawing here. I might still add color to it, and I might extend it onto the left page in the spread ... I don't know. It was just a small experiment that might lead to other things. For now, I just want to say thanks to Mattias for the inspiration.</span>Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372086283952631608.post-54581149660477698302012-10-08T13:37:00.002-07:002012-10-08T13:45:48.951-07:00Portland Visit<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a nice visit to Portland a little over a week ago, guiding a field trip for a large group of students. I didn't have as much time as I would have liked for sketching, but did manage to do a few. On Saturday morning, I met a group of students at the Saturday Market, and we decided to draw the nearby Burnside Bridge. After helping them with their own sketches, I stayed a bit longer and did this one with a Copic Multiliner SP - "Wine" is the color of the ink, one of my favorites.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day before, I carved out some time from our touring schedule and did the vertical sketch at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I was trying to capture the umbrella-like structures and the building beyond ... but I was pressed for time, so things got a little sloppy. Still, it was a good way to spend the lunch break.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday evening I spent some time visiting my old friend <a href="http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/">Jeffrey Morgenthaler</a>, bar manager at <a href="http://www.clydecommon.com/">Clyde Common</a>. He and I have known each other since our days at the Tiny Tavern in Eugene, OR, when I was playing guitar there and he was just beginning his career as a bartender. I did the sketch here with a Namiki Falcon and Noodler's Lexington Grey ink ... and just barely finished the drawing before the ink ran out. It was fun bending the perspective and trying to indicate the plethora of liquor bottles from my perch at the end of the bar.</span></div>
Matthew Brehmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851903645894370136noreply@blogger.com1