My Crealde Urban Sketching students have this week’s class off because of Thanksgiving. I have 3 talents student an we work outside doing sketches of the campus.
I always do several sketches as well to show them my approach. I work quickly so that I can spend plenty of time walking to each student and offer sketch suggestions. I offer insights on perspective composition and how to work quickly.
The student in this sketch returned for a second round of classes. As she explained, the first time she suspected some of the information washed over her. Explaining the principles is far different that applying the principles in each sketch. That is why we spend most of each class sketching.
From the first class each student does finished watercolor sketches. They quickly realize that covering a sketch page with watercolor washes takes more time that expected. It is rewarding to teach adults since they are more in tuned with the idea of slowing down and taking their time to finish each sketch. My main challenge is always to give people the time to truly see. Society moves at a breakneck pace and an artist needs to slow down to put things down on the sketch page. When my students are working outside I allow them to unmask but ask that they put it back on when within 6 feet of anyone else. I have notice them forgetting to mask back up and when they do I stay at least 22 feet away. That is about 4 dead bodies lying bed to toe.