Sketching swans and ducks at Lake Eola.

Posted on by Thor

This is the last sketch I did at the First Orlando Sketch Tour. Instructor Kelly Medford and touring artist Gay Geiger set out to sketch the black swans and ducks. It had been threatening to rain all day, so it was nice to have a moment to enjoy a break in the weather. I decided to only use line in the foreground of the sketch. The far shore and city scape I left as bold blocks of watercolor. Since I had just done a demonstration on watercolor of the pagoda using no line, I was loosened up to try the same technique here. By verbalizing my thoughts as an instructor, I ended up learning something new. This is a technique I should be using more often. It is far more experimental and leaves much more room for discovery during the process. I am very much a creature of habit however so change comes slowly. Eight artists came out for the sketch tour and I had a blast collaborating with Kelly Medford sharing our sketching techniques. I hosted a second Sketch Tour at the Orlando Fringe and will probably host another one in September or October as the Florida heat dies down.

The Orlando Sketch Tour explores color.

Posted on by Thor

At the First Orlando Sketch Tour we were chased inside Panera Bread thanks to impending rain. Kelly Medford and myself made the best of it and the restaurant became our classroom. Here we introduced everyone to the watercolor pallets we had supplied each artist with. We asked everyone to make a color wheel and then to make a light watery wash of each color along side a dark, syrupy wash of the same color. When working on location, I seldom have the time to mix colors, so I mix color washes on the sketch to find the colors and values needed. A sketch always starts out light and then I keep adding pigments to build up the darks. Trying to cover the whole surface except for a few white spots is the first objective.

On this day, students from Elite Animation Academy came out to join the Sketch Tour artists.  My wife Terry also came out to show her support. She is in the center of the sketch in the pink cowboy boots reading a magazine. Her signature sketch is a smiley face and she can finish that in five seconds. Shelby brought her daughter on the tour and together they discovered color and how to compose a sketch. That seems like the perfect way for a family to spend time together. My Elite Urban Sketching students were well into their studies so I let them sketch in peace offering just a few suggestions if they needed help. Between the eight or so Sketch Tour artists and the four Elite Animation students, we pretty much filled up the front room at Panera Bread. A little rain never stops an Urban Sketcher.

A sketch demonstration from the First Orlando Sketch Tour.

Posted on by Thor

I hosted the first Orlando Sketch Tour along with plein air painter Kelly Medford from Rome Italy on March 1st and 2nd. We decided to hold the Sketch Tour at Lake Eola and we gathered with about six other artists near the Japanese Pagoda at the North East corner of the park.

Kelly and I tag teamed, offering advice to get everyone warmed up and ready to start sketching. All skill levels were encouraged to participate, so we each offered one on one instructions to each student to bring them up to speed. We started off the day with blind contour drawings with artists sketching each other without glancing at the sketch. Then we did quick gestures again without looking at the page. I did several watercolor sketches to demonstrate value studies. I painted the Red Pagoda since it was in view.

The clouds moved in and we went to find cover at a lake side restaurant. I didn’t sketch at that location. Instead I did thumbnail sketches for each student showing them how I might compose the scene they were sketching. Kelly and I covered a lot of material that weekend and hopefully we encouraged the artists present to take a sketch book with them to document their next vacation. If just one artist from the Sketch Tour catches the sketching bug, then I’ve done my job.

I’m planning to host an Orlando Sketch Tour quarterly. The second Sketch Tour was held at the Orlando Fringe Festival which offers endless sketch opportunities. I’ve just started hosting Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) events every month, so over time I should meet more local artists who love to sketch. Last year, the Orlando Weekly claimed I was Orlando’s best Urban Sketcher. Since I’m the only Urban Sketcher, that title doesn’t have much panache. I want to meet others who are as passionate about art as I am.

A power meeting at Panera’s.

Posted on by Thor

Kelly Medford, a plein air painter from Rome invited me to collaborate on an Orlando Sketch Tour. We decided to meet at Panera’s which is on the North East corner of Lake Eola Park. We decided to hold the first Orlando Sketch Tour in Lake Eola. I got to Panera’s early and decided to do a sketch of the business men meeting at the next table. The younger gentlemen were seeking funding for their start up company. They were discussing millions of dollars while Kelly and I discussed the most cost effective art supplies to purchase for anyone who came to our Orlando Sketch Tour workshops.

After meeting with Kelly, we both walked around Lake Eola to decide what sketch opportunities would work best for the weekend of the Sketch Tour. We considered places to go in case of rain as well.   About 10 people signed up for the Orlando Sketch Tour. Each person got their own supply kit with a sketchbook, pen and pencil, a watercolor kit and brush. These are all the supplies needed to create urban sketches. All the supplies came in a plastic zippered carrying bag that was water resistant.

On the day of the sketch tour, Kelly and I offered some fundamental drawing tips to get everyone warmed up. The participants then did a sketch of the Red Pagoda or Lake Eola. After that first sketch, it began to rain, so we moved into a sports bar on Lake Eola’s South shore and then Panera’s to continue working indoors. It was inside where we introduced everyone to their watercolor kit. Everyone made a color wheel and a chart showing a light wash and darker pigmented wash for each color. Then everyone created a complete sketch of the interior.

On the second day of the Orlando Sketch Tour, I invited my Elite Animation Academy students to join us. Once again, rain chased us inside and students recorded the atmosphere inside the restaurant. For those who attended, it was a great chance to sketch the drama that always unfolds in everyday events. The key is to look, listen and pay attention. In this digital age there are so many distractions that divert our attention from the amazing things happening all around us.