I haven't been out with the urban sketching group group for a few months, so I was really looking forward to this session. We were sketching at the Hastings Art Gallery, a building I thought I could really enjoy sketching. There are some days where you just struggle to draw, and today I really struggled to draw the building. I did all the setting up in pencil, and started to draw, but I just really struggled. I gave up on that and started again with details, looking at the details of the site, the building, my friend sketching in front of the library, and so on. In the last image i was just struggling to draw properly. In this situation, you just have to give up and move on. So that's what I did. I just stopped drawing, turned the page and moved on to another sketch.

I went to my capital city and sat down for a sketch of our national museum, Te Papa. The original photo had kids in it, so used AI on my phone to remove them. The sketch is all original though.

Again glad you are here and here are some housekeeping items… #1 - To kick things off, please, create a post to introduce yourself and please share an image of your work. #2 - One of things you will want to get a hang of is using the Search Bar at the top of the application window. As this private club grows and to save your time from scrolling through the entire discussion feeds, use the search bar to data mine for Keywords, so that those discussions threads will pop up in the search results window. #3 - I have some general house rules that I hope everyone can follow to ensure we make this a safe place for sharing, collaboration, and positivity: 1. Respect: All members must treat each other with respect. No personal attacks, no hate speech, no trolling, no bullying. 2. Professionalism: As this is a community for professionals, members should maintain a level of professionalism. 3. Confidentiality: What is shared in the group should stay in the group, unless explicit permission is given to share the information outside. 4. Stay on Topic: Posts and comments should be relevant to the discussion threads. Off-topic posts may be removed. If I need to create another discussion categories I will but remember this private club isn't all about those clicks-n-picks, we are focusing on the other things that doesn't get taught or discussed in this manner. 5. No Spam: While it's fine to share your work or your business, spam is not allowed. 6. Help Each Other: The purpose of the community is to support each other's growth and development in Urban Sketching, and drawing. Members are encouraged to help each other out by sharing insights, experiences, and constructive feedback. 7. Quality Over Quantity: Encourage meaningful and thoughtful conversation over frequent, less substantial posts. 8. Ask for Help: If members are unsure whether something is appropriate to post, they should feel free to reach out to the admin or moderator for guidance. 9. Reporting Violations: If members see someone else breaking the rules, they should not engage but rather report the violation to the admin or moderator. 10. Disclaimer: The views expressed within the community are those of the individual members and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of the community as a whole. We get it, but be mindful when sharing and receiving information.

I didn't really get into art until I started studying art (duh) while I was working on getting an Industrial Design degree. It struck me so much that I had to see it with my own eyes, to the point that I went to Italy with my wife for three weeks to see as much as I could. The Renaissance was my favorite period and right after. It was there in almost every building, many of these I saw on the walls and ceilings. It was an amazing experience that I would like to repeat some day. Do you have a favorite painting, sculpture, or building that is mesmerizing to you? Something that stuck with you after you saw it?

I have tried lots of different sketchbooks. Big ones, small ones, travel ones, different paper types, it's all been a real challenge trying to find what's really good for me. You have to find what's good for you, what suits your style. I know this blog is just trying to sell you travel sketchbooks, but it does have some useful information. The prices and the links only refer to a New Zealand shop but I've included it because I think you might find some useful information about paper weight for you technique. https://www.gordonharris.co.nz/blogs/news/choose-the-right-sketchbook-for-you?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&_kx=BW3EnmYuldV9zBQvkW3LjJa0qi6Bs9vic-jbUEHHpH8.SMLWPg