Sketchcrawl in SF

Pencil on Fabriano sketchbook paper. Photoshop spot color on the figure added for this post

A grand day out. Sunday, March 6, 2005 was the Second worldwide sketchcrawl. And what a day it was! It was the morning after the gallery opening at Super 7 (see below) and though Enrico and I wondered about the wisdom of meeting at 10 a.m. after the week we just went through I'm happy to report that I wouldn't have had it any other way. The day was beautiful! And it didn't take long for the sun to work its magic and made the locations all the more inviting to draw. I was having the most relaxing time I've had in a long time. All through the day there was this common report from participants, "I really should do this more often." Here here.


Pages from the sketchbook of that day.

Everyone on the crawl was very motivated and experiencing the very reason to go on one of these jaunts: It is a--pardon my gooey effusiveness here--life affirming task to be sketching what's around you. You were there and your pencils and watercolors made a record of the moment to lock it in place and time by your hand and spirit (I'm getting carried away, no?). Another thing is the rather barbershop mirrors hall of observers you have with other crawlers drawing the same thing from their experience or each other. Okay, we brought cameras as well to document what we're too slow to sketch in--we ain't luddites.


The Coppola Cafe from the street below. Apparently cars were missing me but just barely. How's that for concentration?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, The Sketchcrawl ranks of March 6, 2005! They came from everywhere and were so game for what the day offered, like, well, there was coffee in the morning and chinese food in Chinatown (first meeting spot). More Coffee at the Coppola Cafe (second meeting spot mid afternoon). And, finally to end at Japan town for a class picture at Super 7. Of course we sketched all along the way, silly. We also ended up drawing (I mean, all of us) those Chinese guys with the thin Chinese lutes because as street performers and sketch subjects they were just too inviting. We all observed people sneaking a peek at what it is we're drawing--art critics and patrons are about, eh? And we all exchanged sketchbooks to look at all the work done that day. I had the most fun doing that. All the varied points of view and styles. Amazing! Congratulations again to all who participated. Thank you so much for making this Sketchcrawl a resounding success. We didn't do a strict count but we estimated that around thirty of you showed up for this day in San Francisco and that is so awesome in my book. Take a bow!



We hope to do another one before the summer (cross yer fingers) and this time we'll have printed itineraries and directions and perhaps a souvenir for those who make it till the end of the day. Perhaps have it that we end up having dinner at a place that can hold a good sized sketching rabble such as we. Check out Enrico's Sketchcrawl site for updates. And here at Tirade as well.



sketchcrawl.com
World wide Sketchcrawl drawing posts
Worldwide Sketchcrawl photos
Enrico's Journal for more photos.