Drawing Attention January 2021

DRAWING

Attention

The official zine of Urban Sketchers JANUARY 2021

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Drawing Attention Mandate Drawing Attention, the official monthly zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchcrawls, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching.

Thanks to this month’s Drawing Attention contributors: Managing Editor: Patricia Chow Mailchimp layout: Jane Wingfield Issuu layout: Anne Taylor Social Media Designer: Frieda Christofides Writers: Jim Chapman, Cathy Gutterman, Luz Vega, Jane Wingfield French copy editor: Sophie Navas Spanish copy editor: Rosario Muñoz Gajardo Proofreader: Leslie Akchurin Contributors: Parka, Richard Alomar, Mark Leibowitz Cover image: Rimo Kim Subscribe to Drawing Attention. Read the December edition of Drawing Attention.

Circulation: 13k+ Readership: 16k+ Web: urbansketchers.org Urban Sketchers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the art of on-location drawing. Click here to make your tax-deductible contribution via Paypal. © 2021 Urban Sketchers.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication, including accompanying artwork, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Urban Sketchers organization.

Dear USk Community, Urban Sketchers show the world one drawing at a time. We tell the stories of the places and times we live in. We support, teach, and inspire our community through educational programs and sketching events around the world.

We ask your help to support Urban Sketchers’ educational programs and events to celebrate the joy of drawing together and build lasting relationships.

So, if Urban Sketchers inspires you, teaches you new skills, helps you express how you see the world, and brings joy to you and your community, please consider making a donation by going to our website at: http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/donate. html. Thank you for your support!

Sketching together (one way or another), Richard Alomar, USk President

MANAGING EDITOR’S MESSAGE Happy New Year, Sketchers! I hope your year is off to a great start!

To kick off 2021, we get to know new USk Sponsorship Director, Mohan Banerji, catch up with longtime urban sketcher Javier de Blas, and follow the travels of Korean sketcher Rimo Kim. We also take a look back at how several USk chapters around the world sketched their local holiday decorations.

Season 2 of USk Talks kicks off on January 3rd at 3pm GMT. This season will be focused on storytelling and reportage, and will feature the winners of last season’s call for Reportage Proposals. Also, new this season, USk Talks will be airing on the USk YouTube channel (not on Instagram).

Click here to subscribe, and be sure to turn on notifications!

If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to support the Urban Sketchers organization. Although we are an entirely volunteer organization, we still have operating expenses to cover, as well as some great grant programs for sketchers!

Finally, please give a round of virtual applause to our hardworking team of Drawing Attention writers, translators, designers and support staff. If you’d like to join our team, email me at drawingattention@urbansketchers.org.

I hope you enjoy our last issue of the year!

Enjoy our latest issue!

Patricia Chow Managing Editor Drawing Attention

CONTENTS 4

6

USK NEWS & EVENTS

USK TALKS

16

8 MOHAN BANERJI

46

RIMO KIM

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34

JAVIER DE BLAS

SKETCHING THE HOLIDAYS

ENDNOTES | REVIEW

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JANUARY 2021 3

USk News & Events

WE ARE URBAN SKETCHERS!

HELP SUPPORT USK PROGRAMS AND EVENTS Urban Sketchers show the world one drawing at a time. We tell the stories of the places and times we live in. We support, teach, and inspire our community through educational programs and sketching events around the world.

We ask your help to support Urban Sketchers’ educational programs and events to celebrate the joy of drawing together and build lasting relationships.

So, if Urban Sketchers inspires you, teaches you new skills, helps you express how you see the world, and brings joy to you and your community, please consider making a donation by clicking here.

Thank you for your support!

4 DRAWING ATTENTION

USk Talks

SHARE YOUR CHAPTER’S NEWS WITH OUR READERS Contact us to share your chapter’s news, special events, joint meetups, and exhibitions with our readers. You don’t need to write the story yourself. We will assign a Drawing Attention writer to cover your story! Contact us at: drawingattention@urbansketchers.org.

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE USK YOUTUBE CHANNEL

USK BLOG

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USk Talks

URBAN SKETCHERS IS EXCITED TO BE BACK FOR SEASON 2 OF USK TALKS! The USk Talks team has crafted this season with a special focus on storytelling and drawing reportage. Episodes are lined up to inspire you with insights from the leading artistreporters from around the world, exciting projects from our reportage proposal finalists, chapter highlights, art history, sketching challenges, tool demos, and much more.

NEW THIS SEASON Join USk Talks starting January 3, 2021 at 3:00 PM GMT live on Urban Sketchers YouTube channel (click here to subscribe and be sure to Turn on the Notifications) and be prepared to get inspired, learn, and connect with other sketchers.

Throughout Season 2, USk Talks will be showcasing sketchers from around the world whose Reportage Proposals were picked by the selection committee and represent the storytelling potential of our community. It is our great pleasure to announce the winners for the call for USk Talks Reportage Proposal.

Click here for more information.

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USk Talks

REPORTAGE PROPOSAL FINALISTS 2020 • • • • • • • • •

Thierry Chehab (work pictured above), Beirut, Lebanon, “The Aftermath of the Explosion in Beirut” Tambat Ali, Pune, India, “Coppersmiths’ Alley in Pune” USk Madrid, Spain, “Facades of 100-Year-Old Shops in Madrid” Christopher Brown, New York, USA, “Save our Stages” Elisa Monti, Italy, “How a Ship Starts Life in a Yard” Marielle Durand, Paris, France, “Lockdown Sketches from Paris” USk Pune, India, “Colonial Impact on Pune” Jing Zhang and USk China, “Uncovering the Hidden Beauty of China’s Industrial Heritage” Zainab Tambawalla, Mumbai, India, “Spirit of Mumbai.”

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“

I was struck by the humility, the warmth, the caring nature and the giving of even the most recognized and celebrated urban sketchers...�

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Meet the USk Board: Sponsorship Director Mohan Banerji

BY JIM CHAPMAN

W

hile most sketchers are great at raising a pencil or paintbrush, few are great at raising funds. Happily, Mohan Banerji does both, and very well. As a cherry on top, he even enjoys it. “It is varied, challenging, surprisingly time consuming, but always interesting. I love it and it keeps me out of mischief!” Mohan said.

“Sponsorship can cover a plethora of things: free product giveaways, competition and lottery prizes, new product tests, participation in Art Markets, sponsoring events, workshops and sketch walks,” he explained. This means the team is constantly cultivating and maintaining relationships with manufacturers, retailers, publishers, media, JANUARY 2021 9

Sketcher Spotlight

museums, galleries and educational institutions. It’s a big job, but he credits his team for their success. “I have two wonderful Sponsorship Coordinators on my team: Raylie Dunkel (USA) and Alvin Wong (Hong Kong).”

Mohan was born and raised in India; his first job was in advertising. He and his wife moved to the UK in the mid 1970s and he has since worked in sales and marketing in the UK, Europe, Hong Kong and Australia.

Mohan’s artistic journey started in 2015 as he had the urge to sketch the beautiful old buildings in his town in the UK. “Not having had a background in art, or been to art school, I had no idea where or how to start. It ended up with my wife buying me a small concertina sketchbook, and my sitting on various pavements; this was before I knew about sketch stools!,” he said.

Then, one day, a woman asked if he was an urban sketcher. “I had no idea who (they) were!” he said. Mohan first came across urban sketching when he attended a London sketch meet at St. Pancras Station in 2016. He later attended the 2016 Manchester Symposium and has been hooked ever since, even joining up with two other sketchers to start the USk Reading Chapter.

“I was struck by the humility, the warmth, the caring nature and the giving of even the most recognized and celebrated urban sketchers. I knew then that one day I would like to give something back.” Mohan joined the Sponsorship team as a Coordinator for Europe in 2019, and joined the Executive Board as Sponsorship Director in September 2020. The position’s tenure is two years, and like all USk positions, is voluntary.

Looking ahead, Mohan is optimistic for the future. Although the cancellation of the Hong Kong Symposium and coronavirus restrictions on travel and social distancing have meant cancellations and postponements of events and workshops, sketchers are nothing if not inventive. “We have had to find creative ways to inspire, educate and connect with sketchers around the world. A drum roll, if you please, for the USk Talks team, led by Rita Sabler, for their hugely successful first season! The Sponsorship team are currently working with them on an even more exciting new season of USk Talks,” Mohan said.

Mohan lives in Finchampstead, Wokingham, UK. You can contact him at: sponsorship@urbansketchers.org.

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Mohan Banerji

CONNECT WITH MOHAN

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JANUARY 2021 11

Sketcher Spotlight

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Mohan Banerji

JANUARY 2021 13

Sketcher Spotlight

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JANUARY 2021 15

Stay Long, Observe Deeply & Listen Closely

BY JANE WINGFILED

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OSLO JANUARY 2021 17

Sketcher Spotlight

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hen Rimo Kim decided to quit his computer engineering job at Samsung at age 30, he had a plan and he dove right in. Having been an admirer of painting since childhood, he embarked on a 40-day trip to western and southern Europe, documenting his trip with drawings. When he returned to Korea, he sent a proposal to several publishers for what became his first publication, Eternal Moments in Drawing, Traveling in Western and Southern Europe for 40 days (2015), a collection of drawings he did during his first European adventure.

His next sketch trip was to Jeju Island, a destination spot in South Korea known for its natural beauty. His second publication, Drawing Jeju, A drawing essay documenting Jeju Island, was published in 2016. Experiencing Jeju’s beauty got him thinking about natural landscapes, and sparked a desire to travel to similar places.

So, in the summer of 2016, he ventured to Europe again; this time focusing on Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. This second European adventure became the impetus for his third and most recent book, Alone, Slowly, Nordic, Traveling in Northern Europe for a Month, published in 2020. His motivation for this third book was to introduce others to the joy of taking a trip just to sketch.

Rimo told me that the places that impressed him most in Europe were Florence, Italy, and Skagen, Denmark. In Florence, he was fascinated by the romantic atmosphere, old stories, delicious food and pleasant laughter.

He wanted to paint it all. While in Italy, he stumbled upon a fellow urban sketcher, Sara Salomoni. He saw her standing with a sketchbook and immediately knew she was an urban sketcher. Sure enough, after he approached her, they were soon laughing, chatting and sharing sketchbooks.

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The seaside town of Skagen, Denmark, a favorite site of Impressionist painters, was also one of Rimo’s favorites. He highly recommends visiting the charming city and the art museum there (when it is safe to do so, of course). Anyone who paints, he told me, will love Skagen.

Rimo Kim

One of his favorite memories from this 2016 trip is an unforgettable cruise from Finland to Sweden across the Baltic Sea during the height of summer when the sky was pink all night long due to the “Midnight Sun.” His tight schedule didn’t allow for meeting up with local sketchers, but friendly Nordic people cheered him on. Their encouragement kept him from becoming lonely.

MILANO

At the time of his early European adventures he wasn’t familiar with Urban Sketchers, but as he expanded his sketching activities in Korea, he naturally met urban sketchers in Seoul and Suwon. Soon after, he started teaching workshops in Suwon and Ulsan, and in 2019 and 2020 he was invited to be an instructor at the Gyeongju Urban Sketch Festa, a regional symposium in South Korea.

MAKE A DONATION TO URBAN SKETCHERS

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Sketcher Spotlight

“

In Florence, [Rimo] was fascinated by the romantic atmosphere, old stories, delicious food and pleasant laughter. He wanted to paint it all....

20 DRAWING ATTENTION

Rimo Kim

MANAROLA, ITALY DECEMBER 2020 21

Sketcher Spotlight

ROME

Rimo Kim

RIMO’S TIPS: TRAVEL TO SKETCH – EVEN THOUGH IT’S ONE OF THE SLOWEST WAYS TO TRAVEL THE WORLD. IT DEVELOPS A DESIRE TO STAY LONG, OBSERVE DEEPLY AND LISTEN TO THE STORIES THE PLACE TELLS.

VASA MUSEUM, STOCKHOLM JANUARY 2021 23

Sketcher Spotlight

ABOVE: ST GEORGE SLAYING THE DRAGON RIGHT: UPPSALA CATHEDRAL 24 DRAWING ATTENTION

USk Newport News

JANUARY 2021 25

Featured Chapter

Javier de Blas, cronista de la emoción DIBUJANTE, DISEÑADOR, DOCENTE Y SOBRE TODO, ARTISTA. SU TRAZO FRESCO Y ENÉRGICO LLENA DE POESÍA LAS HOJAS DE SUS CUADERNOS Y ESE DIBUJO ABOCETADO Y SIN TERMINAR NOS INVITA A SEGUIR IMAGINÁNDOLO. POR LUZ VEGA

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JANUARY 2021 27

Sketcher Spotlgiht

C

uando le preguntamos cómo se inicia en los cuadernos de dibujo, Javier nos cuenta que desde niño el cuaderno ha sido su estudio ambulante. Lo llevaba al campo, en sus viajes, en visitas a amigos o mientras veía la televisión en familia.

Es en 2009 cuando asiste a la primera edición de los cursos “De Vuelta con el Cuaderno” en Jaca (España), donde conoce a Gabi Campanario, que le muestra un nuevo concepto del cuaderno de dibujo. A partir de ese momento Javier lo concibe como un elemento narrativo para contar lo que pasa a su alrededor.

Desde entonces, nos cuenta, ha asistido a múltiples encuentros de Urban Sketchers, unas veces como asistente y otras como ponente o cronista, como en el Symposium USk Manchester en 2016.

Javier nos habla sobre su trabajo, cómo a través de su dibujo quiere conectar con el momento, con lo que sucede y de qué manera esa impresión va cristalizando a medida que se realiza el dibujo. No busca una temática en concreto, sino transmitir aquello que le ha inspirado

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el momento en que lo realiza. Para él no es tan importante hacer un dibujo muy acabado, como reflejar el apunte del instante. Dibujar ha de ser como hablar.

Cuando sale, siempre lleva su cuaderno y un pequeño set de materiales de dibujo, como son los lápices de grafito y una pequeña caja de acuarelas, que le permiten ir ligero. Le gusta utilizar sus propias libretas, esto le da libertad para experimentar con diferentes tipos de papel y jugar con los efectos que producen con las acuarelas.

En ocasiones ha utilizado el papel satinado por sus reflejos y como su secado rápido además le ofrece ventajas en el boceto rápido, es una expresión más de la inmediatez de su dibujo.

Durante los últimos dos años ha estado trabajando en el proyecto “En 4 líneas” (In a few strokes),”

Javier de Blas

JANUARY 2021 29

Sketcher Spotlgiht

30 DRAWING ATTENTION

Javier de Blas

basado en el reportaje emocional. Se trata de plasmar un dibujo-un pensamiento, y que ha podido compaginar en el confinamiento. Durante ese tiempo también seguía con asiduidad los USk Talks, pero sobre todo, ha dibujado el mundo a través de su ventana.

Otra de las pasiones de Javier es viajar y dibujar. Con el fin de estudiar el uso del cuaderno, nos comenta cómo en 2011 viaja durante cuatro meses por diferentes países del norte del Mediterráneo (blog Desde la Bañera). Posteriormente viajará en 2015 a los campamentos de refugiados saharauis de Tindouf (Argelia). Allí convivirá durante un mes con una familia de beduinos, recogiendo y narrando la vida familiar y cotidiana de los campamentos. Este trabajo se materializó en el libro “Viajero en Tindouf” en el marco de un proyecto solidario. Lisboa ha sido su último viaje, dónde pudo acudir a la presentación del libro de retratos de Eduardo Salavisa, en el que ha participado con otros artistas y amigos de Eduardo.

Antes de finalizar la entrevista Javier nos recuerda, en especial para aquellos que se inician o buscan mejorar en la práctica del dibujo: “la importancia de aprender y reconocerte en el dibujo”.

CONECTAR CON JAVIER

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¡SUSCRÍBETE A DRAWING ATTENTION, ES GRATIS! JANUARY 2021 31

Sketcher Spotlgiht

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avier de Blas is a sketcher, designer, and teacher, but most of all, an artist. The fresh and energetic strokes fill his sketchbooks with poetry. His style of unfinished sketching, using scribbles, invites us to keep imagining.

Javier told us that since he was a child, the sketchbook has been his itinerant studio. He has always carried one with him, whether to the countryside, during his travels, when visiting friends, or while watching TV with his family. In 2009, when he attended the first De Vuelta con el Cuaderno sketchbook workshops in Jaca, Spain, he met Gabi Campanario, who introduced him to a brand new concept for sketchbooks. From that moment on, Javier has seen the sketchbook as a storytelling tool, to tell the world what happens in his surroundings. Since then, he has attended multiple Urban Sketchers Symposiums, sometimes as an attendee and sometimes as a speaker, as in Manchester in 2016.

Through his sketches, Javier wants to connect with the moment he is living in, with what is happening, and with how this impression is taking shape while he draws. He is not searching for a concrete subject, but to transmit what is inspiring him at the moment. For him, it is not as important to do a finished drawing as it is to reflect on a specific moment. Sketching should be like speaking.

Whenever he goes out, he carries only his sketchbook and little set of tools (graphite pencils and a small watercolor box), which allows him to travel light. He CONNECT WITH JAVIER

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prefers to make his own sketchbooks because this gives him the freedom to experiment with different kinds of paper, and play with different watercolor effects. He uses hot press paper because of its reflections and since it is fast drying, it also allows him to sketch quickly, a better way to express the immediacy of his sketch.

During the last few years, Javier has been working on the project called In a Few Strokes (“En 4 líneas”), based on emotional reportage. It consists of recording one thought-one drawing, and he has been able to organize it all during the lockdown. He has also been following USK Talks, but most of all, he has been drawing the world through his window.

Travel is another one of Javier’s passions. In 2011, he traveled for four months to different Northern Mediterranean countries (chronicled in his blog From the Bathtub (“Desde la Bañera”). In 2015, he traveled to the Sahrawi refugees camp in Tindouf, Algeria and lived with a Bedouin family for a month, recording stories about family and everyday life in the camps, which were published in book form as Traveler in Tindouf (“Viajero en Tindouf ”). His most recent trip was to Lisbon, where he attended the launch of Eduardo Salavisa’s portraits book, of which Javier was a part.

Finally, Javier reminds us, especially those of us who are starting or trying to improve our drawing practice, how important it is to learn and recognize yourself in your drawing.

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Javier de Blas

DECEMBER 2020 33

CONNECT WITH USK BOSTON

f TANNERY IN NEWBURYPORT BY MIA THURLOW

SKETCHING THE HOLIDAYS

ABOVE: HAPPY HANUKKAH

BY KARLA HAILER | BELOW: SKETCH BY HOWIE GREEN

BY CATHY GUTTERMAN

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rban sketchers around the world have been challenged to keep drawing despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Over the year-end holidays, many USk chapters were able to find clever ways to overcome this challenge while still following the Urban Sketchers Manifesto. Here is a glimpse of what artists from several USk chapters have been doing to keep sketching during the holidays.

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USK BOSTON, USA – “Let’s sketch: The holidays” was USk Boston’s challenge to sketch the holiday decorations that popped up all over the Boston urban landscape.

USK SEVILLA, SPAIN – Due to the health situation and restrictions caused by Covid-19, USk Sevilla decided to temporarily suspend their meetings. In September 2020, USk Sevilla started some drawing challenges following the USk Manifesto. These challenges, called “IN & OUT,” aim to keep alive the enthusiasm for drawing in place and trying new materials, and suggest themes to take members out

of their usual comfort zone. The aim is to have fun, practice drawing in situ and to stay in contact with each other through social networks. There are two challenges per month: One to do from home (IN) and the other outside (OUT), from anywhere in the world. Their December challenge was called “Drawing Christmas Holidays.”

NAVIDAD 2020 BY FATIMA ARENAS JANUARY 2021 35

Sketching the Holidays

CHRISTMAS COVID BY MARIBEL ROJO

CONNECT WITH USK SEVILLA

CHRISTMAS INDOORS BY LUC VEGA 36 DRAWING ATTENTION

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USk Ribble

ABOVE: SKETCH BY ANN DONE ABOVE RIGHT: THE OLD DOCKS HOUSE, PRESTON BY RODNEY WALMSLEY

USK RIBBLE, UK – Because of Covid, USk Ribble hasn’t been able to meet since February. The whole North West area of England was the worst affected for months but stayed connected and positive throughout, supporting each other and joining with other urban sketchers around the world. What a difference sketching has made!

Two December challenges were set by USk Ribble: 1) “That Takes a Biscuit,” in whatever way you can imagine, was a fun challenge hosted by Malc Stott, who joined from Yorkshire.

2) “A Christmas Doorway” was a pre-Christmas challenge, set by Chris Waites, that asked Ribblers to capture festive door decorations at home or outdoors.

While Chris was sketching the doorway of a new neighbor, who saw Chris looking at and admiring the pinecone wreath, the neighbor came out to talk, and shared that they’d made all the decorations themselves. He is now interested JANUARY 2021 37 in joining the group!

Sketching the Holidays

CONNECT WITH USK RIBBLE

PINE CONE WREATH DOORWAY RIGHT: CHRISTMAS DOORWAY

BY CHRIS WAITES (INSIDE) BY PAT SOUTHERN-PEARCE 38 DRAWING ATTENTION

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USK Ribble

JANUARY 2021 39

Sketching the Holidays

MY FRONT DOOR BY CAROLE BOYTON TREEN

USK NEW YORK CITY, USA – December 2020 was an unusual holiday season for many New Yorkers, amidst a worsening pandemic. Despite this, the holiday spirit was high in New York City, with many exciting, socially distanced art events, installations, and vibrant holiday light shows throughout the city. For a Weekly 40 DRAWING ATTENTION

NEIGHBOR’S WALL AND BACK STAIRCASE

BY DEBORAH GOLDSTEIN

Theme Challenge, admin Raylie Dunkel asked the NYC urban sketchers to “Capture Holiday Decorations”...

ANY holiday decorations, not just Christmas.

USk NYC & USk Castelló

USK CASTELLÓ, SPAIN – During December, USk Castelló proposed an “In & Out” challenge: Castelló sketchers used the themes of IN (inside the home), a beloved childhood toy, and OUT (outside the home), outdoor Christmas decorations.

CHILDHOOD DOLLS

BY MIRIAM RUIZ RUBIO

HUGE NUTCRACKERS BY MAUREEN GORTA CONNECT WITH USK NYC

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TOY CARS SKETCH

BY ANGEL GERMAN SIMARRO JANUARY 2021 41

Sketching the Holidays

USK NEWPORT NEWS, USA – On December 12, 2020, USk Newport News met at the City Center at Oyster Point, a popular spot used for arts festivals during normal years.

During the holidays, it was a perfect venue for the group to sketch a dazzling holiday tree that featured stories and animations in its light syncing.

SKETCH BY SHANNON BRYANT CONNECT WITH USK NEWPORT NEWS

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USk Madrid

USK MADRID, SPAIN – With the advent of Christmas, Madrid’s main square turns into a huge market featuring stalls where you can find all types of Nativity Scene figures, Christmas musical instruments and toys. On November 29, 2020, USk Madrid admin Joaquin Gonzalez Dorao and the USk Madrid group gathered to draw in the open air in the center of Madrid, taking advantage of the opening of the 2020 Christmas Market. Eleven people attended, all wearing masks and adhering to Covid safety measures. After making several drawings of the square and the market, they soaked up the Christmas atmosphere while enjoying a beer on a terrace in the square.

In December, USk Madrid participated in “Dibumad 2020,” an annual Illustration Fair held in CentroCentro’s Crystal Gallery. Participants exhibited their sketches on behalf of “Urban Sketchers” and also sketched during the Fair.

DIBUMAD 2020 EXHIBIT HALL BY FELICIANO GOMEZ

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Sketching the Holidays

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DIBUMAD 2020 SKETCH

BY JOAQUIN GONZALEZ DORAO

USk Madrid

SKETCH OF JOAQUIN AT DIBUMAD 2020

BY JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ ROMERO

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MAKE A DONATION TO URBAN SKETCHERS JANUARY 2021 45

Endnotes

COOL GEAR THE SECOND CAMERA

BY MARK LEIBOWITZ I think we are all becoming videoconferencing experts. I am supplementing my daily need for human contact with Zoom calls. Maybe you are, too? It’s not the same thing as being there in person, but there are some very real advantages to using video.

As you become experienced using video, you eventually run into a problem. Maybe there is something on your desk you’d like to show?

Or something in a book? Maybe you’d like to sketch out an idea? If we were together, in person, standing next to each other, I’d just look at what you wanted me to see. With video it’s not that easy. Yes, I have a clear view of your face. In fact, I have a great view of your face, but if I want to see your drawing, you need to hold it up to the camera.

“No, a little higher,…that’s it, well, no, actually you’re a little too close now,… move back a little bit,… a bit more,….” Holding things up for the camera is a poor substitute. What we really need is a second camera, a camera that is flexible and can show our hands, our desk, our artwork, etc.

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You can add a second web camera using Zoom and toggle between the face-camera and the second camera pointed at your desk. So, is getting a second web camera and putting it on a flexible mount the best solution? Not necessarily. The best web camera most people own is in their cell phone. Zoom doesn’t penalize you for making a second video call -- there’s no additional cost. You could use a webcam to show your face and point your cell phone at your hands and desk to show what you’re doing. That means people will be able to see your face and your hands at the same time!

Doing a demo using video is actually superior to doing it in person. Clearly, when you’re painting something, it’s you, the artist, who has the best view. Everyone

Endnotes | Review

watching wants to stand as close as possible so they can see what you see... But your spectators are either seeing things upside-down or behind several other people – it’s never really satisfactory. Using video with a second camera provides everyone with the best seat in the house.

Of course, there is one important adjustment you need to make. You need to mute the microphone on your cell phone. You now have two open microphones right next to each other – the original microphone from your video setup and the second microphone in the cell phone you’re using as your second camera. Muting the cell phone microphone allows the rest of us to avoid some awful sounding feedback.

Arkon Mounts makes a “Remarkable Creators 3-in-1 Bundle” that combines a phone stand, LED light and tablet mount to support a tablet for videoconferencing and a cell phone as the second camera above your desk. The solution is very sturdy and well-made, but you can also improvise a do-it-yourself solution.

We’d love to see your setup. Send photos that we’ll share to markleibowitz810@gmail.com.

PARKA REVIEWS

BY TEOH YI CHIE

Teoh Yi Chie is an infographics journalist who joined Urban Sketchers Singapore in 2009. He’s probably better known as Parka from Parkablogs. com, a website that reviews art books and art products.

This month Parka video reviews the Schmincke Horadam Aquarell Watercolour. Check it out!

JANUARY 2021 47

Our Manifesto • We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation • Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel • Our drawings are a record of time and place • We are truthful to the scenes we witness • We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles • We support each other and draw together • We share our drawings online • We show the world, one drawing at a time.

© 2021 Urban Sketchers www.urbansketchers.org