IVAN JERÔNIMO

MY ISOLATION DIARY By Ivan Jerônimo

I AM A UX SOFTWARE DESIGNER AND PARTICIPANT OF THE URBAN SKETCHERS FLORIANÓPOLIS, IN BRAZIL. IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, I PUBLISHED A BOOK COLLECTING DRAWINGS AND TEXTS MADE DURING THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF LOCKDOWN IN MY CITY.

In the first two months of COVID isolation, I accumulated more than 40 drawings of objects and spaces in my apartment. This was a big change from the urban architecture and human figures I usually draw. It’s curious how, in the simple activity of drawing objects, so much goes through your head. I realised the house is not only a deposit of things, but also of memories. Sketching also stopped me from getting too anxious about the situation. I used watercolor, fountain pen and a tablet. The effect of the pandemic can be seen in ordinary things, such as the glass bottles that accumulated after the recyclable garbage pickup was suspended, the unusually quiet street in front of the building, and the new home office set up in a corner of my wife’s studio. I decided to self-publish, as it would have been difficult to find anyone interested in editing this, especially with bookstores closed and publishers delaying releases. I thought I needed to release the book soon, because it’s my record of a period that, for most of us, isn’t over yet.

60 dias dentro de casa - Um diário ilustrado do isolamento (60 days inside home – An illustrated diary of the isolation) By Ivan Jerônimo 84 pages / 6.7 x 9.4 in Language: Portuguese

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COOL GEAR BY MARK LEIBOWITZ

It could happen that I’d be the last person to learn about a new cool trick for urban sketching. Yes, I write the Cool Gear column and get suggestions from people all over the world. Sometimes an idea is so popular that no one thinks to point it out. And if you haven’t noticed, then it’s totally new. At least that’s what I thought when I learned this technique. Every sketch presents a series of decisions and challenges. How do you deal with the edges of the picture? You could go with the classical solution and paint/sketch right up to the edge of your paper. Or you could put a border around your picture. People draw those frames free handed for that carefree look, or use rulers. Then the challenge is to paint within the lines. Although slopping the paint over the lines has its appeal too. Lots of choices.

SKETCH BY ALYSSA ESTEBAN

I’ve always loved the crisp look you get when you tape the edges of a watercolor. Lifting the tape is exciting. Paintings that had a carefree loose feel suddenly tighten up when the tape is lifted. Everything looks planned and contained by those edges. However, there is also a gut-wrenching tension when you lift the tape. If you are unlucky, the tape might also lift up the paper itself, ruining your sketch. We’ve shared tricks like weakening the adhesives by rubbing the tape on your shirt or pants several times before putting the tape on your paper. It helps, sometimes, and sometimes it doesn’t, and the sketch is ruined. I felt ambivalent about even trying.

Recently we were on a rooftop in NYC, drawing an old Beaux Arts building across Fifth Avenue. When it came time for our Show and Tell, where we individually share our artwork, Alyssa Esteban realized she hadn’t removed the tape from her sketch. As we all watched - she removed the tape. Hardly a drum-roll event, but I think every experienced sketcher watched her with trepidation. There was certainly a chance she’d ruin her beautiful sketch. She didn’t. In fact the tape came up effortlessly; it was a slick thing of beauty, and I had to consider what I was seeing. She wasn’t using masking tape or artist tape. She had that junky tape you see crafters using. It had cute designs on it: Washi Tape. I always assumed that people used the tape as a design element. I’d never seen an Urban Sketcher using the stuff.

When I asked about it, Alyssa seemed to think it was obvious. The impression I got was that every artist she knew had been using the Washi Tape for ages. I just accepted this and assumed I hadn’t been paying attention. I also went right out and purchased some Washi Tape at a crafts store. It works like a charm. People noticed what I was doing and asked, and then I had the realization that I was not the last person on earth to learn this simple Urban Sketching trick. So, now I am sharing it with you. If you have a piece of Cool Gear you’d like to share with readers, please send a couple of photos or sketches with a description and how you use it to markleibowitz810@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!

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 Caran d’Ache Neocolor I wax pastels Check it out!

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.