Chicago Urban Sketchers Seminar 2019

Because my son lives in Lake Bluff now, I was able to join the annual Urban Sketchers Seminar in Chicago. I could to subscribe for 4 workshops eg Amy Larsen for Procreate (drawing on your iPad), Shari Blaukopf for watercolor, Jenny Zhang for the skyline and last but not least 'Chicago in Your Pocket Sketchbook' by Gabi Campanario!
I didn't do so much with the iPad (yet) and the workshop by Shari Blaukopf had a lot of rainshowers, so I didn't finish the watercolors, but I learned a lot and I hope it will show later in my sketches.

This is Shari Blaukopf explaining to us the use of 3 primary colors to finish a sketch. For background you can mix the 3 colors to make a fantastic grey! This photo was during a dry moment.

Jenny Zhang 'Let the Lines Walk' gave us some exercises how to approach the skyline.

And make it more dynamic by splashing paint on the sketch.
On the right is a sketch I started the day before, during lunchtime. Grant Park is on the other side of the road from our hub: The American Academy of Arts.
I finished this sketch with the attitude Jenny Zhang learned us.










In the afternoon it was time to do the workshop by Gabi Campanario. We all got a little sketchbook (9 x 14 cm.) of the epsilon series from Stillman and Birn and two pencils. A 3B and a 4H.

He is a very good instructor. Het gave us a handout in the same size as the sketchbook and we all had to laugh because of the subjectfinder he showed.

To become a fearless urban sketcher,  ti's best to have a small, easy to carry notebook. It's ideal to make quick sketches when you don't have much time to spare.

He also gave the handles to sketch a whole street and skyscraper.  into this little book.

We made some sketches to practice and I had to get used to the small size, but two days after the Seminar, when I was meeting some ladies of the Chicago Urban Sketchers I had some time left and made a sketch of the Tribune Building (below).

Here's another sketch, but in a bigger (8 x 10 inch, 20,3 x 25,4 cm) sketchbook of Stillman & Birn (betaseries).

To finish this tale, a sketch in my little sketchbook of the place at O'Hara Airport where they serve the worst hotdog I ever ate...