I just started a screen printing class as an elective for my illustration certificate with the Museum School. I have never screen printed anything before ever so I am really pumped to try out this new medium! Our first assignment was to make a drawing or painting that we will then learn to transform into a screen print series. This is only one method of screen print inspiration we will be exploring during the semester. We are learning two other approaches as well, one of which involves computers.
This is my painting (acrylic on paper) that I will be basing the first screen printing assignment on. The USS Constitution Museum has me interested in nautical imagery these days!
I have decided to start a new project, which I have dubbed Project T Scapes! My goal is to visit every single stop on the Boston subway system and create a small sketch of whatever I find there. I decided that this project would make sense as a blog all to itself and I am giving tumblr a shot. My T Scape progress can be found at http://sketchboston.tumblr.com/. I likely will not be posting much about this project on this blog because it has its own blog because it really has its own thing going, so be sure to visit Project T Scapes!
Here is a preview: My first stop was the southern end on the E branch of the Green Line, Heath Street. I'm going to go in order, working my way up towards the other end of the Green line.
If you are not from Boston, or are not too familiar with the T, here is a helpful map:
As you can see, the Green line has four separate branches-- B, C, D, and E. Where is the A branch? Does anyone know? Does New York have the copyright to the A Train, such as in the classic Duke Ellington tune? If you were to take an A Train from Boston, I assure you it would not be the quickest way to get Harlem.
In any case, there is no A branch of the Green line but it is nonetheless the subway line with the most stops, so I will likely do one branch at a time and alternate each of the Green line branches with other color lines so that there is a nice variety as I go.
Other frequently asked questions that I want to answer are:
Q- What medium will you use?
A- I am using markers on paper for this project because first of all, I love them, but also they are colorful, have minimal drying time, and are highly transportable, which are all qualities that are incredibly important for Project T Scapes.
Q- Are there any rules that you have made for yourself, such as you must be able to see the train in the sketch, you must be able to see the station, it must be the view from the station, it must be the first thing you see when you exit the train, etc.?
A- Not really. I just go to each stop and see what holds the most visual interest for me. For stops I have never been to, I need to spend more time taking in my surroundings, but I already have ideas for stations I visit regularly. I really want to capture something unique about each station because each neighborhood has a distinct character.
Q- How long will this take?
A- Well, there are 121 stops by my count and each sketch takes at least 30 minutes so at least 60 hours plus transit time. It will be a long term project. I hope to finish by the end of August but if it takes longer, I will not be too concerned.
And I leave you with "Take the A Train" because it is a great song and it is stuck in my head now.
UPDATE:
I learned what happened to the A Branch of the Green Line! It used to cross the Charles River and run north to Watertown but they closed it in 1969 and eventually replaced it with bus routes.
I recently acquired some fancy art markers. These aren't your average Crayola things, they are the highest quality, most fun markers I have ever touched. Nothing against Crayola of course, some of my greatest childhood masterpieces are done in Crayola. But these new markers? They are so smooth and vibrant. I love them.
The winter is the slow season at the USS Constitution Museum, so while I was at the front desk waiting for visitors to arrive, I drew a sea monster lurking beneath a ship. My co-workers can verify: I draw a lot of sea monsters when I am at the front desk. Then I sketched a half-hour glass, which is an artifact from our collection. They kept time on early US Navy ships using these half-hour glasses. A watch lasted 4 hours and they would ring a bell to signal when each half-hour had passed.
The markers accompanied me to the MFA, where I did a cartoon copy of a Dutch Renaissance painting. I chose this painting because the woman looked incredibly grumpy and it made me think about how uncomfortable it must have been to pose for hours for a painting, wearing your best giant, frilly collar. I was also drawn to all the ornate frames, so I threw some of those in too.
And finally, in search of fresh ideas, I posed on facebook a request for things to draw. One friend suggested an angry lemur. Upon googling lemurs, I discovered they look sort of angry naturally, so it made my task easier. Then I got a suggestion to draw the coolest looking planet I could invent, which ended up with quite a lot of swirling masses, like Mars.
I have more plans for these markers. Just you wait!
This painting is the completed version of one of the paintings I posted last week. It was loosely based on the view off of my back porch in JP during a snow storm. When I photographed the unfinished version for that post, it was directly after I had done the painting-equivalent of a rough sketch.
I just realized how many trees I paint. I love trees. They are the most noble and grand of all plants.
I have returned from Miami with some new art supplies and new ideas. I took my watercolors with me, but to be honest, I didn't feel that they were the right medium for Miami. Last Thursday I visited the Wynwood Walls and it was probably one of the coolest places I have ever been-- Completely inspiring!
You can read more about the walls on their website but basically it is an outdoor graffiti mural gallery in one of the artsy neighborhoods. It is also a haven for the elusive hipster population of Miami. The best graffiti artists in the world are represented on these walls and the owners of the surrounding buildings have also commissioned artists to paint murals. The effect is incredible. Art covers every inch of some blocks and every side street you venture onto yields still more fantastic graffiti murals.
Seeing so much artwork had me itching to create something and I happened to pass by an art supply store on my way to catch the Metrorail. The universe clearly wanted me to get myself some new art supplies. I found a small sketchbook on sale and some beautiful, high end markers. The markers were so fancy-schmancy that they were sold individually and therefore buying a whole array of colors would have been out of my budget. I could only afford three colors. I had to choose wisely and I went for yellow, orange, and a teal/blue.
I spent the entire metro ride and subsequent bus ride testing out my new supplies in my new sketchbook. I didn't have any specific theme in mind or any style, I just wanted to put out a LOT of drawings. It reminded me of the thought process I had when I did the New Yorker spot assignment for my Illustration Class. Here are some of the highlights of my drawing adventure:
In case the image above is too small to read, it says,
"MIAMI:
It's full of palm trees!
ALSO FEATURING:
Cuban food, live music,
strip clubs, booze,
tiny lizards everywhere,
cars, fruit, sun,
mosquitoes, and birds."
The creepy mind reader drawing is based on a weird dream I had. Weird is good for you!
And finally, this leafy house plant and a self portrait done without a reference.
I wanted to include some photos I snapped of my favorite graffiti murals.
If you ever find yourself in Miami, definitely go and see them!
Ka-CAW!
(this crow seems to say)
I am working on the paintings from the previous post as well as a cover illustration for a story written by one of my friends. I don't have a day job right now, so art all the time!
