Stephanie Bower


Stephanie Bower | Architectural Illustration: www.stephaniebower.com | Sketching Workshops: www.stephaniebower.com | Sketches: on Instagram at @stephanieabower & http://www.flickr.com/photos/83075812@N07/ | Urban Sketchers Blog Correspondent www.urbansketchers.org | Signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Block out and Color...

This morning's sketch with the Seattle Urban Sketchers at the Starbucks Roastery and Tasting Room.

This is the initial blocking out of the sketch--can you guess what vertical corner I drew first?



And this is the completed pencil and watercolor sketch. I think at least half of the pencil work
ended up on the back of my hand, so it all got a little too gray!  Got very dark in the space too, so while I painted 90% at this spot, I did take it outside near a window to add the last bits...while I sipped a green tea latte next to Sunil's talented family of sketchers!

Click on this image to see it larger!

And in case anyone is reading this post, my workshop "Soaring Spaces" 
was selected for the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Manchester this July...hooray!! I am happy and honored...

12 comments:

  1. Congrats! I just found you on your Craftsy class and I love your tips. I also love that you're in Seattle and I'm looking forward to taking one of your classes in person. Then maybe I'll be brave enough to try an urban sketching session. Sketching on site internationally sounds exciting and rewarding - I love to travel and it would be fun to mesh the two.....I'll dream of a "someday"!

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    1. Hi Terrie,
      Thanks so much for taking the Craftsy course! I am also teaching workshops here in Seattle starting in March, you can email me for more information at stbower@comcast.net
      They are filling now! And yes, I have dreamed about doing this travel and drawing for my entire life, I cannot believe I actually get to do it at long last! I hope you will get to do this some day too--my advice is don't wait, come to Urban Sketchers and get started!! :)

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  2. I am reading and it will be wonderful to see you again soon!!

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    1. HA! That's funny, and THANK YOU, Shari, for reading and commenting! It will indeed be fun to see you this summer, very inspiring and fun to read your daily posts!

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  3. Stephanie, how lovely!! I love the beauty of your pencils with water colors. What sketchbook did you use for this? I love to see pencil lines!!

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    1. Hi Shirley, this sketchbook is the Pentalic Aqua Journal, my favorite for painting, size 5" x 8". And my pencil (even though you didn't ask about it :) is a mechanical pencil, size .5 with 2B lead...I think I need to switch to B lead, as most of the lovely pencil lines ended up on the back of my hand in a big smear!
      Thanks so much for your comment, and for viewing my blog...I'm never quite sure anyone reads it, so I appreciate it!

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    2. Oh thank you! Stephanie, do you have a previous post sharing your sketching tools. I would love that! I bought a lamy mechanical pencil recently but I think the lead is hb which seems too hard??

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    3. HI Shirley, that is a great idea! I will do it, thank you! I do have lots of the supplies I use on my Craftsy class online as well. Your Lamy pencil sounds great, they make lovely drawing tools...I also sometimes use HB lead, but try a bit of B or 2B lead to see how that feels on the paper you use. Thanks so much for your comment and suggestion for a post!

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  4. Hi Stephanie ! I quote you ".I'm never quite sure anyone reads it" . Be assured that I check your blog everyday for new posts as I love seing your sketchings and reading your posts; so I am every day hoping for a new one! So even though I rarely comment because it's hard for me to express myself in english, you can count me as a daily viewer !!

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    1. Hi Marie-Cath, This is so lovely to get these comments, as I really don't know if people look at or read this blog much, so thank you!! You are inspiring me to be better about posting :) I promise to do more, show more about how I create these sketches too...it is my New Year's resolution!!!! Thank you so very very much, for reading the blog :) and for taking the time to post this message~~I really appreciate it so much!

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  5. Great sketch, Stephanie!! I always love reading about your process and seeing your sketches.

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    1. Thank you, Joan! I only now see your message...thank you so much, I really appreciate all the comments you leave!

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