the coffee stained blog

Here are the drawings from my first sketch crawl. I'm still getting use to the water colors (I have never been very good at watercolor painting) and I think I improved over time. I had a great time drawing in Stowe as it's a big tourist area and I had quite a few people stop and talk to me about my sketching and the idea of Urban Sketching. It was so much fun. I'm hoping to get some more in next week maybe Burlington next Saturday. I'm happy to say I'm becoming addicted to the Urban Sketch!! Town Hall - Stowe, Vermont

Since I haven't blogged in some time, I've decided to be more serious about it. I also am determined to become an Urban Sketcher... what is that you ask? Urban sketchers are artists that document the world around them by traveling through cities, towns and their own neighborhoods and sketching and drawing their urban landscape into journals and sketchbooks. The key to being a good Urban Sketcher seems to be all about having a good eye and a nice supply of easily transported artist tools. So here is my new Urban Sketcher tool kit (as seen above) 1 hand bound sketchbook made from Arches 90lb. Cold press watercolor paper (approx. 8" by 6") 1 Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box - 12 half pan watercolor kit 1 Travel Size 2 watercolor brush 3 Pigma Micron Waterproof ink pens - Black Sizes 05, 02, 01 1 Pentel 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil (no sharpening required) Extra Pentel 2H lead 1 Knead Eraser 1 Small portable plastic palate cup (for water) 1 Can