Random Thoughts…

These are spreads that either have been produced over a series of days with really no point to them or at the time of initial production, I didn't think they were up to snuff to the other spreads that I've posted… but upon review after many days, I've changed my mind about them.

Sketchbook 17/07/09

A high of 20°C, chance of a thunderstorm and an 86% humidity index.

Sketchbook 16/07/09

Sketchbook 15/07/09

Sketchbook 12/07/09

This was a grage that faced the Trinity Bellwoods park. So old and falling apart, I wanted to capture it, but the somehow it got lost in translation when i was drawing it.

Also I wanted to capture some other garages as well but I misjudged the scale of my drawing right form the get go. Will have to work on visualizing the finished drawing on future images.

Sketchbook 11/07/09

While sketching this two images, there seemed to be a gaggle of wedding parties jockeying to get to the prime wedding photo locales.

Sketchbook-- back and forth

Here's a drawing I completed over two separate days. I really couldn't figure out how to draw the canopy when I initially drew the trunk. So, I let it stew over the weekend and came back to it today.

Sketchbook 3-5/07/09

I was house sitting for my sister and her husband over the weekend and it was an opportunity for me to experince a bit of suburbia. They live in a town called, Milton which is about a 40 minute drive from my place. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don't have a car, so Adam had to pick me up from the most westerly subway stop on the Bloor line. The image above is the exit to the "kiss and ride" pickup spot.


The backyard to Adam and Zerlina's place. The sun was strong and I really liked the shadow that the planter cast on the fence.





This was a drawing I did before the weekend in a coffee shop. I witnessed the sky turn from a brilliant blue to stormy shades of gray. Quite amazing

Sketchbook 30/06/09

Finishing strong on the last day of June. I'll definitely be returning to this small farmers market in the future to do a bit more sketching.

Sketchbook 29/06/09

Another coffee shop I sketched while waiting for aikido class. I think I subconsciously time it so I don't finish the sketch... don't know why this is, but any arm chair shrinks out there willing to give it a go?

Sketchbook 29/06/09

I happened upon a brilliant photographer who takes a lot of portraits of homeless people. Here's his site. It gives me the opportunity to practice my portrait skills and this spread was an attempt at that. The addition of the circles and letters were nonsensical additions that just seemed appropriate for the spread.

Sketchbook 24/06/09

Today was a blister. Apparently with humidity factored in, it reached 37 degrees centigrade. So I hunkered down in a place that would offer a bit of shade and as it happens it was the Music Gallery, a place I've sketched often and which had a covered arcade to sit under while drawing this. However, I didn't get a chance to finish it because I had to rush to aikido class.

Sketchbook 22/06/09

Waiting for aikido class again and I thought I'd sketch the other side of the St. George the Martyr Church that I had sketched earlier here. This is the entrance to the tower that sits on the west side of the church courtyard.

Sketchbook-- 19/06/09

It's been while since I posted. I've been neck deep in a graphic gig that has kept me away from my sketching and today was the first day i had in about a week and a half to get out and get some serious sketch time in. Ironically I went indoors to the Royal Ontario Museum to sketch some Samurai helmets. I've been eying these guys for a while and fortunately the foot traffic wasn't too bad.
As I was sitting there, I saw so many people just zoom by with their cameras, clicking away from one display case to another, not really paying attention to what they were shooting. Just found that funny.

Sketchbook 08/06/09

Another coffee shop image. It's quite ironic that I'm not a big fan of coffee but I find these situations the easiest places for me to sketch. Must be the caffeine addiction.

So enjoy and I'll be back with another sketch tomorrow (hopefully).

Sketchbook 06/06/09-- Int'l Drawing Day

It's International Drawing Dayand I wanted to contribute to this cause.
I was walking around the hood and discovered a walkway down to the lakeshore... SCORE! However, not much interest going along the water's edge, so I looked inward to see this VW camper van. Originally the tent/sleeping roof was raised which made me want to sketch it, however, the owner, I guess, didn't want his van to be sketched so he lowered it and made it into a plain jane looking van.

Sketchbook 05/06/09

After a long day helping my grandmother rip up her front yard, I really had little energy left for a sketch. However, it seems that these sketches I've been doing for the last few days have gained a momentum and I didn't want to disrupt this energy. So this is a scene from my window looking onto Dundas St. West. The fast approaching sunset and my window frame were devices I used to focus my attention to the most important aspects of this scene...and I liked how it turned out.

Sketchbook 04/06/09

A quick sketch by my standards. I tried capturing the feeling of sketching from a space that was dark that looked out into a light area. Not too sure if I captured that light transition. I'll have to sleep on it and get back to the verdict in the morrow.

Sketchbook 03/06/09

This is the courtyard to the St. George , The Martyr Church. It's a little gem of a space right in the middle of the concrete jungle known as Toronto downtown core. There are two walls that are behind this image's vantage point that enclose this space and make it a great little hind away for lunches.... Apparently a few people thought that as well and left before I got to sketching them.

Sketchbook 03/06/09

Sketchbook 01/06/09

Trying to pare down the amount of marks I'm putting on a sketch. Feels kinda naked to me now that I'm seeing the scanned image. Ohhh, well...The learning continues.

Sketchbook 31/05/09

Got over enthused about drawing the "Moon Bean Cafe" name and switched the bean and cafe around... oppps.


Despite my brief knock on chain coffee shops, they usually do offer prime locations for sketching. This one is done on the Starbucks patio at the corner of College and St. George looking at the main south entrance to the University of Toronto, my alma mater. The building in the upper left corner is the Koefler Centre and houses the book store and various councilling services.

Sketchbook 29/05/09

My sister invited me down to her place for dinner and fortunately she's right by the waterfront. This means I got to do some sketching before heading to her place for some grub.

Sketchbook 27/05/09

It's amazing what you hear when you sketch your subjects so close to them. For example, the gentleman's name on the right is, Michael. He incidentally, was the same gentleman I sketched on May 9th in another Starbucks across town... weird how small this world is.

The woman, is a doctor who had a rough shift and slept in a back room, on a tarp that she laid out, and couldn't remember how long she was out for.

Sketchbook 26/05/09

With the cafe market being dominanted by the coffee chains like Starbucks, second cup, Tim Hortons and co., it's quite refreshing (and welcome) to sit in an independently run one with a bit more character and design that doesn't come straight from a kit.

Fortunately, I live in the heart of little Portugal, so there's quite a few mom and pop coffee shops, with tons of character and tastier treats that won't break the bank.

Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to finish the left side of this image because a bunch of business types came in and took over that area and kept on moving about… next time.

Sketchbook 24/05/09

Students make great models. Studying hard and sitting still in the process. Who could ask for anything more.

Sketchbook 23/05/09

Another beautiful day in Toronto prompted me to sketch this building. It's in a part of town and a stretch of street that's slowly being gentrified. Compared to its neighbouring buildings, a typical high end condo and a few cafes, it screams character. Who could resist not sketching it? I also just noticed the sign its neighbour has: "Remnants"… quite fitting.

Sketchbook 22/05/09

Beautiful day today so I thought i'd walk down to the waterfront and do a bit of sketching.

Sketchbook 19/05/09

I've seen a few drawings finished in moving cars and the end result was always with a smooth line. How is this possible? During my ride up to Montreal I did a drawing but as you could see there was not one smooth line...mysterious.

Sketchbook 11/05/09

This is the first sketchbook I've completed with the intention of actually finishing by sketching in it on a regular basis. Seems like a monumental task when I first started and that view hasn't changed. However, I've learned a lot about how I think and perceive things and hopefully book 2 will take a shorter time to fill.

Sketchbook 09/05/09

The image on the left was unfinished because the coffee shop was closing up for the day. Note to self: more drawing, less coffee.

Sketchbook 03/05/09

Photoshop play

This was supposed to be my submission for the last Illustration Friday theme of Impossibility, but I was a bit tardy and decided to colour it in photoshop since I was already late. So here it is. Not too sure if I like using photoshop for colouring. It probably took longer to do it this way than doing it by hand.

Sketchbook

Sketchbook

I've been in a sketching funk lately. I've been forcing myself to sketch everyday to try to break through this wall... Sketching in my smaller book seems to help. I think one part of it was the pressure to fill an entire spread with "quality" images in my larger sketchbook. The battle continues.

EDM #219 challenge -- window(s)

Decided to go to the University of Toronto campus to sketch a few windows.
It was also my first attempt using my pentel waterbrush. Quite challenging regulating the flow of water. Just means I'll have to use it more.