jiveatfive

This was my first contact with urbansketchers and sketchcrawlers. I just found out the day before and could join the group just for a couple of hours. Friendly people, gifted artists, I felt welcome although I'm not a pro, just a guy that from time to time loves to sketch (and sometimes during boring meetings at work).
My modest attempts:

25th crawl through the museum and park

I had a jolly time out in the brisk chilly sun. Was great to see familiar faces from last time, but new ones as well. Unfortunately, I haven't ventured into color yet... but at least I got rid of those damn lines in my sketchbook so my images won't sting your eyes this time! :)

From the natural science museum...

The gnu roared at me from its glass cage.

The skeleton raised its head and greeted me... but I chopped it off.

From the Parc de la Ciutadella...

The newly gilded fountain, fresh with mysteriously-green water

Boats, ducks, children... and a sinister French grandmother.

25th Barcelona's Sketch Crawl by Lapin

nice to meet you during this sketchcrawl! see you for the next one.

25th Barcelona's Sketch Crawl by Swasky

Here there are, all the drawings I have done yesterday with the Barcelona's Sketchcrawl gang.


I started a new sketchbook. My feelings were not so good, because ink spreads and you must pay attention. But "Again On Train" series go ahead and some people along my trip to Barcelona has been sketched.

I arrived 20 minutes before 11, but I was in the wrong place. Usually Mr. Eclecticbox is very punctual so it was a bit strange. Anyway, I started warming up with an sculpture that you could find in front Geological Museum.

I suggest get into the Museum of Natural Sciences and drawing the collection. I decided sketch a general view and a Tibetan Stump-tailed Macaco. Afterwards we went to Ciutadella Fountain. Some of the gang left, Jordi and her daugther Teresa, and Aurelie, a Jason's friend, and Carmen, a friend of mine, joined us.


My first coloured sketch make crystal clear that my new sektchbook does not fit to use watercolour, so I decided to use my colour pencils.

Then I went to the Ciutadella's pond. People with boats and ducks swiming pacefully. Lapin joined us. It was lunch time, Carmen and I ate our "bocadillos" and chat for a while with Lapin about drawing and the Sketchcrawl as a very good initiative.


My last drawings. Sun was desappearing and it was cooler. Lapin, Eclecticbox and Aurelie went have a drink and Carmen and I left. It has been a great time share with all of you. Thank you.

24th Sketchcrawl - BCN

Had a lovely time meandering about Barceloneta.

First stop: To the beach to observe old people and young guiris tanning.

Then: The market/open square to watch people shop and kids playing.

And after: Tapas in a restaurant where the waiter insisted the seafood was good.

Finally: Sitting on the steps along the main avenue listening to silly songs from street musicians.

See the full set of sketches on my Flickr.

24th Sketchcrawl - 19 Sept 2009

I participated 24th World Wide SketchCrawl event with several other sketchers on September the 19th. We went to Barceloneta in Barcelona. There is a beach and a port there. This was my second sketchcrawl and wandering in the district and trying to park my bike took more time than drawing (sometimes I think it would just be faster to walk!). I didn't get there until lunchtime but most of other members worked from the morning and they made so many fine sketches while I was running around, stuck on the metro! EVENTUALLY I found the crew, and as usual, I have been totally awe-struck and amazed by the work I'm seeing from the other artists. It's really inspiring.

SO here's what I got up to yesterday:

This is where we had lunch, in La Plaça de Barceloneta.

www.madeinbarcelona.com a very groovy band we watched playing in the port. Reggae/funk with funny lyrics (in Spanish! Thx for the translation Cesar).

24th SketchCrawl

We had lovely weather and picked the best area in the city to get the best feeling of the end of the summer, ¨La Barceloneta¨. 
Built in 1753, with its original intended purpose to host fishermen and sailors who had been dislodged from the Ciutadella in Ribera quarter. Nowadays it keeps the same flavour that must have had back in the days, although all the fishermen activity has been replaced by the one generated by tons of tourists looking forward to get their overdose of sun, sangria and tapas and from the Barcelona citizens that want to enjoy the beach in their city.

This 24th SketchCrawl has been the largest in participation so far (9 people all together), although some of us missed Barcelona's pioneer SketchCrawler Dave. People was coming and leaving at all times and made the day quite busy in that sense, however most of us met at 11am and headed towards the beach for the first sketch.
Once everybody was sitting in the sand I though it'd be a nice idea to draw them all together (I'm sorry I don't remember everybody's name so I choose to not mention anybody... you know who you are!)

I think that some of us got our eyes on a group of trendy guys sunbathing and looking at the sea.

The sun was getting strong so we left towards the ¨Plaça de la Font¨ that helds the Barceloneta market. While some SketchCrawlers went into the market I decided to sit down in a terrace and capture a view of the square with some of the locals enjoying fishfood tapas. After a while the fellow Crawlers joined me on the table!

With hunger creeping up from our stomachs, we left from one square to another, this time to ¨La Plaça de la Barceloneta¨, a cosy square where we found place to sit and eat some tapas. With nice food in our bellies some of us had the strength to carry on drawing without leaving the table. I pushed myself to draw the front of Sant Miquel del Port church (I need to work on those irregular lines)

We were 3 of us left after lunch so we left the square looking for something else to sketch and some late afternoon sun... we found the perfect subject between 2 palm trees and Barcelona's leisure port as their backdrop: ¨Made in Barcelona¨ a salsa/latin street band with cheeky lyrics, funny choreography and good sound (saxophonist and percussionist are missing on my sketch as they were behind the rest of the band)

Left alone I still had one sketch to do.

Tired but happy with the day's experience I left La Barceloneta with the sound of the band saying good bye. Thanks to everybody for coming and making the day so much fun and interesting.