Plein Air Studio-Historic San Marco
&
Casual Sketch Crawl. Participants can choose any subject matter they would like to sketch within the historic San Marco area. Meet at the San Marco Pavilion on San Marco Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32207
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Click here to register: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=cssvm
if you have any questions, please contact lane@flclassicist.org.
Suggested Material and Supply List- for Saturday's sketching event, you will only need what's underlined and bold:
1. Sketch book.
Size and binding of your choice. Some like the hard bound spine and others like Spiral bound spine. I prefer a spiral bound so I can flip the pages back for easier handling.
2. Pencils.
There are a huge selection of styles, lead densities, etc. some may prefer a lead holder others a wooden shaft pencil while others prefer a mechanical pencil. Which ever you prefer is fine but a range of lead densities is suggested from extremely hard lead such as an 8H to a soft Lead 9B. Harder leads are nice for layout and under drawing. I prefer an 8H wooden pencil for under drawing and HB or B for final sketch. Remember if you prefer a wood shaft pencil, you’ll need a small manual pencil sharpener.
3. Pens.
Again, everyone has their favorite for pen and ink drawing. Some like Sharpie, others like Micron. I’ve used just about all of them and my favorite is the Copic SP liner.They have a great feel and the nibs and ink are replaceable which means you don’t have to buy a new $3.00 pen each time one goes bad. Sharpies have a great feel also but if you wanting an ink that holds up over time I’d suggest something other than sharpie. Sharpie ink will bleed over time. Great for writing your child’s name in their underwear for summer camp.... Not so great for long term artistic drawings.
- Colored Pencils.
It probably isn’t necessary to have the full 120 piece prisma color set when most of the colors in a basic set can be mixed on the page for any desired color you want. I’d find your favorites and leave the extras behind.
-Watercolor Pencils.
Watercolor pencils are an excellent tool for sketching. They are great for applying color in a watercolor style with out the frustrations of watercolor paints and they are a perfect medium for transporting to different sketch locations.
-Watercolors.
There are a plenty of options for plein air watercolor kits.You can buy a small travel palette and fill it with your favorite brand of paint or pick up a specified field sketching set such as the one made by Sakura Koi. http://www.dickblick.com/products/sakura-koi-watercolor-sketch-box-sets/
4. Eraser.
Any eraser of your preference is fine. I love the Magic Rub eraser and I also like the eraser holder style which is similar to a lead holder but it’s an eraser. I like my eraser to be white. After age the pink erasers seem to go bad and can spoil a drawing by leaving stains behind.
- Page Clip.
A page clip comes in handy on days there is a breeze. One way to kill artistic momentum is fighting a page that wants to keep blowing back into your drawing. Chip clips are good for this purpose as well but if the clip has teeth I’d sand those down so you don’t have chip clip teeth marks on your drawing.
-Carrying Case.
Depending on what gear you have will depend on what you’ll want to carry it all in. I’m a believer in small. Something I can get in and get out with. I have a small 6x9 carrying case which is my primary sketch set up and then I have a back pack that I can put additional materials in such as watercolor blocks and paints.
-Digital Camera.
Though most of what you want to do is sketch on premises, sometimes the sketch doesn’t get done in the allotted time or the rain comes before you finish up. I’ve found that a camera phone or digital camera comes in handy for not only those circumstances but also to see how the original shadow casting was that you saw when you started the sketch. Sketches sometimes have to be completed off premise.Your camera is your friend.
5. Chair.
Lets be honest, if you're not comfortable, you're not going to enjoy it and most likely your drawing will reflect that. I’m a huge proponent of finding somewhere comfortable first, then finding a subject matter to draw within view of my comfort zone. Find a comfortable travel chair or stool and always remember to bring it. I like the hammock style lawn chairs.They fold for easy travel and seem to be perfect for how I draw.
-Umbrella
Umbrella’s are also great to have if the sketch location isn't shaded or sheltered. Not only does the sun make for a warmer, sometimes uncomfortable sketching experience, the glare from a bright white sketch page is sometimes a major distraction and hard on the eyes. http://www.bestbrella.com
-View Finder.
View finders are a great tool and there are multitudes of styles and variations. Everything from grids to slide windows.You can find them online relativly easy. http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/perspective-tools.htm