Old Post Office Pavilion

Long time no see! I finally made it out to the 42nd World Wide SketchCrawl at the Old Post Office Pavilion, and am posting my sketch from the tower, along with a photo of my view for comparison. I used an indigo blue colored pencil for this sketch instead of my normal pen and ink because I thought it fit with the overcast cold feeling of the day. It was really cold up there, so I did not get to finish the sketch, but did manage to fill in the Capitol building and some of the rooftops along the street.

Old Post Office

 

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A group from France came by for a tour of the Tower. I got a quick sketch of two women waiting for the elevator.

 

View from the Tower. Not a direct representation. I combined different views into one composition. It was cold. 

The Old Post Office Pavilion

During the 42nd World Wide SketchCrawl we went to this fantastic old building which is currently almost abandoned with just few offices and small food vendors businesses. This building have a lot of details from an era gone by which illustrated the admiration to renaissance style of architecture as well as the mix of other eclectic details. The building is do for renovation/restoration/part demolition starting this March. The building will be converted into a luxury hotel own by Donald Trump. I focused of a part of the main lobby entrance which has exquisite architectural details and it is partly used for storage. It took me 2.25 hrs, I used black ink on white paper.

Old Post Office

For the 42nd World Wide Sketchcrawl, the D.C. sketchers met at the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue, because it has a nice atrium where we could sketch out of the elements. I happened to be in the neighborhood last week, when it was a little warmer, so I went ahead and did a sketch of the exterior that day, since I knew it would be colder today.

In front of the building is a statue of Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster General. Inside there is an atrium with a food court and shopping, and an observation tower that gives a nice view of the District.

We had a few new people this time, as well as some familiar faces. It's always good to get a chance to see other sketchers.

Cafe Life in Downtown Silver Spring

Washington, DC is a geographic square turned on a 45-degree angle, and sitting just atop its northern point is downtown Silver Spring. A mix of urban and suburbia, the local cafes are filled with the laptop-set, plugging away at Facebook, email, spreadsheets, school reports, and whatever social media they are hoping to start up and get rich off of. Caribou Coffee and Starbucks are the dominant chains, but lately, smaller indie cafes are getting in on the action. I did these at the Caribou one day, and like the buildings I often sketch in Washington, DC, the people transfixed to their laptops, caught up in the hyper-information flow that is Washington, DC, don't move much and make for great sketchbook fodder.

Obama's 2nd Presidential Inauguration 44th President of the U.S.A.

Well I thought that I lost this sketch and I looked for it for almost over a year and few days ago I found it!  I did this sketch during a very cold January morning right in the middle of the action! It was a great event and a celebration of democracy. Yes! there were NO cars and the city was a pedestrian/bicycle civilized place during that day which made it even more democratic! It took me 2.5 hrs and I used black ink on white paper.

Smithsonian at Sunset

The Smithsonian Castle

Arts and Industries Building

The Smithsonian at sunset.  I had to work quickly because the light was changing fast.

McMillan Sand Filtration Site

Talks have been going on since 2008 about developing the area between North Capitol Street and Michigan Avenue.

City Paper

Facts

Marrakech and the Random Buildings of Washington, DC

This is the Marrakech restaurant, located in the trendy DuPont Circle neighborhood here in Washington, DC. It's a unique building, and looks nothing like the buildings next to it, which look nothing like the buildings surrounding them. Outside of the granite-columned federal government buildings such as the Capital or the White House, Washington's architecture is best described as a truly wonderful assortment of random aesthetics.

This sketch was done with Sakura Pigma Micron pens and an assortment of Pantone Tria and Prismacolor Design markers into a 4" x 6" hardcover sketchbook. It was fully pre-sketched in pencil and inked onsite, as was 95% of the coloring. Thankfully, the whole process was pretty much undisturbed; no surrounding police activity, no delivery people dropping and spilling a keg of beer in front of me, no being questioned by a federal agent, and no being surrounded by homeless people looking to collect change because they're sitting next to an artist (yes; all of this has happened to me while sketching in Washington, DC!)

Galata Morente

I'll add my Gaul too...

Ricardo pointed out to our sketchcrawl FB group that The Dying Gaul was on temporary loan to the NGA, and gathered a bunch of us to go sketch it.  While the crowd around the sculpture was deep, everyone found a decent unobstructed view or two to draw from. My only regret is that I didn't truly represent his wicked mustache and mullet.

It is pretty interesting how unaware people can be of themselves as the step directly in front of another person looking at the same artwork.  I don't mean just those of us sketching (though I will admit it didn't help) but people who will stand so close to the sculpture itself that the 30 visitors behind them can't see a thing. Whatever. At least no one knocked him over...

THE DYING GAUL

The Dying Gaul, Roman sculpture 1st or 2nd C.E. This masterpiece from the Capitoline Museum in Rome is here in Washington DC National Gallery of Art from Oct 15, 2013 - Jan 26,2014. The Dying Gaul was found in Rome during excavations of the Villa Ludovisi in 1621. This sculpture depicts a warrior in his final moments, his face contorted in pain just before he collapses from the mortal wound to his chest. As an image of a vanquished enemy, the sculpture embodies courage in defeat, self-possession in the face of death, and the recognition of nobility in an alien race. The Dying Gaul is a deeply moving celebration of the human spirit. It took me 3 hrs and I used black ink on white paper.

2014 Urban Sketchers Symposium

You can now find more information about the Symposium and subscribe to the mailing list at paraty2014.urbansketchers.org. I'm jealous of anyone who makes it to Paraty, Aug. 27-30, 2014!