Books that Inspire…

A very quick sketch across the highway from a busy parking lot, inspired by David Gentleman’s London, You’re Beautiful.

Our local diner, sketched FAST, using a Lamy Joy calligraphy pen for an interesting line effect…this sketch inspired me to suggest an urban sketching scavenger hunt on our Urban Sketchers Midwest blog, HERE.  Join us!

I just finished reading David Gentleman’s London, You’re Beautiful; An Artist’s Year and had to share it with you…it was so inspiring my sketchbook shows the results of my explorations, above.

Gentleman, now in his 80s, took an entire year in 2011-2012 to explore his home city, walking and standing to sketch in all kinds of weather, all kinds of subjects and locales.  Parks, slums, people, animals, the burned-out ruins of the 2011 riots, busy markets, quiet quays, famous buildings and places only a local would know–he visited and sketched them all.

You can search inside the book to see what I mean, HERE.

As a teacher of quick sketching techniques, I was particularly inspired by this book–looser and freer than his previous works, it was a perfect example of working fast in an urban setting–I used some of his ideas above.  It makes you itch to get out and discover the nooks and crannies of your OWN home town.

I’ve always been taken by his combination of minimal linework and soft washes–this book talks about what he does and why, and shows a stunning variety.

I’ve added several of Gentleman’s publications that most closely fit our manifesto to our catalog–but for SURE don’t miss London, You’re Beautiful. Just click the “books we like” tab at the top of the page and poke around.  If Santa doesn’t bring what you wanted most, treat yourself to this one–I’m glad I did.

(And remember, for every purchase you make through our page, the Urban Sketchers organization gets a small percentage we use for our educational programs and symposia.)