InkTober 2015 - part 4

More InkTober drawings. A few little stories unfolding. Maybe I'll do something with them one day.

You can follow my InkTober drawings daily on my Instagram account. 

 

 

InkTober 2015 - part 3

Next part of my Inktober drawings. Still at it, I can barely believe it!

Some ideas inspire more than one drawing and a mini story. It makes coming up with ideas a tiny bit easier for one day or two.

I find that I have to do more research  and reference sketches, which shows that I still have a lot to learn before drawing from imagination becomes more natural.

In spite of all the work, or maybe because of it, I'm really enjoying this challenge. Maybe I will keep making these at regular intervals (just not every day!) when the Inktober challenge is over.

InkTober 2015 - part 2

Second part of my InkTober drawings. Some ideas just pop into your head and others are much more laboured.

One would think that the more spontaneous ideas are better produced in the end, but that is not necessarily the case at all.

If you want to follow my InkTober drawings daily, you can check out my Instagram account. 

 

InkTober 2015 - part 1

It's that time of the year again! The time when you challenge yourself to make one ink drawing every day during the whole month of October.

And because I'm a bit of a masochist, I decided to commit to an additional obligation: to make one drawing from imagination every day.

I'm taking my motivation from the great Nina Johansson, who has been doing that the whole year already without fail. Truly inspiring.

Here are the first few I did. So far so good. Let's see where imagination takes me next.

If you want to follow my InkTober drawings daily, you can check out my Instagram account. 

You can also check my dedicated album on Flickr which I will be updating regularly to see them all together.

 

 

So there was a garage sale at Knuedler

Last Sunday, Urban Sketchers Luxembourg met at Place Guillaume II in the city centre to participate in this year's last vide-grenier (a sort of garage sale) in our own way, sketching.

It was a great occasion to see the Knuedler in a different light and draw people, unusual objects or just the whole place.

Our group of regulars was joined by Marisol, a Canadian sketching enthusiast who has recently arrived to Luxembourg.

Most participants decided to tackle the task of sketching the whole scene, so I just followed the flow and did the best I could.

I love the lion overlooking the place

Unfortunately, as October weather goes, it started to feel a bit chilly after a while, so we took refuge at Kaale Kaffi, always a great place to end the day and have a "sketch-off".

Marisol, Christine, Carlo, Denis and Nancy

Next month, we'll have to find a place indoor. The location is yet to be determined, but the date is already fixed for the 8th November.

Holiday in Portugal - Urban Sketchers in Lisbon

On my last day in Lisbon, I met with a few Urban Sketchers from the area.

I was in contact with Rita Caré, who organized a meeting of Urban Sketchers Portugal at Museu do Carmo in the afternoon with whoever showed up to sketch.

She was also kind enough to forward my contact to all the members, asking if people would have time to meet me during my stay in Lisbon.

That is how I met Teresa Ruivo, with whom I spent the morning of that day sketching around Praça do Comércio / Terreiro do Paço.

Teresa sketching the other side of this view

We then sat at Café Martinho da Arcada, which has a lovely terrace under some of the many arcades of Praça do Comércio.

The waiters were very nice, too

Teresa then took me to Mercado da Ribeira, where we sketched some of the stalls and I then went for lunch at the adjacent food court. Teresa told me that the market has been revived thanks to this food court which attracts a lot of people. It was indeed a great place to have lunch, with a great variety of food to choose from.

Yummie fruit just begging to be eaten

In the afternoon, I headed to Museu do Carmo, but as I was still a bit early, I sat down to make a quick sketch of Largo de Camões.

Largo de Camões is one of my favourite places in Lisbon

I had never been to Museu do Carmo before, so it was a really lovely surprise to discover this old church with its amazing blue sky for a roof.

I was told that the roof fell during the earthquake of 1755 and was never rebuilt. Today it is used as an archaeological museum and popular meeting place for Urban Sketchers.

Every church should have a blue sky for a roof

Before leaving, we sat to do some sketching behind the museum. I loved this facade full of azulejos. So typical of Lisbon.

Three different types of azulejos on this facade

I spent great moments with these lovely people and can't thank them enough for their kindness and availability. My only regret is that I didn't get to sketch any of them. Next time.

It was time to go back home to reality and finish my Portuguese adventures of 2015 with a plane sketch, how else?

Too much time for hatching...

Holiday in Portugal - Lisboa again

Of all the cities I have visited so far, Lisbon is probably my favourite. So much so that I ayways try to take a few days from my holiday in Portugal to spend there.

Every year, I tell myself that I should at least try Porto for a change, but every time I end up in Lisbon. I'm probably missing out on Porto, but I can't help it. Maybe next year.

I am starting to have my habits in Lisbon. I usually stay at the same place, have breakfast at Balcão do Marquês down the street...

This place has a great selection of pastries and is always busy

 ...and one last dinner at the Great American Disaster (I know, not very Portuguese, but the place is so sketchable).

It's like being in an episode of "Happy Days"

This time, however, I got a few unexpected surprises. First I met my cousin Samuel, which never happens, and he took me to an abandoned restaurant from where you have an amazing view over the city. The place itself would merit a whole sketching afternoon, but the view is indeed special.

You have a breathtaking panoramic view over the city from here

One day I spent exploring the Alfama, following an alternative route I found on the internet, which started at Miradouro das Portas do Sol and continued through the narrow streets of this very iconic neighbourhood.

Too many details to get lost in, haha

Alfama is like a group of villages in the middle of the city. You can hear life unfolding all around you. People calling each other for lunch, children playing, music on the radio, laundry hanging on the balconies, dogs barking, etc.

I loved all the antennae in this place

As I was sketching on Rua Norberto de Araújo, I was approached by a Bulgarian tv crew filming a documentary on Lisbon who asked me if they could film me. I guess I looked photogenic sitting on my stool, eating my pear and happily sketching away. And I thought "After appearing on Australian TV for a documentary on Strasbourg, why not appear on one about Lisbon for Bulgarian TV?"

Soon I will have a cameo in documentaries all over the world

My sketching trip through Alfama ended at a restaurant called Pateo 13, a place I had heard of recently but didn't think I would actually find. At Pateo 13 you can have the best grilled sardines in Lisbon, seated at tables in the middle of the street. It feels like being at a village fair, the atmosphere is great and the waiters very friendly. Definitely worth it and a great way to finish the day.

The waiters were very surprised that I was Portuguese :D

Lisbon never disappoints.

My room was on the third floor