Careful not to sleep in the bus when I'm around !
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| Peaceful sleeper |
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| Very dapper sleeper |
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Portraits without mercy
I have been added to this fun blog called "Portraits without mercy".
Basically it's about sharing drawings or sketches that "show a complete lack of kindness or affection towards the portrayed subject".
Which can happen both voluntarily or, let's be honest, in my case mostly involuntarily.
Although I have to admit that I can sometimes tend to be a bit mean in some of my drawings.
Basically it's about sharing drawings or sketches that "show a complete lack of kindness or affection towards the portrayed subject".
Which can happen both voluntarily or, let's be honest, in my case mostly involuntarily.
Although I have to admit that I can sometimes tend to be a bit mean in some of my drawings.
Anyway, here's a link to my first contribution to the blog.
Friday, 11 October 2013
While sketching the ARBED palace
The ARBED palace is one of my favourite buildings in the city.
The other day I decided to try and sketch just a detail of the building. I didn't have time for more and, quite frankly, I am still a bit daunted by the idea of sketching the whole building.
A nice bus driver who was about to park the bus right in front of me decided to reverse and offered me a clear view on my subject, allowing me to sketch to my heart's content.
A nice bus driver who was about to park the bus right in front of me decided to reverse and offered me a clear view on my subject, allowing me to sketch to my heart's content.
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| Detail of the ARBED palace |
The palace was built in 1922 and used to be the headquarters of ARBED steel and iron company (Acieries Réunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange), which later became Arcelor and then ArcelorMittal.
ArcelorMittal decided to close the headquartes last year and there has since been a lot of speculation as to the future of the building. It was suggested that ArcelorMittal should sell it to the Luxembourg state for a symbolic EUR 1, but I'm not sure if that actually went through.
In any case, it is a protected building, for which I am glad.
For my part, I think it would make a perfect national gallery of Luxembourgish art. We don't have anything like that, only museums of contemporary art and such, which I think is a pity.
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
My (soon-to-be-inhabited) new apartment
My new apartment is finally renovated! I've been waiting so long that it somehow seems unreal.
I've been practising perspective in the meantime.
Lots of mistakes, big and small, but it's been a lot of fun making them.
Can't wait to make new sketches when I'll actually be living there!
Here's my future office. With lots of stuff lying around for the finishing touches.
My kitchen is open and connects with the living room. Again, lots of stuff hanging around.
The living room is quite spacious, specially for one person. I still have to figure out how I will furnish it. I already have a couch and chair, I just need to decide what to do with the TV area.
My bedroom, waiting for my new bed, wardrobe and other elements. It leads to a balcony.
My bathroom, which I didn't have time to colour. But I like it like that.
There's only one room missing: the WC. I didn't have a chance to try it out yet.
I've been practising perspective in the meantime.
Lots of mistakes, big and small, but it's been a lot of fun making them.
Can't wait to make new sketches when I'll actually be living there!
Here's my future office. With lots of stuff lying around for the finishing touches.
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| My future office |
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| View of the kitchen from one end of the living room |
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| View of the living room from the kitchen, with door to the balcony |
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| My bedroom |
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| My bathroom - had no time for colour |
I'll be moving in soon. As I still have to buy quite a few pieces of furniture, I'll be living with lots of boxes for a while.
Will that make me a box lady or something? haha
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
On the merit of waiting rooms
I used to hate being stuck in waiting rooms, specially when waiting for a doctor's appointment.
However, now that I have a sketchbook with me almost at all times, I don't mind them so much anymore.
They have become a great opportunity to sketch.
For example, sketching people is definitely more interesting than reading silly people magazines.
Otherwise, when alone in the room, the outside view can be more alluring. For this sketch, I only had time for the outline. I did the colour at home.
However, now that I have a sketchbook with me almost at all times, I don't mind them so much anymore.
They have become a great opportunity to sketch.
For example, sketching people is definitely more interesting than reading silly people magazines.
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Monday, 23 September 2013
Sketchcrawl in Luxembourg
I've been trying to get 2 of my best friends to come out on a sketchcrawl with me here in Luxembourg. This Saturday we had our second meeting and this time we were 4!
I think we still need to figure out the logistics of such things, for it took us ages to decide where to stay, until we finally arrived on the Vauban trail (around the ancient fortress walls) and, already a bit tired, just sat on some stairs and started drawing.
I wanted to sketch the view of Abbaye Neumünster from there. It's one of the nicest views of the building.
It was fun to talk to the tourists who were visiting that part. I met a nice Pakistani girl and spoke to some Luxembourgish people.
There was one particular older couple who were commenting in Luxembourgish (thinking I wouldn't understand, I suppose) that I knew how to draw. I thanked them in Luxembourgish and was amused when when the man said, very surprised: "And she's Luxembourgish!"
It started alright, but somewhere along the way it started feeling too forced, so I ended up 1) making big mistakes, and 2) not having fun with this particular sketch anymore. I think that particular day I was not in a mood to draw too precisely. I was not focused enough.
So I started on a whole knew approach, with my new Hiro fountain pen, which I discovered at the BCN Symposium (it seemed like all the Asian sketchers had one) and absolutely love. You can't bee too precise with it and it just glides on the page.
This house is one of my favourite on the Vauban trail. I love that its windows are all placed so "randomly". It makes if fun and, along with its pink colour (though not as pink as on my sketch), very cute.
My approach was to draw it as if it was a monster. It's an approach that was taught during the symposium as well. Though I didn't attend that particular workshop and don't actually know what it was precisely about, this expression just stuck with me.
I had a lot of fun drawing like that, without taking too much care of detail and perspective, and I think it shows on the page.
After my second sketch, not knowing what else to sketch and seeing that my companions were still busy with their work, I decided to just sketch them. Tessy and Didier here, I somehow messed up a bit (Didier looks much older than he is and I shouldn't have fiddled with Tessy's nose so much, lol), so we had a lot of laughs thanks to that.
Annick recently got engaged and asked me to draw her engagement ring. So I did this very quick sketch for her.
And, last of my day's production, Annick's idea: sketching our feet and her cigarette stubs.
Finally, here's the commemorative photo of the day: I love to see my friends having fun sketching!
I think we still need to figure out the logistics of such things, for it took us ages to decide where to stay, until we finally arrived on the Vauban trail (around the ancient fortress walls) and, already a bit tired, just sat on some stairs and started drawing.
I wanted to sketch the view of Abbaye Neumünster from there. It's one of the nicest views of the building.
It was fun to talk to the tourists who were visiting that part. I met a nice Pakistani girl and spoke to some Luxembourgish people.
There was one particular older couple who were commenting in Luxembourgish (thinking I wouldn't understand, I suppose) that I knew how to draw. I thanked them in Luxembourgish and was amused when when the man said, very surprised: "And she's Luxembourgish!"
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| Abbaye Neumünster |
So I started on a whole knew approach, with my new Hiro fountain pen, which I discovered at the BCN Symposium (it seemed like all the Asian sketchers had one) and absolutely love. You can't bee too precise with it and it just glides on the page.
This house is one of my favourite on the Vauban trail. I love that its windows are all placed so "randomly". It makes if fun and, along with its pink colour (though not as pink as on my sketch), very cute.
My approach was to draw it as if it was a monster. It's an approach that was taught during the symposium as well. Though I didn't attend that particular workshop and don't actually know what it was precisely about, this expression just stuck with me.
I had a lot of fun drawing like that, without taking too much care of detail and perspective, and I think it shows on the page.
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| House on the Vauban trail |
After my second sketch, not knowing what else to sketch and seeing that my companions were still busy with their work, I decided to just sketch them. Tessy and Didier here, I somehow messed up a bit (Didier looks much older than he is and I shouldn't have fiddled with Tessy's nose so much, lol), so we had a lot of laughs thanks to that.
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| Dider and Tessy, busy sketching |
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| Annick got engaged!!! |
And, last of my day's production, Annick's idea: sketching our feet and her cigarette stubs.
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| Annick's cigarette stubs |
Friday, 13 September 2013
Photomeetings Luxembourg - impressions
Photomeetings Luxembourg has started this week until the 19th.
It is a great occasion to discover the work and hear the insights of well-known photographers.
These last three days I was able to attend conferences held by Roger Ballen, Isabel Muñoz and Massimo Vitali.
Here are some of their comments.
Roger Ballen appeared quite gloomy to me. Very dark and meticulous with a dark sense of humour.
Isabel Muñoz is a true humanist, in my definition of the term. Very caring and loving. And more essentially, someone who loves and is fascinated by humanity in all its manifestations.
Massimo Vitali seems very technically rigorous. It was interesting to hear his opinions on the place of photography in the art scene.
These lectures allowed me not only to discover these artists' work, but also to understand it in a different level.
It became very clear to me that each one of these photographers' work reflects their personality and beliefs. It may sound like a very obvious thing to say, but now it feels like I can see them when I look at their photographs.
It is a great occasion to discover the work and hear the insights of well-known photographers.
These last three days I was able to attend conferences held by Roger Ballen, Isabel Muñoz and Massimo Vitali.
Here are some of their comments.
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| Roger Ballen |
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| Isabel Muñoz |
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| Massimo Vitali |
These lectures allowed me not only to discover these artists' work, but also to understand it in a different level.
It became very clear to me that each one of these photographers' work reflects their personality and beliefs. It may sound like a very obvious thing to say, but now it feels like I can see them when I look at their photographs.
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