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Beale Street Neon

5/31/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
I got a commission to paint the Beale Street signs at twilight. It's taken me a while to get down there in the evening -- I've been just covered up with meetings and trips lately and had very few evenings free. I went down a while ago to start the drawing in the quieter daylight hours, and last night, Elmore went down with me to have a beer and hang out while I painted with the early evening light I needed to finish up. It's always cacophany down there, with street bands vying for attention from the tourists, but it's kind of fun for a short period of time. I also enjoy the Beale Street regulars who always come up to chat and see what I'm doing. There's a neat local culture down there underneath all the tourist crowds. But I was also glad to get back to my quiet home and clawhammer banjo once I was finished.
2 Comments
benjamin j melgared link
6/1/2012 06:25:53 am

Looks good, we have an one a year event goin on this weekend in my town. It's loaded with people, I hope i can catch some sketches in, though I'm bot used to groups of people, any tips?

Keep it up,
Benjamin j

Reply
Martha
6/1/2012 01:32:15 pm

Thanks, Benjamin! People are hardest for me. I read on Richard Sheppherd's blog (he had a great farmers market sketch a little while ago) that he tries to spot people deep in conversation so they'll stay put a little longer than the folks just drifting through. Sometimes I have people that end up being a composite of several people who drifted past. I also draw first in pencil and then ink over the top when I'm at least halfway satisfied with a gesture or stance. Usually I have to remember colors for later, since they don't stick around too long.

I've been working on just doing quick pencil sketches of people at dances and other events I go to, trying to get better for the watercolors. I'm still rarely happy with any given figure, but in a crowd scene, if you give the idea of bustle, people aren't looking too closely.

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  • HOME
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