Urban Sketchers : Quartier des Spectacles (ish)
USK Montreal organized a spring meetup at Quartier des Spectacles, the center of our downtown arts district. I apologize, I didn’t actually draw the square, but we took a brisk photo walk in the zero degree weather. Only Canadian degrees Celsius, so not so bad, but still no weather for sketching. Your fingers turn to ice too quickly. We eventually retreated to a lovely café with multiple fireplaces, where we could sit and paint :)
It’s always something, to see the contrast of old and new in Montreal. It is of course, becoming more new every day :) Our city planners love to juxtapose the historic with the ultra-modern. I kind of enjoy the contrast. But I still don’t draw the glass buildings!
I am starting to include the cars in my paintings. So, we’re getting there. Maybe glass architecture will happen next.
These little sketches are only 5×5″. It’s sort of a game to see how much I can represent with tiny brushstrokes. Can you make it look like a street with only some dots and dashes?
It was great to be out in the city again, even though the weather is not quite ready to be honest. But I do kind of like this drab neutral shoulder season. Everything in Montreal is blue-black and tan. But, I’m very much looking forward to this summer. I think we have to return to life now, regardless of the risks of the oncoming sixth wave. It’ll be great to be back in a living city! Any day now :)
Citizen Sketcher 
Love you work Marc and am very admirative of people sketching in the cold !!! Also admirative of your few brush strokes saying it all !!! BravoBest
Catherine Moullé
http://quatrinaime.blogspot.com
http://quatrinaime-biodanza.blogspot.com
Ha! When I first read this title I thought it meant to draw without your glasses on!
Great sketches and especially like the addition of 2 cars. I keep a sketchbook in my car, trying to get in some daily drawing. Seems I’m often in a parking lot. It’s my practice to draw the cars first now.
Marc….your posts (both photos and sketches/paintings) always motivate me. Was it you (or another artist) who suggests (when doing these street scenes especially) to just try to get the shapes accurate–then you can kinda be loose inside? When I look at these scenes, I think how would I have done them? No doubt too many more details which are unnecessary. The brain is a marvelous thing and loves to “complete the picture”. Spring is hiding beneath these last frigid gasps of winter…but hopefully soooooon.
Rita! Thanks for stopping by! I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I do love to say ‘draw with the edges, paint with the insides’ :) Something about color blocks make the drawing and brushwork makes the details inside, idk :) I just paint and it comes out somehow :)
5″x5″?!?! Holy cow – these are awesome!!! It’s 19F outside today – so I feel your pain! No way I’d be outside sketching. ONly indoors next to the heater or a fireplace!! Brr!! Your sketches are always motivating to me!! (how to show the mostest with the leastest)!! ;-)
Great strokes Marc! You should come to Lisbon and draw with us with 19 celcius.
Leonor Janeiro