Bay Area Sketchcrawl summer 2014

 The 'Russian Mansion' on Alamo Square.

 Haight and Masonic. The nudist strolled past and into my picture, his modesty preserved by a golden fig leaf! The freaks, hippies, beatniks and junkies still flourish in Haight Ashbury.

 A trip to Berkeley Marina. The pier above stretches 3000 ft into the Bay!

 Mojo Bicycle Cafe on Divisadero.

 A couple views from the top of Piedmont Cemetery with Downtown Oakland in the background and the Bay behind.

These old navy vets were in full uniform for a memorial service. They each carried a rifle and fired a salute for their departed brother.

Japantown

This house on 'Billionaire's Row' in Pacific Heights looks like a Greek temple.

Mansion over-looking the Bay on Lafayette Square. Apparently the largest private residence in San Francisco and owned by Danielle Steele.

Drawing San Francisco

Sketching around town . . .

 Film shoot in North Beach with fake snow

 

On Grant Avenue, Chinatown

 Mission Dolores cemetary

16th street

 Japantown

18th Street diner

Shoeshine booth on Market St.

Drawing in a Mission dive bar with JSG, Melodie & Matt Cruickshank. Crookie did a finger drawing of an artist painting outside the window.

Sketchcrawlin'

As we move into the summer months I've been out and about drawing all over at interesting locations.

I went to my first baseball game at the impressive AT&T Park in San Francisco-stunning location on the waterfront with the  Bay Bridge and Treasure Island as the backdrop.

I love drawing in the Mission, there's always something interesting going on.  Last time I was there some latino classic car enthusiasts rolled up for an impromptu motor-show.  Even the cops were taking pictures.

I went up north to the Western Railway Museum in Solano County

 Lots of jackrabbits bounding between the old railcars & engines

With animation pals Mark Stanleigh, Jason Spencer Galsworthy & Jamie Baker I drew at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Park . . .

From Golden Gate Park we moved onto Haight Ashbury to draw one of the old Victorian houses

The Palace of Fine Arts, the Presidio

Broadway: no sketchcrawl would be complete without rounding it off at my favourite North Beach watering hole-Vesuvio's

I'm often asked what pens or brushes I use to make location sketches.
My director Ronnie del Carmen turned me onto these unusual pens available from MAIDO in Japantown. They're expensive but offer a great range of marks and line qualities.