Coral Gamel Howes |
About the ArtistI grew up in Alaska with my mother who was a graphic designer. In our free time she would give us different art projects to work on. This could be anything from learning different watercolor techniques to giving us
coloring pages made from scratch or painting rocks we found at the beach. However I never really felt satisfied in who I was as an artist. I didn’t love my artwork and honestly I just felt like I wasn’t meant to be an artist. The first time I really felt impacted by art is doing ceramics in my art class. I was proud of what I was creating and I loved how doing the art made me feel. In my last few years of high school I began working with pen and ink. I developed a style and did mainly really abstract artwork. Now that I can feel comfortable in my art I am excited to learn more skills and take my art a new direction. Which is why when I enrolled at Niagara University this fall I signed up to minor in Fine Arts along with my Accounting Major. So that I could practice my skills at a higher level. |
Reflections on Urban SketchingThis class has been a pretty unusual art class for me. In high school my art teacher was very ‘freerange’ letting us work on whatever we wanted to, however we wanted to as long as we were creating art in some sense. This class was still very free but with a little more structure. Before joining this class I bought a book on urban sketching this summer. I was entirely nervous because I didn’t feel prepared for a college level art class, and I generally just didn’t think I had the skills to do urban sketching. This class made me feel so comfortable. Both because we moved slowly and everyone was a such differing levels of art that I felt like I didn’t have to worry but also because Proffesor Sauter was so kind, and helpful when giving us tips on our artwork. All of his notes were so impactful to me. Now I am much more comfortable in trusting that I can adequate draw on location and in some way or another describe what is around me via my artwork.
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Sketching on Location |
The Silo
I drew this while eating breakfast one morning. I was out trying to find a nice view to eat my bagel and drink
my tea I got from Lewiston and pulled up to this small park strip on the river. This was mainly done with a 0.1 size black Micron pen with shading using a 0.1 size grey Micron pen. Except for the clouds which were done with both black and grey Micron brush pens.
my tea I got from Lewiston and pulled up to this small park strip on the river. This was mainly done with a 0.1 size black Micron pen with shading using a 0.1 size grey Micron pen. Except for the clouds which were done with both black and grey Micron brush pens.
Fort Niagara Park
This was my first time trying a new technique. I used a brush pen to make a more natural and playful look on
my artwork. For the rest of the semester I stuck to this particular style. I found this building at the Fort Niagara park, and It was my first shot at working on water color is urban sketching.
my artwork. For the rest of the semester I stuck to this particular style. I found this building at the Fort Niagara park, and It was my first shot at working on water color is urban sketching.
Huntly Generation Station
I drew this on a bit of a whim. I was out driving and came across Beaver Island State park. I drove around the park a little and came across a pull out. I was planning on just going on a walk but I found myself running back to my car to sit at the beach and draw this old generation station across the river.
Gate of Heaven
This drawing was done at the Gate to Heaven Cemetery. I was previously planning to draw the church but I
missed my turn and went around back to find this cemetery. Drawing so many little headstones was definitely a challenge but I figured it out. I wanted to make this sketch a little more stylistic by playing with the trees and lighting. In the end I was pretty happy with the turnout, even though I may have changed a few choices in hindsight.
missed my turn and went around back to find this cemetery. Drawing so many little headstones was definitely a challenge but I figured it out. I wanted to make this sketch a little more stylistic by playing with the trees and lighting. In the end I was pretty happy with the turnout, even though I may have changed a few choices in hindsight.
Urban Sketching Kit
My go to kit is a 0.1 size black Micron pen, brush Mircon pen, a mechanical pencil kit, ranging from 0.5mm to
2.0m, and a mixed media sketchbook. If I ever want to bring more though I will add in a water soluable black
fountain pen, a water brush, 1.0 grey Micron pen, brush Micron pen, and watercolor kit. My usual techniques have changed a bit since joining this class but as of recently I prefer to start my drawing off with a thicker pencil and then switch to a fine 0.5 mm then I will go over the lines with a black brush pen. I will allow the pen to bounce on the paper to make a natural looking line, ‘ll finalize my outline with a 0.1 size pen to highlight small details. From here I’ll either add detail with a fine point pen, use my fountain pen, or begin with watercolor. If I choose to use my fountain pen I will quickly line my areas that need to be shaded and then take my waterbrush and use the pen like a black watercolor paint.
2.0m, and a mixed media sketchbook. If I ever want to bring more though I will add in a water soluable black
fountain pen, a water brush, 1.0 grey Micron pen, brush Micron pen, and watercolor kit. My usual techniques have changed a bit since joining this class but as of recently I prefer to start my drawing off with a thicker pencil and then switch to a fine 0.5 mm then I will go over the lines with a black brush pen. I will allow the pen to bounce on the paper to make a natural looking line, ‘ll finalize my outline with a 0.1 size pen to highlight small details. From here I’ll either add detail with a fine point pen, use my fountain pen, or begin with watercolor. If I choose to use my fountain pen I will quickly line my areas that need to be shaded and then take my waterbrush and use the pen like a black watercolor paint.
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