Jaycee Pauline (they/them)
|
About the ArtistI began exploring art as a way to explore my identity and process my feelings. I attended art classes in high school, and got my college certificate in Fine Arts. Now I study art history as part of my bachelors degree, and I continue to practice art: mostly sketching, acrylic painting, printmaking, and digital design. I aspire to curate contemporary art and develop exhibitions of local artists. Working towards my career goals hasn't left much time for art recently, so this semester I decided to
explore urban sketching, as it had been an art form I had long admired but never attempted. |
Reflections on Urban SketchingSketching had always been a precursor to more developed projects, but with guidance I was able to alter my approach. Now I can capture moments of my everyday life and experiences in a casual creative way, in spite of my busy schedule. Sketch as a finished medium feels as though it has connections to impressionist painting movements and philosophies. I have new abilities in watercolor paints, and now feel confident using them to enhance sketches to alter the mood or add
atmospheric elements. I often have sketching materials with me now, and feel less pressure to have the perfect tools. I’ve learned ways to make the most of just a couple tools. I also feel that sometimes, I'm feeling too overwhelmed to capture or document my days with words. It is sometimes easier to express my lived experience visually. And unlike a photo, I can add details to better capture my feelings and perspective. |
Sketching on Location |
Gally and Glynn
This is an ink sketch I did early on in my urban sketching journey. I worked a lot with pencil and a ruler to create perspective lines and a grid. Only after drafting an extreme amount of detail, did I switch to ink pens, and erase much of the original pencil work. Some may argue this doesn’t even qualify as an urban sketch for that reason. I relied a lot on line weight and texture to create depth, as well as a tinted brush marker to add some shading.
When I began Urban Sketching, I struggled to let go of my rigid adherence to accuracy when depicting structures and forms. Having been trained in fine arts for several years, I was in the habit of spending time to ensure details were accurate and lines were straight. In this sketch, that highly analytical and almost reproductive style is present. I felt disappointed in this drawing as it came out more academic and measured, than momentary and feeling. However that's why I felt it was important to include it. It's a starting point. While I felt confident in my abilities to gauge space and forms, I still needed to gain confidence in my ability to translate my surroundings more casually.
As for this location, the Gallagher Center is one of my most frequented places on Campus. It’s also where I met the people who I have become closest too. This view from the walkway is a daily occurrence for me as I walk over from the Castellani Art Museum after my classes. To me it reminds me of feeling full of newly acquired knowledge and the anticipation of seeing my friends. With Glynn Hall in the background, the two buildings almost seem like old friends to me, and so I named the piece Gally and Glynn to further reinforce that sense of camaraderie
When I began Urban Sketching, I struggled to let go of my rigid adherence to accuracy when depicting structures and forms. Having been trained in fine arts for several years, I was in the habit of spending time to ensure details were accurate and lines were straight. In this sketch, that highly analytical and almost reproductive style is present. I felt disappointed in this drawing as it came out more academic and measured, than momentary and feeling. However that's why I felt it was important to include it. It's a starting point. While I felt confident in my abilities to gauge space and forms, I still needed to gain confidence in my ability to translate my surroundings more casually.
As for this location, the Gallagher Center is one of my most frequented places on Campus. It’s also where I met the people who I have become closest too. This view from the walkway is a daily occurrence for me as I walk over from the Castellani Art Museum after my classes. To me it reminds me of feeling full of newly acquired knowledge and the anticipation of seeing my friends. With Glynn Hall in the background, the two buildings almost seem like old friends to me, and so I named the piece Gally and Glynn to further reinforce that sense of camaraderie
Morning at Tims
In complete contrast to my earlier work, this ink sketch is quite casual and I was able to rely on the image as a whole to communicate the subject, rather than overall accuracy and realism. I had been practicing drawing people and figures, so when I composed this scene I was able to capture a few composite people in relative proportion to the structure of the cafe. I felt the loose lines added to the busy atmosphere of the campus coffee shop in the rush before morning classes. I went back the next morning to complete the water color layer, adding more figures as shadows to complete the scene. The color palette referenced the warmth of the coffee compared to the cold echoes of the open spaces in Gally.
The Westside Lawn
Before this semester I had not worked with watercolor. Created just before final exams, this is my most detailed watercolor sketch. I began with a light pencil rendering, and then an ink outline. I worked outside in late April for the entirety of this piece and used watercolor to create textures and detail wherever I could. Occasionally I would use ink for the darkest spots and fine lines. However the ridges in the bark and branches and the bricks and shingles on the buildings were created with layered watercolor wherever possible. By beginning with light washes of color and building up, I was able to maintain depth in my color tones, and preserve highlighted areas. The afternoon light changed constantly during the time I created this piece, but lent a subtle warm glow to the end result.
Some friends came and went and I drew and painted. They talked and played music around me as I worked and it was one of my most memorable afternoons on campus. I see a lightheartedness in this drawing that I can’t quite explain. I haven’t felt that way since that day. I’ve resided in the westside dorms since last fall, and the Westside Lawn has always been a place of retreat for me. I deeply appreciate the genuine awe with which I captured this scene. The day after I created this watercolor sketch I lost my partner and my home. For all its splendor, I occasionally find myself resenting campus now as the place I am resigned to for lack of anything else. However, reflecting on these drawings and continuing to create new ones helps me to recover from my grief, and hopefully one day I’ll find that unrestrained joy on the Westside Lawn again.
Some friends came and went and I drew and painted. They talked and played music around me as I worked and it was one of my most memorable afternoons on campus. I see a lightheartedness in this drawing that I can’t quite explain. I haven’t felt that way since that day. I’ve resided in the westside dorms since last fall, and the Westside Lawn has always been a place of retreat for me. I deeply appreciate the genuine awe with which I captured this scene. The day after I created this watercolor sketch I lost my partner and my home. For all its splendor, I occasionally find myself resenting campus now as the place I am resigned to for lack of anything else. However, reflecting on these drawings and continuing to create new ones helps me to recover from my grief, and hopefully one day I’ll find that unrestrained joy on the Westside Lawn again.
Children on the Hill
While I was visiting my hometown in August, I found myself sitting at a park waiting for my brother to meet me. I had been to the park several times as a child, and as a teenager I had worked with a community center as a day camp leader-in-training. I was surprised when in the middle of my reminiscing, a group from the same community center entered the park and began playing a game on the hill. I wanted to capture a
meaningful moment, but it didn't feel appropriate to take a photo of strangers, so I decided to sketch the moment.
My initial sketch in pencil established a basic perspective, and overall forms in the background and foreground, and I quickly switched to a fine ink pen as I created details. I wanted to capture the environmental wear on the pavement and wooden benches, as they were now far more weathered than when I once played here. A concrete patch had even been done in an area. As I established the figures on the hill, I focused more on their poses to create a sense of action and movement, rather than capturing details.
I had been experimenting with Copic markers as a travel friendly alternative to watercolor. I kept just a few colors in very light tones with me, so that I could layer them and create highlights and depth in my forms. They were well suited to the summer day. Although the overall sketch feels illustrative, it still captures the story of the place, the events, and the feelings of that moment for me.
meaningful moment, but it didn't feel appropriate to take a photo of strangers, so I decided to sketch the moment.
My initial sketch in pencil established a basic perspective, and overall forms in the background and foreground, and I quickly switched to a fine ink pen as I created details. I wanted to capture the environmental wear on the pavement and wooden benches, as they were now far more weathered than when I once played here. A concrete patch had even been done in an area. As I established the figures on the hill, I focused more on their poses to create a sense of action and movement, rather than capturing details.
I had been experimenting with Copic markers as a travel friendly alternative to watercolor. I kept just a few colors in very light tones with me, so that I could layer them and create highlights and depth in my forms. They were well suited to the summer day. Although the overall sketch feels illustrative, it still captures the story of the place, the events, and the feelings of that moment for me.
Urban Sketching Kit
Over the semester, I experimented with several different pens, pencils, markers, paints and tools. I tried different brands of similar tools at stores or by borrowing classmates' equipment. I removed items I didn’t use often, and challenged myself to achieve the same outcome in my sketches with what I had left. By the end of the semester, my full kit contained the following:
- - Mechanical pencil with .07 graphite
- - Retractable eraser stick
- - Black Pigma Micron ink pens in size 003, 005, and 08
- - Faber-Castell india ink brush markers in Cold Grey I, Cold Grey III, Cold Grey IV, and Black
- - Copic markers in Neutral Grey, Pale Porcelain Blue, Mignonette, and Pea Green
All Images on this Page are Subject To Copyright of the Artist Represented and May not be Duplicated without Permission.