Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Spain) (2)

This is a very small and dear sketch I made on a napkin, in the summer of 2006, when my good friend Dato was about to head back to his homeland Georgia, in the Caucasus.

We were enjoying a hot summer day in the company of two blonde biers. If I were to sketch the temple from the same angle right now, where you can barely spot the scaffolding now the main tower's being built. I am quite fortunate to be able to follow the construction of such a wonder from up close, day by day.

Self depictions in vector (2)

Inspired by the great movie "A scanner darkly", I decided to take my experiences a step further. Here we see a detail and hybrid composition with the key/outline of the final coloured drawing.

Self depictions in vector (1)

Another interesting exercise was sketching digitally, but this time, in vector format.

Opposite to what some might think (I've had my share of comments in this direction), drawing oneself, far from being a demonstration of Oedipal complex (lol) is actually a very unpretentious and relaxed manner to practice. You're surely not so bound to be bothered by the result in case of it being bad! ;)

My first two attempts: black & white and then (gasp) Colour!

Tatoo girl (Digital Sketch)

Another exercise of a sketch directly drawn digitally.

Myths (Sketches on a Drawing Digital Tablet)

As an exercise on sketching 100% digitally, I've drawn this image

in about 10-15 minutes using photographical reference of the characters shown. It was something motivated by an article on a local graphic design magazine, in Barcelona.

Murakami @ the Guggenheim, Bilbo (Spain)

Once inside the museum, I've been given an extra push on forcing myself to drawing: the security staff made sure pictures inside the building wouldn't be allowed. Then I had no choice other than sketch the magnificent views from the entrance lobby with an installation by Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami.

Guggenheim, Bilbo (Spain)

Recently I've finally got the chance to win a 12-year-cycle of excuses which kept me from devoting time to visiting the charming city of Bilbo, in the basque country, northern Spain. Frank O. Gehry's mind-blowing building is per se reason enough for visiting the city, but luckily it's not the only one.

I tried to sketch a general plan of the building with a mechanical 0.5 pencil with blue leads and it takes a while to getting used to their fragility. You have to draw with your hand light as a feather.

Metro, Barcelona (Spain)

After reading the great book "An Illustrated Life", by Danny Gregory, I forced myself to regain confidence and dust the powder off my sketchbook - which had been completely forgotten laying on a shelf. I've really enjoyed all the artists' comments on the exercises they forced themselves on practicing, as a way (I guess) to overcome Inertia. Well, this might as well have been my first posting here, as a thank you note or homage to Danny and all of his contributors, but respecting the general purpose and random character of this blog, I shall leave it as it is, right here.

These sketches were made during a metro ride to/back from my work, in Barcelona. The big guy remained seated for 2-3 stations only but it was fortunately time enough to get him down on paper. It may be quite odd drawing people who are sitting right in front of you.

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Spain)

It's simply not possible (or at least not so easy forgivable) to be in Barcelona -whether as a visitor or as another inhabitant - and avoid paying a visit to this dazzling temple. Even if you're not religious (like myself), it's going to make your mind wander.

Fortunately enough, this is my view from the living+dining rooms.

Urban Furniture, Barcelona (Spain)

During the modernist era (the local answer, so to speak, to the Art Nouveau movement), the Catalan blacksmiths in cooperation with ingenious architects really excelled in the making of beautifully crafted pieces of urban furniture. From street lamps to park benches and trash cans, anything was used for displaying the catalan national symbols.

Old town, Sevilla (Spain)

Whilst killing time before taking a plane back to Barcelona, under the hot Andaluzian sun, I decided to sketch a nice round building in Sevilla. The moorish influences in local architecture are a delight to the eye.

Temple Bar, Dublin (Ireland)

As the first of my postings here, I've chosen a small picture drawn on a A6/wide Tate Galery Postcard Sketchbook. This was supposed to register a trip I've carried out in the summer of 2008 with a good friend of mine, from London to Glasgow, then beautiful 'Edinburough' and finally Dublin.

Oddly enough, this page, drawn inside the Temple Bar in the homonymous area in Dublin remains the only page I've used so far in this sketchbook. I guess it's all about overcoming fears. I recommend sketching around the area while sipping a delicious Guinness, as it was the case here.