Sketching Kuwait – Winter 2021
This winter I was adamant to get as many urban sketching trips into my routine as possible. My last week of sketching in winter 2021 found me at The Avenues, Al Shaheed Park and Boulevard.
06th. of December – The Avenues
There is this place at the Avenues whenever I walk through it, I feel myself in Europe ! Being the fact that today was the day when I had some errands to run and a bit of extra time on my hands. Naturally, this was the spot that called to be sketched. I have spent few minutes defining the basic shapes with a pencil, after which and with a slow pace I added the ink outlines enjoying every little detail. Very therapeutic! Colour came in last and took only minutes before I was done. Though this sketch didn’t take that much time, it is one of my favorite ones. Comes to show that often while sketching we tend to overthink, over exaggerate our approaches and yet the ones that are spontaneous and fast, lend us with better results. Feeling very much accomplished. I went for a hot cup of cocoa and another fast sketch before I headed for school pick up.
08th. of December – Al Shaheed Park
I kept going back to the park this winter. Winter mornings at Al Shaheed Park are amazing. The weather is cool, the birds are chirping and the greenery is stunning. As I was walking around to find a spot to sketch. I decided to tackle a very complex scene that I have been avoiding in the past. I had to remind myself that this is just a sketch in my sketchbook and there will always be enough paper to start over. So, with a bit of a push outside my comfort zone, a big exhale and a whole lot of concentration I went in pen first. No initial pencil line work. Also, green is not my go to colour in life or sketching in general but the view was all in greens. Another hurdle to overcome and try balance all the shades without overdoing it. The end result was fine. A reminder that it’s just a sketch and we can always go for another try should it not work out. Just turn the page and start over. We all want perfect end results and shiny sketchbooks. But, it is about the journey not the destination. So, if you are reading me now and like me, you want everything to be perfect. Remember, it’s just a sketch. You are allowed to start over. With that in mind, go for it ! Do it !
09th. December – The Boulevard
Today I needed to do some shopping at The Boulevard and decided that a quick morning sketch before the shops open is just fit to measure. So, I set myself up on a bench and cracked on. This time I decided to put some old lessons to good use from my last Urban Sketching Symposium trip in Amsterdam. I took a lesson with an amazing artist and a great teacher LK Bing. He had us do a small thumbnail of the view in a monochromatic scheme before attempting the final sketch. It was amazing ! With that thumbnail he pointed the lights and darks of the view and showed us how doing so in monochrome teaches us to see the depths created by light and shadow. I wanted to do the same with my view trying to remember and mimic the things we did in his lesson. It is so easy to get caught up in our old ways. This little sketch reminded me of the importance of mixing things up and attempting new approaches. After all, it is only when we play and explore do we truly get to achieve great findings in our own work.
