Finally after a number of months trying to work out scheduling, I joined the Toronto Urban Sketchers group this past December, and have really enjoyed the meet ups we’ve had! So many talented people with such different styles! And generous people, too – sharing tips and favourite tools.

At the last sketch gathering, we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and I’ve always wanted to draw the row of buildings (more specifically their unique top floors and roof-lines) on Dundas Street from the 2nd floor Galleria Italia window. It will certainly take more than one visit to sketch them all. So I started with the first 3 buildings, working west to east. I’ve drawn them in a Moleskine Japanese Pocket Album, with its sequential, accordion-like pages. Painted one of the sketches on-site and the rest at home later. Still figuring out how to use watercolour on this paper because it really isn’t meant for it, getting soaked quickly and not blending easily.

Houses on Dundas: Before and After

House 1

House 2

House 3 (double spread)

One of my fellow sketchers reminded me that I’d need to go back to the museum several times to get all the houses drawn on-site, paying the admission several times! Sigh – she’s right. Next time I’ll be smarter, and do some thumbnails and take photos of the rest!