Taco Bell -Chicago Aug 1st, 09

Franchise... Taco Bell -- Nothing new you haven't seen but it looks cool in sketch.. Will render this sketch later with true colors. Micron pen.

Chicago Bears Stadium Aug 1st, 09

3rd color rendering w/ Prism Markers..

Mcfetridge Dr. Going EB into Museum campus.

SE view of Soldier Field --Home of Chicago Bears Football team!

I'm realizing that working with these markers is some what time consuming. Every detail is manipulated and controlled carefully so as to try and illustrate the closest thing to reality...

Practice makes perfect !

Mart Interior Lobby Aug 1st, 09

Used mechanical pencil w/ HB lead.. and some prisma gray color markers on columns... One Point perspective was successful.. This is all sketch without using any straight edges at all. Sketch finished as it was observed..

Soldier Field-Bears Stadium Aug 1st, 09

Used micron .05 pen on this sketch.. View is original when you come up to this exact intersection to go into museum campus area. Simple and neat- black and white sketch.. Minor hatching..

Top background is from another sketch on the reverse side of this sheet.. This shouldn't be there!

Lincoln Park Zoo-Cow Barn June 21st , 09

Cow Barn looking in....Different pens used. Don't remember. Second sketch I started with this summer of 2009....

Shed Acquarium Int View- June 14th, 09

Wow,, this was my very first sketch I did this summer.. This is where it all started for me this summer.. Something natural just hit me.. I was totally stunned that I got the spirit of this sketch.. and the right angles on the canopy like spaceship top.. I would love to return and render this in color!

Too bad Bubba is dead.. For those of you who never met Bubba.. Bubba was a gigantic fish that was left in front of the Shed Aquarium steps and later discovered to be an exotic species. I've seen Bubba for the last 30 years of my life since I was a child. Well he's important, since he was the first fish to be treated with Chemo therapy and it was a huge success...

Click Here for Bubbas Info: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/bubbasupergrouper.html

Wacker View June 17th, 09

Warming up here...needs improvement...The NBC tower is extremely difficult for me to sketch..

Too much going on all at once and it all just overwhelmed me.. I will try this same view much later after I warm up with twenty or so more sketches.

The left side is the back-rear of the University Of Chicago Business school.. Look at the other U of C sketch..

Various Highrises June 24th, 09

Looking EB on Wacker Dr. I did not like this sketch what so ever .. Not successful.. The only thing I like about it was the new technique I toyed with on the horizontal clouding ..

Keep in mind I recently started sketching again after 10 yrs !...

Look at the date and as you scroll down other sketches paying attention to the dates you can see partial improvement...

Jury Duty 26th & California June 26th, 09

Wow, this sketch surprised the heck out of me.. I took 4 separate illustrations to come up with one complete sketch.. Guys, realize I have not sketched in years since the good old college days.

I think this one is getting up the college standards for now.. I like the interior perspective , the whole sketch is holistic as they all depict the setting and mood of Jury Duty

Gosh , I will never forget this event, this trial was a life changing event for me.. I was stuck in this place for an entire week on a murder trial.. Learned a lot about crime and legal punishment.. So be good!

Raffaello Hotel July 11th, 09

I really didn't like how this sketch turned out... This has too much of a birds eye view and I was on at eye level of stuff..

Gosh the left side with the balconies were extremely hard to sketch.. I realized that when you look at this from underneath, looking up,,, all the balconies will be different sizes as they go up....

This is one of the sharp things you have to have a keen eye for or you will distort the balconies and eliminate its perspective as they get higher.

Bad sketch but I learned something important about balconies !!

Near Hard Rock Hotel July 13th, 09

Looking EB on Wacker Pl.. Hard Rock hotel is on the right. But no special emphasis is placed on the hotel. I was interested in capturing the essence of the street.. I used a light blue color marker on the left as my first introduction to using markers as a medium technique.. I like it ? What about you? I used a different pen that seems to bold the light poles.... Nice one point perspective.

Hilton Suites July 14th, 09

This sketch was okay.. It could have been better but I goofed up the shadow.. I need to pick a reference book on shadows..... Oh well .. I still learned!

University Of Chicago -Business School July 14th, 09

Tuff Sketch!. ----Too much detail on building and I had lots of trouble trying to figure out where in the world I would start without goofing it up.. I am definitely eager to return and revisit this and render it in color.

For now, this two point perspective was good in my opinion but I have lots of improvement to go.... Let me know what you think.?

Hotel Entrance July 19th, 09

Cool metal canopy of some kind. It was very difficult to get the correct arched angle on this from the angle of where I was exactly standing.......

I learned a whole lot from this sketch.. The mind is learning!

Navy Pier July 22nd, 09

Another view from Navy Pier. Main focus are the high-rises, such as Lake Point Tower, and the John Hancock..

Getting use to my new Micron Pigma ink pens made in Japan from Sakura....

Vignettes July 15th, 09

Various vignettes sketched in various dates... All of them in Chicago.. Bottom right hand corner is the bridge connecting to Ogolsby metra train station.

Navy Pier July 20th, 09

This sketch was a bit more creative when I added the ferris wheel in the background.. I thought it was a successfull drawing anyway.. I would like to return and explore this with color.

Scientology Church- July 21st, 09

Getting the correct angles on the metal beams was challenging. This sketch was done in various weights of micron pens.. Something new I tried. I think I like these pens.... All my ink pen sketches were done prior to any marker rendering.. I dabbled by adding a light gray on the windows.. I will revisit this building and sketch other sections of it at a later date..

Museum Campus Area July 22nd, 09

2nd color rendering with Prismacolor markers-- Clouding still difficult had to buy other blue colors to create a more natural realistic look. I stroked horizontal versus diagnal. I would say it looks more natural.

This rendering illustrates the most recent addition to the Shedd Acquarium where the dolphins and beluga whales. I'll be rendering more of this later...

Also starting to get use to various colors for trees..

Rick

Museum Campus View- June 25, 09

This is my 1st attempt to render with Prisma color markers......

I've rendered with various other mediums, such as pencil, charcoal, pastels, color pencils, ink pen etc.

The markers will take some getting use to. Overall I think it looks descent but I have to admit the sky is too blue and it appears that its might be taking away from the drawing altogether.. I'm trying to figure out how to render clouds.. As you see my progress you will see my clouding get better.

Fair start I might say for now!

Sketchy Rick