Quiet Views of Manila

The Santuario de San Antonio Parish Church


The Manila American Cemetery

Several recent sketches from the McKinley/Bonifacio area - drawings done during the past holiday weekend & on a warm Tuesday morning.

Manila Bay

I spent quite some time sketching in Manila Bay a couple of weeks ago while my was taking care of a work event. The sketch above is probably one of the most polished I've ever done, which makes sense since it took me about an hour to finish it.  I was actually sketching it outside in the wind and rain until some employees of Yellow Cab Pizza took pity on me and invited me to stay inside since there weren't a lot of customers that day. I wanted to order something in thanks but I was really full after one and a half sandwiches at Starbucks, so I sheepishly sneaked away after I was done with my sketch.  This one was done with a pencil outline, then brush pen and gray marker brush for shading.  The little squiggles on the upper right were supposed to be birds flapping in the wind, which I wasn't quite successful with.

This sketch was done in the aforementioned Starbucks.  I must have looked suspicious to the Starbucks crew and customers because I spent maybe 10 minutes just walking around Starbucks trying to find the best view.  These were all sketched in Harbor Square opposite the CCP complex.  I'd actually had no idea that this structure existed before that Saturday, but it's a pretty nice place to go and view the sunset or the boats and yachts moored in Manila Bay with skyscrapers and the piers in the background.

Sketching Results of Manila Monuments last October 22

A brief introduction to some new art materials

Sketch by Carlo Martinez

After a brief talk by an art supply distributor before starting out October's sketching session, we first proceeded with the statue of Queen Isabela II just outside the Intramuros, Manila. Most of the statues found in the area of Intramuros reminds us about the old Spanish empire that ruled the Philippines for 300 years. We got to sketch about 3 statues of former Spanish rulers namely Queen Isabela II, King Philip II and King Don Carlos IV. 6-year-old Ampao Roxas' drawings were utterly cute! This is how sketching should be - pure connection to what you are observing. She even noticed that King Philip's name was spelled in the Spanish version - Felipe.

New participant, Noipy Cruz' excellent pen sketch

Janeil's try on a large Derwent panoramic sketch pad

Ampao's mother, Muffy's sketch.

6-year-old Ampao had the right attitude with this sketch of Queen Isabela

by Carlo Martinez

King Philip's statue

King Don Carlos

Janeil's sketch last January

by Carlo Martinez

Sketching Manila Monuments this Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011

We start our monument sketching project by sketching some of the statues of the old walled city of Intramuros. Please make sure to bring much needed water, sun protection and only essentials.

Sketch Result of last September 24 at the National Museum

Another fun-filled sketching session has concluded at the National Art Gallery of National Museum. The building originally  housed the Philippine Republic's congress assembly. The architecture is of neo-classical in the 1930s. It was severely damaged during WWII but was restored later on. It is going through as major rehabilitation, and the entrance fee was waved during regular weekdays.

There were some 15 sketchers who attended, including 6-year-old Ampao. Burt volunteered to video record during the session and has ploaded the final cut on Youtube. Here is the link:

USk-PH sketches the National Museum Video

Carlo's stair sketch

Cesar's sketch of the old Congress Hall

Cesar's sketch of the side of the hall

Buz likes catches the magic of ordinary things and people

Janeil's neck-stretching 180 degree sketch of the old Congress Hall

Sketching National Art Gallery on Saturday, September 24, 2011

Metropolitan Theatre

On a warm Sunday morning, 4 Sept, I sketched at the classic Art Deco Metropolitan Theatre, which I'd been eyeing for several months, as a potential subject. As Manila folks know, it's closed now, and the weather conditions & harsh environment are beginning to take its' toll on the building, in the forms of fungus, garbage & some broken windows. The front of the Theatre was in full sun, so I found a shady view off to one side of the building, and sketched for 2 hours, while a number of street vendors & passers-by periodically watched and asked me questions.