ISRAEL 24.4. - 2.5.2017

I realized lately, that its actually has been almost a year since my last post here...which doesn't mean that i haven't drawn for that long! I have been working on other projects and didn't really had the time to post stuff here - but thats going to change again.

So the reason, why i'm here now, is that i just came back from Israel. And I took of course a sketchbook with me (even bought a new one!), and I brought a selection of colored pencil (a lot of brown-yellows) and my watercolors, as well as fineliner and my beloved brushpen and pencils. I ended up using only one 0.3 fineliner and a 2B Pencil  - the colored pencils didn't work out, the brushpen didn't flow as usual, the watercolors were too much of a hustle. But on my next journey I will still take all of it with me, since you never know!

Ok, enough with the preparation, lets go to Israel:

Flying from Geneva to Tel Aviv on the 25 in the morning - i stayed overnight at a friends place. One hour after me, my girlfriend Eline landed from London.

The flight was packed - lots of orthodox jews with their newborns. There's not much to do on a flight, so i tried to get as much as possible in one drawing by "using" a fishlens.

As soon as I started to draw him, he would start to move and then go...always the same! It's also the only try with the brushpen...

Changed then to this two ladies - we and they were eating in this wonderful place "Kaymar" in Tel Aviv.

Next day we went to Jerusalem and of course to the old city - its super busy, but we managed to find a bit of a calm place to draw and for Eline to do some recordings.

Second day in Jerusalem - again in the old town, on our way to the golden dome, stopping to buy a card.

After the golden dome, where we didn't had time to stop, we stumbled over these street musicians. There was a strike going on, so almost all of the shops were closed, and thus as well less tourists.

"We serve soup" - Thats how you get welcomed at the wonderfull HaMarakia in Jerusalem. We ended up eating no soup, but shakshouka. This is the view from the garden in the back inside.

Next day in Tel Aviv, enjoying the start of shabat in a park, where I tried to draw the fascinating trees.

And trying to catch the scenery, this time with colored pencils, but....nope.

Next day, saturday, took a slow start, worked a bit at our Airbnb in the neighboorhood Florentine.

And then walked to the old town of Yafo (Jaffa), where there was more going on. The second i stood up after finishing this drawing, i got shitted on by a pigeon...

Relaxing afterwards on the beach just north of Yafo in the late afternoon.

In the post office, at the central bus station in Tel Aviv.

On sunday then with the sherut to Jerusalem again - its so shaky!

Jerusalem wasn't our final stop - Ramallah in Palestine was! Super busy city, so here a very calm and unspectacular corner south of the old town.

The next day again with the sherut and bus to Masada next to the Dead Sea (which you can maybe spot in the background). It was to hot and we had to little time to stop more, so only the bus station in the desert.

And then, it was already over again. After the security check at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, I had lots of time.

On the flight back then drawing a sleeping orthodox jew - he was a strange figure, with a shirt and comfortable wide pants.

By the way, if you want to see more picture of Israel i did, i have been there already some years ago. Here is the post from 2013: Israel in 2013.

The Two Trees

It's been a while...
strangest trees - i used the very warm weather yesterday and discovered a new quarter in Zurich (sketchwise). This is the Corner Luegisland/Herzongmühlestrasse, at the very cityborder - the whole street was lined with these trees.
5.5.2016, pencil.

Freiburg

I went to Freiburg with two friends this weekend. While enjoying Freiburg on saturday, we were quite tired on sunday. That's when i took my pen and sketchbook: I drew the first one from the balcony doorstep while the others were still trying to wake and get up. The second one in the evening, while we had a rest at the hostel, before we had to get back to Zurich.

Sketchcrawl with Urban Sketchers Switzerland

Today was the 50th Sketchcrawl - not my 50th though! It was cold, but sun shone brightly. We were about ten sketchers, which spread out to sketch the Museum Rietberg in Zürich and the surrounding park. Was fun!

The view from the Museum trough the trees on to the Villa Schönberg.

The reflexions on the greentinted glass entry of the Museum Rietberg. It was very difficult show the reflection and see through the lines!

And to end it a little perspective work. No colors here, because it was already a tedious work to get al lines right (more or less) and as i sat in the shadows, i was getting colder and colder...

market hall

Yesterday i've met with some other people from Zurich to do some urban sketching, and since it's still freaking cold outside, we went to the market hall in the "Viadukt". Its warm and one gets hungry because of all the different and tasty looking food. Lots of colors and lots of details didn't made it easier, but also more exciting to sketch though!
Next time I have to go buying my food there instead of sketching...or maybe pay with a sketch?

Parmesan cheese on the counter, at the right side there were dried chillis in a cork oak bark

More dried chillis hanging from the shelf. I actually don't know whats in the blue sacks, i guess its rice or pasta next to cans of tomatos.

BERLIN 6.1 - 10.1

It has been about four months since my last post here...
I have drawn some sketches since then of course, but i was much too busy to update the blog. Work and the University were the two things i had in the past months in my life. So i was very happy to take a break from the stress and go to Berlin with agood friend. Since it was brutally cold, i couldn't sketch outside, but luckily there are lots of nice bars and cafes, where its warm.

First stop was the "Ankerklause": fleeing from the cold and eating a warm soup.

I guess, one of the best breakfasts in Berlin i served at the "Nah am Wasser gebaut" - or is it called "The place to be"? Confusing, but tasty!!

Its getting dark early: This is the view from the "Freischwimmer", a restaurant located next to a canal, which was frozen.

Really loved the lamps over the bar in the "Rummels perle, the only problem was the light, which so reddish, i couldn't really see with which colors i drew!

Having wonderful Cheescake in the "Prachtwerk", right after having breakfast at 16:00! Now thats Berlin!

Before breakfast in the kitchen of our friend, where we could sleep for the four nights- Thank you again Linn!

The view from the airplane at the airport right before the take-off. I had to be really quick, before the sun and the plane changed their positions :)

Day four

After an day of washing heavy old machines, i was in desperate need of some energy to get me going for the evening. So I bought a coffee at the train station and did some ultra speed sketching: trying to capture the people on the escalator: i could see the persons for approximately 10 seconds, but at the beginning of those from the front, and in the end from above (or the other way around). I stood no chance - but it gave me the energy needed!

Brushpen, A5, 20 min, central train station zurich

Actually, it had a lot more people....but it was really funny