To the Bus Stop We Sketch

In this workshop students will learn how to fuse what they observe at a bus stop with a colorful interpretation of the scene.

About this Event

We will meet in front of the New York Public Library at 476 Fifth Avenue, by the lion Fortitude, which is the one on the right as you face the Fifth Avenue entrance.

This workshop is scheduled for August 2, 2025, and will meet rain or shine. As the day approaches we will assess the weather and communicate via the email address you provided at enrollment. The backup plan in case of rain is to meet at 11 West 42 street, which has a sheltered space near CAVA Restaurant. We will let you know if this meet-up location is necessary.

Workshop Description: There is a lot to sketch at a bus stop. You first notice the line of people waiting for the right bus to show up. You may observe their physical characteristics, clothing, body postures, carry-ons and perhaps even emotional states. When the bus arrives you see the synchronized flurry of activity of boarding and disembarking, all completed in 30 seconds, with new passengers entering at the front, and others exiting at the back. When you closely observe a bus stop scene, you see the scheduled rhythm of the movement but also the inanimate elements that surround it.

In this workshop students will learn to fuse observation of details with a colorful interpretation of the overall scene. Three parts of the bus stop scene will be explored in sequence:

1. Inanimate details of the bus stop setting, including those you imagine,
2. Moving objects - how to capture a fleeting moment, especially people in motion, and
3. Combining all elements onto a previously marked sheet of paper.

Join us for a focused artistic exploration of people waiting and moving through a bus stop in a classic ritual of urban life.

All students should bring their own art supplies. The following are suggested by the instructor:

• Ballpoint pen, any kind will do. The instructor recommends Zebra Pen F-701fine point.
• A medium size sketchbook, ranging from 5.5 "x 8.5" to 9" x 12". The paper should be at least 90 gsm.
• Colored pencils, watercolors, and brushes. Optional brush pen with colored ink.
• Stool

Strathmore and Caran d'Ache will provide samples for students to use in this workshop.

About the Artist

Mel Barranco is a self-taught artist, a NYC Urban Sketcher member since 2016, and a prolific train commuter sketcher. He has been a Sketcher Spotlight feature in the March 2023 issue of the USK Drawing Attention eZine and has group exhibited at the Grand Central Terminal, the New York Public Library, the Central Synagogue. He has previously led workshops for the NYC Urban Sketchers and the Stavros Niarchos Library Foundation and enjoys travel, hot yoga, and other creative pursuits.

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