Urban sketching with my Stillman and Birn Beta hardback book, watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal pencils and a question about ipads

Faded grandeur,   an A4 sketch of an Edwardian? Victorian? doorway, sandwiched between the shutters of adjacent factories.  Watercolour and tinted charcoal pencils

I pass this door frequently and had never noticed it until a friend pointed it out!  This fascinating sliver of  ornate carving and tilework of the original building, now largely hidden and framed by huge modern metal shutters.  It's patched, distressed surface was fascinating and I may well do some close ups of that as it doesn't show so well at this scale.

I've decided to extend the slow burning waterways project (city and county streams, rivers, canals, pools, flooded quarries etc) to include the city and the interesting or quirky or just beautiful-in-their-ugliness bits.  I'll keep this book just for this project and add the other urban stuff I've done to keep it together.  I'll probably keept the waterways element in the books that are already going.

S&B  how about a pocket in the back of the sketchbooks for loose stuff like this?

The paper in these is beautiful - heavy (180lb) - and it takes any medium I can throw at it.  The sizing makes colour glow. It's not yet available in the UK but hopefully before too long it will be.

And ....  I'm very tempted to treat myself to an ipad - any advice on what you use yours for, how easy or difficult it is to transfer information to and from a PC to it etc etc etc would be gratefully received :>)

And how idiot proof it is to someone who hasn't really used Apple Macs and is only pc literate.


Comments

dinahmow said…
Well, this time, Vivien, I'm hanging around to find out what people say about iPads! I've come close to having a terminal tantrum with Microsoft and buying a Mac, but...some friends have trouble "marrying" the two systems.
Art Matters said…
At first I thought having an iPad was an indulgence then my family gave me one for my birthday 6 months ago.
Well it's fantastic. I use it everyday in my studio -the list is long: photos of my paintings, detailed notes for teaching, reference photos for paintings - no need to print them anymore and that's before I check emails or surf the net!
And it's easy to use ...
Get one, you will love it! Transfer to a PC is very easy, especially if you use an app like Evernote. You can have Evernote software on your PC and it will easily sync all your data - all for free. There are lots of other options for general notes and transferring photos etc. I use my iPad as a research and planning tool, newspaper, magazine, reading and note book.
vivien said…
Great information and thank you all :>)

Colin that's reassuring, it was one thing that worried me (transfer). There are some amazing photos on your link - anyone reading please go and take a look! Seriously good and of some amazing places and phenomena.

Dinah everyone is singing their praises and saying how much they love them and use them - rather like Carol.

Thanks Carol.

Anonymous said…
I LOVE my iphone and ipad. I am not an apple person and this stuff is fantastic. I am SO getting a macbook next. Buh-bye MS!
Cath sheard said…
I originally got a Samsung galaxy rather than have a Windows pc and Apple tablet. Hated it and found it hard to use. Watched people with iPads at a conference - they seems more intuitive and easier to use. Sold the Samsung and got an iPad, and love it.

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