Really liked this lamp in a coffee house in the centre of Athens. I unfortunately forgot the name of the place and also the street it was in… So I haven´t been back there…
Tag: ink
Balcony dog of Athens
There are no roof dogs here in Athens, at least I haven´t seen any yet, but plenty of balcony dogs. Jumped a few times when I heard sudden barking just above my head. This guy lives just down the street from me.
Cats of Athens II
This cat likes to nap on that car near the university. The cat is actually not the size of a tiger and the car is small but not that small…. Somewhere along the movie watching, beer drinking, drawing process, the proportions were thrown out the window.
One of the Many Cat Corners of Athens
I thought it was time to return to Athens again. My Greece sketchbook is still very much empty. Time to fill it up.
On one of my strolls around the centre of Athens I came across this cat meeting corner. Feral cats are pretty much everywhere but especially around the Acropolis. There are also plenty of people that feed them. So far I haven´t seen a skinny cat (or dog), rather the opposite.
More people…
The last page of people in my sketch book.
Came across a joke the other day. Two crows sitting on a fence next to a corn field. In the distance the outline of a person. The crows are discussing whether it is a scarecrow or a human.
“Don’t worry its only a scarecrow.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“He is not looking at his smart phone.”
Still on #OneWeek100People2019
Second last of my people doodle pages from the One Week 100 People challenge. Now fully coloured. Had a short break from drawing as I was entertaining visitors the last weeks in and around Athens.
Big thank you to Gabriela for the inspiration to put in speech bubbles. Put the idea straight to action in this doodle. Also check out her brillant blog Artschaft about art gems and her exploration of paintings.
#OneWeek100People2019 – Day 5
Back from Crete! It was the best holiday ever! The food, the Raki and the mountains were incredible. I will draw some of it next week I think!
I also managed to colour in day 5 of the One Week 100 People challenge from the beginning of April. No more rainy days here. Has been beautiful sunny the last couple of days. I’m loving it!
#OneWeek100People2019 – Day 4
Finished colouring in Day 4 of last weeks 100 people challenge. It was sunny that day for a change, therefore the lack of umbrellas. I used mainly Pinterest images for reference as I prefer being comfortable on the couch while sketching.
I will be heading to Crete for the next week. So the rest will have to wait until I am back in Athens.
Happy Easter holiday everyone!
#OneWeek100People2019 – Day 3
I managed to colour in Day 3 of the One Week 100 People challenge yesterday. I also finished the last couple of people during the weekend, so I made it to 100 with a bit of delay! But I really had fun with it. Will post the remainder in the following days.
#OneWeek100People2019 – Day 2
This was Day 2 of the #OneWeek100People2019 challenge.
We had more rain, so I am sticking to the same theme. I am trying to get a better idea of people´s posture while moving and also to be more lose in my style… I am not counting the tiny shapes in the background. So I still have about 20 people to go today.
Magic Forest
From the park with flowers in bloom to the magic forest. I actually love how this one turned out. The paper was not great but I like the idea and I think I will re-do it on better paper at some point.
Sun is out
I spent the day in the park, where a lot of flowers are in bloom already. I tried to draw something different but ended up with this. The paper is anything but ideal but so far I haven´t found anything better at the art supply shop. I need to expand my search.
I also finally found inspirations for my Athens watercolour book and what I would like to put into it! So I will start with that later today. It took me a while to get used to the city but I think I am getting there.
Ciudad de México – Unfinished
These are the last two drawings for my take on”People of CDMX” as I just moved to Athens, Greece! Yes! This happened rather short notice. I fled the country of “ice and fire” and will be here for 5 months to stuff my face with olives and to enjoy the sun!
I wanted to finish these illustrations before I left Iceland but didn´t find the time. And I left the book behind because of luggage restrictions. But I already got a new one which is waiting to be filled.
The ballon seller guys in Polanco.
And the girl in the pink dress on Avenida Horacio in Polanco. I have a summer dress the same colour which I can soon wear in Athens.
Happy weekend!
Construction Workers in CDMX
On my stroll through Mexico City I encountered these guys, looking all serious business.
Scooter Girl in Polanco
Plenty people going around on scooters. I probably would do the same as traffic during rush hour is quite terrible. At least then you have a chance to make your way through.
I once made the mistake to take a cab when it started raining during rush our, which made the traffic pretty much come to a total stand still. It took us 20 min to cover about 300 metres, but for some reason I was also too lazy to get out of the car.
I have to admit I really did not pay attention to detail while doing the perspective and background on this one. I was watching a movie. So the lines are all over the place.
At the Bike Shop
I actually don´t remember seeing any street dogs in Mexico City but there are dogs everywhere. People have dogs of all shapes and sizes, and often more than one.
On my first visit in 2014 in CDMX we stayed in La Condesa were you can see dog walkers with 10-20 dogs of all sizes, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes in the park. I think I have seen more different dog breeds in Mexico City than Europe.
Moving on to Mexico City
I think I spent in total about 6-7 weeks in La Ciudad de México on my 3 visits there. I was there before and after my visit in Malinalco in April/May 2018. I stayed with a friend in San Rafael, which I thought was quite a nice part of town.
I took plenty of photos while walking around as I could not use the Uber app on my phone and could not be bothered to use taxis most of the time. And I dislike the metro or bus because of too many people. So I walked a lot. When I took photos I had a series of drawings in mind about “people of Mexico City”…. Something that was inspired by those “Humans of New York” photos that were trending several years ago. This is is my take on it.
I think this was somewhere around Juárez, on the way to La Roma.
I recently watch an artists advice video that suggested that you should mirror your drawings. I guess to see if they look right. Here is the mirrored image, the right way round of CDMX.
Tacos at Night
Lazy Sunday and I wish I had a taco stand around the corner to get some spicy comfort food.
This is one of the many stands that popped up each night in Malinalco with Tacos, tamales and other things I don´t know the names of, for all the hungry people out there.
No tacos for me tonight. I am off raiding the fridge instead.
Being Watched
1000 followers! Wouldn´t have expected this when I started drawing again less than a year ago. Thank you for your support and encouragement!
This little guy was watching me intensely while I was having lunch at La Casa de Valentina. It is a beautiful coffee-house with delicious food in the center of Malinalco. I can highly recommend it. One of the owners is an artist and the walls are covered with colourful wall art and drawings.
Rainy Day at the Mercado II
Rainy afternoon on market day in Malinalco. It was rather empty that day, as there was heavy downpour on an off. Even the dogs were looking for shelter under the tarpaulins that covered the market stalls.
Melanie Franz 