Multitasking: Sketching at Work

After five years of being a full-time artist, I’m back in the retail industry. As a family man, setting aside my art to work on a full time job to provide and make ends meet, pay bills, and save money is the most practical option for me right now.

After five years of being a full-time artist, I’m back in the retail industry. As a family man, setting aside my art to work on a full time job to provide and make ends meet, pay bills, and save money is the most practical option for me right now.

The only challenge is that working on my art has become quite a struggle. So to ease the itch while enduring an 11-hour shift, I do on-location sketches of the things around me during off-peak hours perhaps to ease the loneliness and boredom.

I guess one of the perks of being an urban sketcher.

Kiosks Lower Ground

SM City Laoag City

Ink on paper

A5 2025

Inside Paoay Ruins

Inside Paoay Ruins

Watercolor 2016

Paoay will always be on the list of my most visited place for my sketches here in Ilocos Norte. been visiting the place for a couple of times but yesterday marks my first time to step inside the Paoay Ruins, which is a usual venue of their Tumba Festival during November.
#PaoayKumakaway

Few snaps after sketching inside the classic, now refurbished Paoay Ruins.

As per the tour guide, the places was an old convent during the Spanish time.

More info here:

https://withonespast.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/the-old-convent-ruins-of-paoay/

Before leaving, here's a special view outside the historical ruins which is located beside the San Agustin Church at Paoay. A must visit place when you go here in the North. 

Takip Silim (Twilight)

    "View Outside The Studio"

Pen and Ink, 2016

First of all, I would say I was too slack in updating our group blog for the past few months and it's been ages since I was able to post my previous sketches. Moving on, sharing a sketch I have made a year ago, here's a view outside my studio while I am at home here in Laoag. The setting is already in twilight, as it is already 6 PM. I'll be probably doing more sketches like these.

Tuguegarao Sakbay Cagayan (An Unexpected Visit at Tuguegarao City)

it was about 8am when I sketched these series of commercial spaces along the highway near the terminal of PUVs going to Flora, Aparri & Ballesteros etc at Tanza, Tuguegarao City. despite the unexpected miscommunications, im still happy to be able to see and sketch a small portion of Tuguegarao on a twilight scene.

Sketswok Iddiay Siyudad iti Baguio (Sketchwalk at Baguio City) Part 2

Sketches in Sunshine Park

Baguio City

by David Brianne Ace Maalihan

At first I'm thinking "Bakit mo kailangan madaliin yung paggawa ng art?" (Why do you have to be quick in making art?) but as soon as I got to experience it, it changed my perspective looking at Urban Sketchers, for that brief amount of time kasi, you capture the moment, the happenings, the essence of the scenery. 

Yung hindi yung ganda yung dinadrawing mo, kundi yung kung ano yung totoong nangyayari.

David Maalihan is a graduating student of University of the Philippines Baguio (CAC) and he is one of the participants for USk Ilocos' First Campus Sketchwalk held last March at the UP Baguio.

These were few of his sketches during the one day sketching activity.

View on outside the Governor Pack Rd. Overpass

Baguio City

"By capturing the essence of the place you need to in-vibe the scenery. 

If its chaotic or peaceful it should show on your drawing"

Quick sketch of Baguio Cathedral

Beside the Sky Zone

Baguio City

Kapitol, Sentro iti Siyudad (Capitol, Center of the City)

Ilocos Norte Capitol

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 

2900

Maysa nga malem, malpas iti pinagubra, nasangok pimmasyar sentro tapnu mai-drawing ko iti mesa nga lugar nga kanayun ko malabasan lalo nu damom nga umay iti siyudad iti Laoag. Nu daduma, madim maiwasan nga umay naka buyaen iti aglabas nga tao lalo nu makita da ka nga nakatambay nga madama iti patugaw na, madamat sketch, wennu nakaiggem iti naingpis nga papel, pinta ken brush, ngato baba iti ulo na. Kas mesa nga naipa puswan nga Urban Sketcher, detuy iti kanayon ko nga mapadasan lalo nu madama nak ag-drawing iti sab-sabali nga lugar.

-

One afternoon, after my work, I went to take a stroll into the heart of the city to draw this place I used to pass by esp if you are going to Laoag City Often times, you cant avoid people to see/watch you most esp. when you are sitting in a corner, sketching, or holding a thin piece of paper, paint and brush. As one of the dedicated Urban Sketcher, this is always the kind of experience i go through in sketching different places.

The Travel Journal: Panagbisita Iddiay Burgos, Ilocos Sur (A Visit to Burgos, Ilocos Sur)

Quick sketch of few butchers while they're preparing to cook pork meat for a gathering.

The Travel Journal

Burgos, Ilocos Sur

We traveled to Burgos, Ilocos Sur last February to attend a christening.  Due to a limited time and few errands, I still managed to do a quick random sketches. I would say pocket sized journals are very handy every time I want to do on-the-go sketches.

Quick sketch inside the Starex Van while going home to Laoag.

The Travel Diary

Sketching Inside A Van

It was also my second time to sketch while inside a moving vehicle and this time, inside a moving van. This was the scene inside the car with my relatives while we were on our way going home to Laoag.