Decided to go visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City this afternoon. Today I learned that you can't use ink-pens to sketch in the galleries. (Thank you, Mr. Security Guard Man...who was kind enough to pull a pencil from his pocket so I could keep drawing the "Bullock Cart" sketch below). So, my sketches didn't turn out quite the way I would have liked. The Knight (above) was drawn using a "B" lead pencil. I needed a much softer lead for the kind of contrast I wanted to achieve. I pushed my luck trying to throw on some washes...probably not allowed either.
The "Bullock Cart" earthenware sculpture below was drawn mostly with pen...until the nice guard came by. I finished the sketch with the brown pencil I had on me (and added highlights with a white pencil).
The sketch below was the first drawing of the day...I got to the museum way before it opened at noon. Apparently, there was no rule about not using an ink pen, as long as I stayed in my car in the garage while drawing.
Very cool sketches, anyway, Warren! (I used colored pencils once with no problem...)
ReplyDeleteLive and learn! Super sketches regardless of the rules and regulations. Kate probably has a good idea. Need my water color pencils?
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by the differences between museums with respect to rules. Was the anti-pen rule against ANY kind of pen? No Micron/Pitt pens? No fountain pens?
ReplyDeleteI've been told that one of the museums in Montreal has a rule against using an eraser :-)
I've been doing a lot of sketching at our museum of civilisation. There, I use fountain pens for the sketching and watercolor pencils and a waterbrush to add color. The guards come and watch me do this, commenting on how nice it is, so they must not see it as a threat.
It is interesting that different museums have differing rules. When I sketch at the Natural History Museum at KU, everything is behind glass. But at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, lots of items are out in the open, so great care must be taken than no harm comes to the art.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think to tell the guard that I was using a felt marker pen...no loose ink was in a cartridge. Not sure that would have mattered. As for watercolor pencils...I think the brush pen with water would be frowned upon too.
Never hurts to ask first...or be quick about your sketching before the guards get there!!! (Okay...I'm not advocating doing that last part! I don't want to be banned from the museums!!)