Ep 9 - Finding Values with Marek Badzynski

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In today’s episode, I am speaking with Marek Badzynski, an urban-sketcher in Toronto, Canada. I met Marek at the USK Seminar in Chicago last year, and we bonded over some sketching habits we both share. Both of us love to draw quickly, we go in straight with ink, and we like to use fountain pens. That said, I draw people next to buildings, and Marek draws buildings next to people. Marek uses a bent nib fountain pen, known as a fude pen, on sheets of paper that are much larger than my sketchbooks. We talk about how he came to use the fude nib for the first time, and how it adds a flair to his work while keeping his art supply list minimal. As a relatively new user of the fude nib, I highly recommend it, especially if you are already a fountain pen user. Being impatient artists, both of us talk about the importance of lowering the barrier to getting started on an empty page. I feel like this is the biggest barrier of them all, and if we can only train ourselves to get started quickly, everything afterward will be a lot easier.


Transcript

03:00 Nishant asks about Marek going back to sketch the same scene

11:15 Marek talks about choosing the right location to sketch from in a busy place. Addresses comfort and also how to avoid getting disturbed.

Nishant addresses #1 worry of aspiring sketchers - What will people say?

Pro-tip: Wear earphones without plugging them in, and no one will bother you.

Marek talks about importance of not moving your head too much. The value of sketching during rush-hour, morning or evening, when people are themselves plugged into things and do not notice you at all.

They talk about the value of picking your 2nd or 3rd choice of point of view when sketching from location, because of tourists, foot-traffic, local law enforcement.

They discuss making edits to the scene you see, when the drawing is not based on realism. 

Marek talks about drawing quickly while drawing on a large sheet of paper.

28:00 Nishant and Marek about “finding the solution that works” for us.

30:00 Nishant asks about Marek using fude nib fountain pens.

35:30 Marek talks about how he got into USk and love for drawing from observation since college days as an architecture student

The change from analog to digital in the professional world and how there is a resurgence in the appeal of handmade work.

40:00 Talk about live-doodling as a way to draw with your “happy subconscious”, drawing with zero expectations to get a better outcome

Getting into the habit of seeing more things by getting into the habit of drawing regularly

48:30 Nishant asks about Marek’s experience in the 80s selling art to tourists when photography was less prevalent.

Nishant compares Marek’s experience of selling to locals with his own experience in Eau Claire.

62:00 Nishant asks what it is like to draw paintings to sell to others. They discuss how style/work changes when you do commissions.

The value of doing things on a tight deadline, slipping into “auto-pilot”

Nishant talks about Joel Berman’s workshop about drawing quicker and quicker to whittle down to the essentials.

They talk about the value of limitations/constraints which, counter-intuitively, can set you free.

Marek shares how he got into using water soluble graphite, understanding values better than colors.

73:45 Nishant asks about USk Toronto

Nishant asks about Marek’s choice of art supplies, using loose sheets instead of sketchbooks to combat “sketchbook-phobia”.

The importance of lowering the barrier to “getting started” as a location-sketcher

80:00 Marek details the process of doing an urban sketch, from start to finish

Nishant remarks on the hesitation novice sketchers have with regard to drawing because of “not having all the answers”.

They discuss how urban sketching is a happy time on screen-saver mode, how it becomes a reason to go to places, how the results are irrelevant.

88:00 Nishant speaks about “giving permission to make bad art” and Marek re-emphasizes the importance of feeling happy and chasing happiness.


Links

  • USk Toronto on Instagram

  • [YouTube] An explainer about fude nib pens by urban sketcher and vlogger Teoh Yi Chie

  • Wes Douglas on Instagram, urban sketcher and instructor of “Urban Uglies” workshop

  • [Podcast] Catch the other episode links