There are days where my goal of doing art every day is so much harder than other days. After 6 hours of plane travel (having gotten up at five in the morning), 2+ hours of walking up and down the Vegas strip, and then a decadent french bistro dinner at Mon Ami Gabi on the Vegas strip, it was almost impossible to find time. I did manage to sketch from a Pexels reference photo while I was on the plane ride. I thought I had brought along my lovely micron ink pens, but all I had was a blue ballpoint pen. The ballpoint pen had an irregular ink flow, and at the end of the sketching session, my hand was cramping. I think the girl’s torso is too long, but it was a good experience to work through the session.
A few tips on working with the ballpoint pen: run the pen on a separate page to get the ink flowing first. When I didn’t do that, the initial press of the pen would end up in a glob of ink that was easy to smear. The other tip was to press very lightly when shading. If you pressed too the lines would come out unevenly. If you have more tips for working with ballpoint pens for arts, share them!
Just a few more initial observations about Vegas. We checked into Marriott’s Grand Chateau. It’s funny to think of a Grand Chateau in the middle of a southwestern desert. But that’s really what Las Vegas does — builds shiny simulacra to make you think that you’re anywhere but here. Walk a few minutes, and you’ll be in a replica of Paris or New York City or Venice. The other observation is that the walking experience is supremely unpleasant. The sidewalks are packed, and they are constantly routing you up these overpasses that never take you to exactly where you want to go. They route you through the casinos so you have to walk through them first. And, with the legalization of marijuana in Nevada, even the shortest of walks on the Strip bathes you in the overwhelming stench of marijuana.
What a strange place Las Vegas is, one where families walk down the street alongside roving bachelor parties with people drinking booze in the middle of the day out of foot-long glasses, people hanging out in drum circles smoking pot, and scantily clad showgirls (and men) sidling up to you asking if they you pictures with them, for a price.
It’s definitely an experience, and the people-watching opportunities are wonderful. We’re only here for a few days, and that’s quite enough.
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