A Hand-Drawn Study of Paris

12 September, 2019 | LA & SF California

Over the last few years, I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel to various places in the world. From traversing the bright-lit streets in Seoul, South Korea to sitting in on a park bench in Paris, France, I have acquired many vivid memories of the places I have visited. Most of my adventures were usually captured via digital methods, whether through my iPhone or my Canon T6i Rebel DSLR camera.

It was during the first week of my program in Paris that I realized how beautiful the city was, and how much I wanted to meaningfully remember my time in Europe.

It was on this premise that I asked myself: How might I cherish these memories in a way that might provide an interpretation to how I see the world around me? What do I perceive that might not be easily noticeable at first-glance?

And thus, my hand-drawn series was born!

The rationale behind this project is that I also wanted to explore an analog view of what the world may look like from someone else’s perspective. I was inspired by the common saying that many photographers like to say, “Let me show you the world from my lens.” Simply put, my work is a response to that phrase.

I must admit that some of these pieces are not my favorites, and there were many times I was nervous to continue drawing. However, I reminded myself that the opportunity to be in Paris at that exact time and place would never come again, so I continued to work on my art as a means to reflect on my own skills and personal development!

Okay, sorry, that was a bit more intense than I usually am on this blog, but I hope you can enjoy my drawings as a more intimate account of what Paris was like for me.

I would also like to give a shoutout to my amazing instructors, Professor Teofilo Ruiz and TA Ryan Hilliard for continuously inspiring and encouraging us throughout this program, and never delay joy. Thank you for your support throughout this summer program – it was truly unforgettable.

Study 01: A Vegetable Garden | 27 June, 2019 , Bois de Vincennes

This was my first drawing throughout the program. It was on this day that our class was visiting Chateau de Vincennes, which was a palace that lies on the outskirts of the city of Paris. We had approximately 2.5 hours before our tour of the castle started, so we had some time to cool down from the heat wave which began that week.

I decided that I needed to take some time to sit and soak in the views, so I moved over to the shade and sat down for approximately 35 minutes to sketch the vegetable garden.

My new friend Angela was sitting and enjoying her day while listening to music - Can you spot her?

Study 02: Brasserie Lipp | 27 June, 2019 , Saint-Germain des Prés

I quickly sketched this view of the Brasserie Lipp, which was a bar that Ernest Hemingway had frequented during his time in Paris in the 1920s. My roommate, Melissa, and I were eating dinner in the outdoor patio of Café de Flore, which was right across the street from the bar. It was the perfect opportunity for a sketch.

Melissa and I went to the Brasserie Lipp right after dinner to enjoy a nice glass of wine and some pommes a l’huile, just like Hemingway did. *A quick tip: The restaurant has a dress code, so customers who come by in jeans or shorts are not allowed inside the restaurant! (Good thing we were both dressed up that night because we went to a piano concert for Chopin!)

What I want to place your focus on in this drawing is the clock that is placed below the two letters “R” and “A” in the sign “BRASSERIE.” I was trying to see if the clock was actively working to reflect the time, but upon getting closer, I noticed that it wasn’t working. I figured that this clock probably worked during the 1920s… Also, the picture may show otherwise, but the street was bustling with cars and pedestrians. I’d recommend visiting later in the evening for a calmer and quieter experience.

This sketch took me approximately 30 minutes.

Study 03: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres | 28 June, 2019 , Chartres

Although this sketch is one of my favorites, it was also one of the more difficult ones to complete. The reason is due to the fact I sat outside in direct sunlight for about 1.5 hours to draw this piece from start-to-finish. Lessons were learned from this experience: do NOT sit outside in the sun (especially during a heat wave). No excuses.

The Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is often compared to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, but what is even more fascinating about this church is that it is still fully intact and structurally sound even though it was built between 1194 and 1220. Did you know that the cathedral in Paris was modeled after this one in Chartres?

The style of architecture in this cathedral is a style that was born during the 12th Century Renaissance period - and yes, you know it – Gothic. Apparently, the development of the Gothic style was not just an architectural phenomenon, but a shift to a new cultural mindset of interpreting the world. Romanesque churches that were more commonly decorated with narrow spaces, frescos, and paintings were now out of the picture. Gothic style meant that the building itself IS the art. Just take a look at the windows and walls that behold the beauty of this cathedral!

The hardest part of drawing this piece was ensuring I captured the details of the spires - did you notice that the spire on the left is different from the right? Also, one of the spires were built before the other. Trivia time: Which spire do you think is the older one? (Hint: it’s not the taller one!)

Study 04: Louvre Museum | 03 July, 2019 , 8 Quai François Mitterrand, Paris

This drawing brings me happy memories because it was the day I decided to try exploring the city by myself! I was a bit nervous to adventure out on my own, but I knew that I wanted to try it while I was in Europe. The experience was relatively smooth-sailing because I was traveling in an area that was popular with tourists (near Champs Elysée). I was very happy to see people of all backgrounds near the Louvre – approximately 30 minutes into my sketching session, I heard a family speaking in Korean to each other, and it felt warm and familiar to hear someone speaking one of my native languages in a place that was so foreign. Being by yourself makes you think deeply…

This sketch took me approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete. If you take a closer look in the background, you can notice that the statues placed on the building are all unique to each other — none of them are the same. (I tried my best to draw each one individually……)

“Loneliness means being in touch with my inner self. I like being alone, but when I paint I don’t feel alone.” - Lillyam

Study 05: Jardin des Tuileries | 03 July, 2019 , Paris

The Jardin des Tuileries is one of my favorite places in Paris because it is so picturesque and populated with people who are either there to meet someone or simply enjoy the beauty of the garden. The garden has more benches than chairs, but I found a chair nearby to appreciate the view of the ferris wheel. Drawing this piece was fun because I got to draw a goat! The sad part, however, was that the goat was chained to the grass so it wouldn’t roam around through the park. In my drawing, I portrayed the goat to be free and unchained, so that it would be peacefully grazing without restraint.

What does this sketch remind you of? (For me, it was @feliciathegoat, who is actually Tyler the Creator, a famous rapper. @feliciathegoat is just his social media username)

  • Storytime: I shared a video of this view on Instagram, and tagged @feliciathegoat… People got confused and thought I had met Tyler the Creator… I clearly didn’t meet the rapper. But needless to say, I named the goat Felicia.

Study 06: Petit Parc | 08 July, 2019 , Versailles, Paris

Drawing this view was such a challenge. The depth and perspective is hard to translate into drawing, so I definitely struggle through this. However, it was one of my favorites because it was during this particular sketch session that I noticed something very special about the Chateau de Versailles.

Take a careful look at the small trees that are lined throughout the edges of the garden (not the tall green shrubbery in the back). What do you notice about these trees?

  • I noticed that each of these trees were uniquely groomed and trimmed to showcase a different geometric shape. Some trees were cut in the shape of a triangle with a circular base, whereas some had circular tops and square bases. I realized that if I did not take the time to carefully observe this view, I never would have noticed someone else’s artwork of the groomed trees.

    • Thank you to my wonderful TA, Ryan, for helping me analyze this experience!

This piece took me approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete. 

Study 07: Tour Eiffel | 08 July, 2019 , Avenue de New York, Paris

I like to informally title this piece as “The Proposal,” because I drew this piece right after my friends and I witnessed a wedding proposal by the Seine. The weather was absolutely perfect that evening, and our friends made a toast to the lovely couple to congratulate their new milestone.

  • Fun fact: There was a violinist standing next to the couple to play music when the proposal happened, and my friends and I essentially had a free concert while hanging out on the Seine. The moment was perfectly Parisian.

I would like to add that I didn’t really like this piece at first because the dimensions were off… but there was no turning back!

Time to complete: 45 min.

Study 08: Buttes-Chamont | 13 July, 2019 , Avenue de la Cascade, Paris

This is my favorite (and last) piece from my time in Paris. This was the day before our program ended, and our class had just finished giving presentations. Once it was time for everyone to part ways for the day, I stayed a little longer to capture the view.

I think the reason why I enjoyed this view so much is attributed to the ambiance of the park - an allusion to French culture in general. On this penultimate day in Paris, France, I wanted to take the time to carefully organize and reflect my thoughts about living here for the past month.

As one may tell, I tried to make the most of the canvas in this sketch because there was so much visual information I wanted to highlight in one drawing. Perhaps the sensory overload was the reason why I enjoyed this piece so much. If you look at the sketch carefully, you can notice a building in the background. I wanted to make it noticeable that this was still Paris by including French architecture.

I think an important observation I made during this sketch session was that there is so much beauty to admire in nature and the world around you, even when you are in a highly urban area such as Paris, France.

Conclusion

Overall, taking the time to sketch throughout my time in Paris was an incredible opportunity I did not have while living in Korea a few years earlier. To combine two of my favorite things: art and the world around me, was one of the best things I could have done while traveling, and it not only taught me how to be independent and OK with being alone in a foreign country, but also more confident in my own artistic ability to share and interpret the world around me.

Paris was a dream.

Merci beaucoup for reading through this entire project series!

Claire S Lee