Sketches at Euljiro, Seoul

old fashioned Bangsan Market, traditional wholesale market, pen and watercolor 

(35x51cm)

an old Japanese style house, pen and watercolor (29.5x42cm)

a scene of Sampoong Arcade and surroundings, pen and watercolor (29.5x42cm)

famous buildings around Sogong-dong viewed from Euljiro 1-ga, pen and watercolor (35x51cm)

Months have passed without off-line sketch meetings. But passionate sketchers keep posting on-line without off-line regular meetup sketching. Last Saturday, usk Seoul held a regular sketch meeting at Euljiro in downtown Seoul. Euljiro has long been a hub of Seoul's industry and business, and residential and commercial facilities coexist, and transportation is very convenient with subway line 2. Especially, it is interesting to see the old and new things, the harmony of preservation and development, history and future changes in Seoul.

I first started sketching crawl from the old Bangsan Market around Euljiro 4-ga. Soon after, an old shabby Japanese style house in the alley of the market caught my eyes. Then I sketched quickly it before the truck leaves,. After lunch, I walked down the main street and went up to the second-floor deck of Daelim Arcade on Euljiro 3-ga. And I sketched a bridge connecting Sampoong Arcade and a building under construction nearby. 

At last, avoiding the shower, I sat on the stairs of the subway Euljiro 1-ga Station Exit.I sketched colorful buildings around Sogong-dong crowded with famous department stores.

What a nice day to sketch outdoors in the natural air!

Hope you all safe and hard situation to be ended soon.

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팬데믹으로 움추려 오던 몇개월이 길게 느껴집니다~

조심스레 그림도구를  펼치는 을지로가 반갑습니다.

길고도 평면적이고 하늘을 솟는 높이가 특징이지만

을지로의 틈새공간과 거대한 덩어리속의 세포분열은

역사 문화와 모듬살이 삶에서 변화하는 과정같습니다.

전통시장, 상가, 조명과 쇳덩어리, 영화세트 골목과 빌딩들..

이곳저곳 그리면서 인간미와 기계음이 섞여 돌아가는 

을지로는 쉴틈없이 살아 움직이는 스케치 테마 공장입니다

Sketches at Dongdaemun Design Plaza and its surroundings

DDP and the surroundings viewed from the park, pencil and watercolor,

(36 x 51cm)

main approach way of DDP viewed from the Eoullim Plaza, 

pen and watercolor soluble pencil, (36 x 51cm)

street scene around Sinpyeonghwa Market viewed from Ogansugyo Bridge,

pen and watercolor, (29.6 x 42cm)

Dongdaemun Shoes Market, pencil and watercolor, (21 x 29.6cm)

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Last Saturday, for the 65th World Wide SketchCrawl event, Seoul sketches gathered to sketch on the Ogansugyo Bridge around the DDP(Dongdaemun Design Plaza).
It was a pleasant but rather chilly day. Although only a few members participated, the sketching subjects were always diverse and rich, so it was a good atmosphere for sketching. DDP is famous for its huge architecture as a new tourist attraction in downtown Seoul. Since I have often sketched here, all the scenes are familiar, but the colorful architecture of various scales and vibrant streets are always renew my mind.
I drew various commercial buildings around Cheonggyecheon in the morning. And after lunch, I sketched new scenes with the huge landmark DDP of Dongdaemun.
The area around Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, which contains the history of Seoul's life culture, is an excellent place to provide vivid scenes to Seoul sketches all the time. My posting is late because I traveled abroad right after this sketching event.
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동대문 주변의 생생한 열기는 사시사철 스케치의 열망을 불러오고
낯익은 곳이면서도 모든 요소가 맞물려 새롭게 보이는 매력적인 곳입니다.
DDP 스케치를 마치고 곧바로 해외여행을 다녀오느라 포스팅이 늦었습니다.

Sketches at Under Stand Avenue, Seoul

open-air market viewed from the outdoor stage, pen and watercolor, (36 x 51cm)

 a sketch at the main entrance of Under Stand Avenue, pen and pastel, (36 x 51cm)

a scene of crowded open-air market, pen and watercolor, (29.6 x 42cm)

a young couple sells the fresh blueberries, pen and watercolor, (29.6 x 42cm)

a scene of the outdoor stage, pencil, (29.6 x 42cm)

nearby buildings beyond Walkshop Loft Garden, pen and pastel, (29.6 x 42cm)

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It was too hot last Saturday, Seoul usk members met at Under Stand Avenue (언더스탠드 애비뉴) located between Seoul Forest (서울숲) and Seoul Forest Station. Under Stand Avenue, made of 116 recycled colorful containers complex, is attracting locals and tourists in eastern Seoul. The complex serves as a creative public cultural space for teenagers, artists, local vendors and small brands. There is also an outdoor stage for cultural performances, local community organize special events and various workshops every month. The very day we visited Under Stand Avenue, it was market day once a month on 4th Saturday for the food and beverage produced by urban farmers. The street mall was full of open-air shops with temporary colorful tents and crowded people. Unfortunately many stores and unique restaurants on the 2nd floor rooftop were under renewal construction, we couldn't help sketching outdoors on the ground level in search of the shadow.

I sketched the lively scenes of the crowded market with colorful tents and streetscape including nearby buildings harmonizing with moving cranes. It was a very exciting sketch time despite the summer heat.

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컨테이너 명소인 언더스탠드 애비뉴~~ 

커먼 그라운드에서의 "광장"분위기와는 달리

"스트리트 몰"과 숲이 어우러진 새로운 느낌입니다.

예기치 않았던 "장날"과 "대형 리모델링 공사"로

2층에서 보는 좋은 각도의 입체적 장면을 못 그렸지만

땅 레벨에서 보는 번잡한 시장 모습과 하늘을 덮는 천막,

사이사이 보이는 율동같은 모습과 시시각각 변하는 그림자...

스케치 현장은 "가변성이 있고 예측불가"라는 것도 매력적입니다.

sketches at Gwangjang Market (광장시장), Seoul

entrance to the Food Court

scene of the market crowded with people

cooking scene of Korean traditional Pan Cake (빈대떡)

scene of Korean traditional clothing shops

Underground Shopping Center connected with Gwangjang Market

the main gate of Gwangjang Market (정문)

the north gate of Gwangjang Market (북문)

the south gate of Gwangjang Market(남문) near Cheonggyecheon Stream

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( 21 x 29.6 cm sketchbook, pen and watercolor )

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Few days ago, I visited the old-fashioned Gwangjang Market locate in Jongno-gu, the central district of downtown Seoul. Gwangjang Market has over 110 years of history. The market is one of Korea's largest traditional market and continues to thrive as a popular tourist destination today. Moreover the market has long been famous for many non-stop shopping and exotic eating areas draw thousands of visitors to the market everyday. It was a cold weather, but the market streets were crowded with people ceaselessly. 

I sketched some colorful scenes in and outside the bustling Gwangjang Market and the 

surroundings in an exciting atmospheres.

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북적거리는 종로의 새로운 관광명소...

110년 세월의 광장시장은 서울시민의 역사~

삶의 희로애락의 사연들을 쉴새없이 쏟아내며

발디딜 틈없이 바쁘게 돌아가는 먹거리 장터는

삶의 역동적인 풍물을 담는 좋은 스케치 장소입니다.

three sketches in pencil

Seodaemun Independence Park seen from the 3rd floor of Seran General Hospital,

18 x 24.5 cm

Mother waiting for her turn at Seran General Hospital

18 x 24.5 cm

part of Yujin shopping store, Hongje-dong

pencil, 18 x 24.5 cm

Two weeks ago I went to the Seran General Hospital for my mother's check-up. While waiting for her turn I sketched the scenery of the park and my mother. The third one was drawn just across the Yujin shopping store (Yujin Sanga). The shopping mall locates across the Inwang traditional market. Therefore the back street which is shown above is busy with people, trucks and cars. The long awning, colorful parasols with dark inside looked attractive always. Though the wind blew very strongly I could borrow a plastic stool from the kind woman who was selling fried food in small store. Thankfully I could finish the sketch well. 

두주일전에 어머니 모시고 세란병원에 갔습니다. 예약없이 갔기 때문에 기다리는 시간이 좀 있었어요. 세란병원 갈때마다 3층에서 보이는 서대문 독립공원과 서대문 형무소를 그려보곤합니다. 어머니도 그려보았어요. 맨 아랫 그림은 유진 상가 뒷길에서 본 풍경입니다. 긴 천막과 파라솔이 재미있는 곳입니다. 인왕시장쪽 가게에서 튀김가게를 하시는 아주머니로부터 의자를 하나 빌려서 바람이 몹시 부는 날이었으나  감사하게도 편하게 앉아서 그릴 수 있었습니다. 

sketching together at the Seoul Folk Flea Market, Sinseol-dong (서울 풍물 시장)

drums, kitchen ware and animal sculpture made of brass

pencil, watercolor, 17.5 x 27.5 cm

female tailor who reforms the clothes bought in the market for the customer

pen, watercolor, 17.5 x 27.5 cm

winnowing machine (풍구), pen, watercolor, 17.5 x 27.5 cm

projectors, phonograph, accordions, and sewing machine

pen, watercolor, A 4

It was a very cold day of minus 7 degrees. Snow fallen the other day was frozen on streets still. Temperature inside the Seoul Folk Flea Market was warmer than the outside by the big heater at the entrance gate. Lee Yong Hwan, Park Jea Wook, Han Kyung Eun, Lee Sang Jin, Kim So Hyoung and I participated in. Kinds of things including Korean traditional living ware caught our eyes. I don't know how many days might be needed for us to draw them alll. Because it was a weekend, so many customers or tourists visited to buy or to enjoy the atmosphere. Hope the market to develop onwards. 

Thank you all!

오늘 예보된대로 매우 추웠지만 여섯분의 스케쳐들께서 참여하시고 즐거운 시간 가졌습니다. 간간이 내리는 눈이 또한 운치를 더하였구요. 서울 풍물 시장분들도 시장에서 그림을 그린다는 것이 시장 홍보에 도움이 된다는 점을 인식하고 협조해주셔서 감사했습니다. 추운 날씨에 함께 스케치할 수 있어 좋았습니다. 감사합니다.

merchants in street near Inwang market, Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (인왕시장 근처의 상인)

a female merchant selling vegetable, seen from Mcdonalds, Hongje-dong, 

pen and watercolor, 13 x 18 cm

merchant on street near Inwang market, Hongje-dong

colored paper, pencil, pastels, 19 x 25 cm

Around Yujin shopping mall a big traditional market Inwang Market has been formed with various kinds of mongers around it. I feel like to sketch the merchants on streets when I pass them who live hardly and sincerely.

홍제동 인왕시장 주변은 야채, 과일 등을 파는 제법 큰 재래시장이 형성되어 있습니다. 그 주변을 지나노라면 따뜻한 햇살 아래에 그들을 마주보며 스케치 한장 하고 싶어집니다. 

on a warm day at Jongno Culture & Gym and Cheongryangri Market

at the side entrance of the Jongno Culture and Gym, charcoal, A 4

I could capture a new scenery which I've used to pass by.

The blue building located near the Sejongno Catholic Church had been catching my eyes always whenever I had passed it. The composition at the bottom of which Korean traditional house remained out of redevelopment of the area looked different from the usual spots where I'd sketched before. I drew this one in front of the main gate of Sajig Park, Sajig-dong, Jongno-ku, Seoul.

On the way going to Cheongryangri market I sketched the woman at bus. She offered her seat to an old woman. How kind she was!

I took a seat at the market, so big...to capture would never be possible. 

Always bustling, being crowded, lively.........

He was cutting the half-dried pollack to his customer.

I drew one more being caught by the sunlit scenery full of energy.

How convenient was it to use soft pastels and charcoal instead of watercolors!

I love both the material and the scenery.