Washington Square Park
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Brooklyn-based artist Gavin Snider captures the energy of New York City through urban sketching. Venturing to the likes of Grand Central Terminal, Greenwich Village, and Chinatown, he highlights one of the best reasons to live in Manhattan (and the surrounding boroughs)—there are so many different things to see and do. From contemporary structures to historical homes, his pen and ink drawings reflect what makes the city such an exciting place to live and work.
Snider travels light when it comes to his sketching tools. He favors a Uni-ball ballpoint pen, a Sharpie, and Chartpak AD markers for drawing on-site. “I use many sketchbooks (far too many),” he shares with My Modern Met, “but lately I like the Baron Fig sketchbook and the Canson Mix Media sketchbook.”
With the proper tools in tow, Snider typically spends one to two hours sketching architecture, trees, and the people that inhabit his chosen space. Doing this has been the best way for him to experience the city. “I started drawing on site when I was living in Kansas City, Missouri,” he says. He’d spend his Sunday afternoons with his art supplies and wander (or drive) until he found something to sketch. “Now I live in New York, and there's certainly no shortage of buildings to draw, my objective is different,” he explains. “I challenge myself to use the act of drawing to tell a story. It's not always easy, but every time I draw, the act of discovery feels fresh and new.”
You can purchase prints of Snider's work through his online shop.
Artist Gavin Snider captures the energy of New York City through his on-site urban sketching.
Lower East Side
Coney Island
Chinatown
East Village
The Met Breuer
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Bleecker Street
Doyers Street
Lower East Side
Ford Foundation
Greenwich Village
Grand Central Terminal
Chinatown
Lower East Side
East Village
Tribeca
Manhattan Bridge
The High Line
Lower East Side
Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Hudson River Park
Gavin Snider: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Gavin Snider.
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