Café Javasti as Nocturne

 

12/6/25 Cafe Javasti, Maple Leaf neighborhood

I don’t sketch at Café Javasti, only five blocks away and my closest coffee shop, as often as you’d think I would. Although convenient (and they do make a mean scone), it’s small and tends to be a little dark. That dim lighting, though, gave me an idea: It would be ideal for practicing nocturnal sketching even indoors.

Sitting in back, I could sketch other patrons backlit by the large windows. I especially enjoyed sketching the chairs in this minimal way: a white colored pencil for the soft reflected light and a white Gelly Roll for the bright highlights.