I’ve been reading Freehand Drawing and Discovery by James Richards. Richards is an architect so his drawings look like planning proposals, but it’s got a lot of good tips on creating simple but effective urban landscapes. It also mentions ‘serial visions’, a series of sequential drawings that share the experience of moving through a city (see below for the original source). So I had a go at a ‘serial vision‘ in Tenby; I didn’t have long and only managed 4 line drawings, adding the shade and colour later. Imagine you’re walking through a gate tower in the ancient city walls, past some shops, towards a tree, where you turn left. (Here’s the Google Streetview version. And there’s a Seattle urban sketcher’s attempt here.). I like the way a sequence of pictures adds the sense of time passing, and I’ll try another one in Bath soon.
Platinum sepia pigment ink in fountain pen, Lexington grey water-brush, watercolour, A5 – about 10 minutes per drawing
The idea of ‘serial visions’ appears in Gordon Cullen’s 1961 urban planning book ‘Townscape’. Here’s his explanation:
Mostly drawing 
I liked your sketches better, but I get the drift. Decided to take a walk all the way to Heywood. Interesting area. Saw a lot of potential sketches. Your posts are always so different. Glad I subscribe. Thanks. Patsye
Thanks Patsye, Ed
This is really interesting! I have been following your blog for a while, and discovered Danny Gregory´s work through you. Excellent drawings, very inspiring!
Hi Viktoria, thanks for the comment, Danny Gregory’s influence spreads! I haven’t signed up for his ‘skool’, but his books continue to inspire, especially ‘An Illustrated Life/Journey’. Have your tours of England brought you to Stonehenge or Avebury here in the South West? So far I’ve only seen Stockholm, but I’m looking forward to exploring more of Sweden. Ed
I am thinking of signing up for one of Gregory´s “klasses”, perhaps in the Spring, I am doing a drawing course at a Swedish “evening school” (of sorts) at the moment, working on my skills at drawing. I have read two more of Gregory´s books though, the one you mention and “Everyday matters” – he is endlessly inspiring. I am sending “The creative licence” to my brother-in-law, who is another frustrated would-be-draughtsman, or so my sister says.
I have yet to visit Stonehenge and Avebury, but I have definitely Salisbury high on my list of places to spend at least a week. I have been toying with the idea of designing myself some kind of Constable-themed journey. Bath is also on my list – I am a devoted fan of Austen. Very envious of you, who gets to live there! 😀
Good choice, ‘The Creative License’ got me sketching in the first place. Let me know if you get to Bath and I’ll arrange a sketchcrawl. The Austen festival was last month, including a parade of over 500 people in costume! Ed
Thank you! Will do.