Category Archives: urban

Topkapi #1

Two sketches done a year apart in the ‘twin kiosk’ rooms in the Harem section of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. The first was done in 2012 focussing on the decorative tiles and trying to get the perspective right. The second … Continue reading

Posted in buildings, from life, Istanbul, marker pen, travel, urban, white marker pen | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rear windows

1mm Pigma pen reloaded with Lexington grey, Lexington grey water-brush, white Gelly Roll pen, watercolour, A6 – 50 minutes Revisiting Marlborough buildings, this time the higgledy-piggledy back, on an overcast afternoon. You can pick out some of the symmetry and … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, buildings, from life, kit, Lexington grey, line drawing, sketching, urban, watercolour sketch | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Marlborough light

1mm Pigma pen, white and blue Uni Posca brush markers, Lexington grey water-brush, dilute blue and brown ink for roof and chimneys, A5 – 30 mins line drawing on location, 20 mins adding ink washes and colour at home Wet … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, buildings, coloured paper, from life, inks, Lexington grey, urban, white marker pen | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Night vision

Sketching at night presents some extra challenges; cold hands, low light, and increased self-consciousness (“What’s he up to…?”). So these two were done fast by the light of street lamps; the first while waiting for a bus in Larkhall (Streetview link), … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, buildings, from life, inks, Lexington grey, monochrome, night, pencil, urban, waiting | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Pedestrian

Another sketch done while walking, this time behind family members on a Christmas holiday walk. The light ink-wash was added back home. Pencil, Lexington grey water-brush, A7 – 2 minutes

Posted in family, from life, Lexington grey, line drawing, monochrome, pencil, people, sketching, urban | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Stormy weather

Storms are battering the coast and flood warnings are in place across the UK after a very wet and windy Christmas. This was the sky above Bath at dusk yesterday, some of the clouds  shedding rain as they pass. Lexington … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, clouds, from life, Lexington grey, seasonal, sky, urban, weather | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Grey paper

A quiet street near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul on a hot summer Sunday morning, a pool of dappled shade slowly moving across the tarmac. I love the strong contrast produced by gouache on coloured paper, very useful for (relatively) … Continue reading

Posted in Birds, buildings, coloured paper, from life, gouache, Istanbul, Lexington grey, monochrome, sketching, urban, waiting, white marker pen | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Didcot

Double page montage from a day visiting London. A tired underground train passenger, Didcot power station seen on the return train to Bath, and a contour drawing of chairs back home. The brown wash on the sketches is black tea, added … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, from life, journeys, Lexington grey, London, monochrome, sketching, trains, urban, zoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walcot Street

Night-time view up Walcot Street  while waiting for a burger at Schwartz Bros, a Bath institution. It took about 3 minutes to draw the lines on location, and 5 more at home to add the ink wash and yellow highlights … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, buildings, from life, Lexington grey, monochrome, night, urban, vehicles, waiting | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shrubbery steps

Bath is full of steep footpaths, and I’ve sketched this one several times before, always looking down.  Here I’m looking up for a change, on an overcast afternoon.  1mm Pigma pen, water-brush with dilute Lexington grey and Windsor and Newton inks, … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, coloured paper, from life, inks, Lexington grey, sketching, urban | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment