I love that part of Hampstead Heath by the big ponds, especially those big multi-windowed brown brick houses clustered along the edge. That’ll be them above. Not sure I’d like the famous night-time entertainment though; all those politicians out looking for votes, as it were.
Did this drawing over a couple of evenings (interrupted by baby-feeding). Below is the work-in-progress.
This is the magnificent Maughan Library on chancery Lane, part of King’s College London. Here I studied every day while doing my MA in medieval English, and I loved this building. It used to be the public records office.
The sketching day from the previous post actually began on the South Bank, the very crowded South Bank, full of half-termers, tourists and sidewalk entertainers (did I just say ‘sidewalk’? You know technically that makes me a tourist now, you know). Before the London Eye, nobody could care less about the South Bank, other than a place to come and have a quick snap of parliament, and its clocktower.
I used to come down on Saturdays when I was in my teens and draw this very view; most of the people down there in those days were homeless. I remember thinking, of Hungerford Bridge, why it was so stupid there was a shaky walkway on the east side (looking towards waterloo bridge) but not the west (looking towards parliament). Nowadays with those two spectacular modern bridges either side of the railway, you can get great views from wherever (plus the bridges now make that old one look like the rope bridge from Temple of Doom). I sketched the extravagant Whitehall Court from the west bridge, as rain clouds drew in.
The riverside entertainer below was drawn in a warm dark grey faber-castell pen, using a lighter grey brush pen to shade. I don’t normally shade like that so wanted to give it a go.
The funny feeling I got that day, looking out across the Thames, was that I was not really there, that I was looking though a window upon something very familiar, that it was a bit like a dream and soon I’d have to wake up and go to work. I used to cross Westminster Bridge six or more times a day, on the top of a tour bus, with microphone and rain jacket, my routine well-rehearsed, and now here I was, a tourist in my own back-yard. Well, a tourist with a sketchbook.
A familiar skyline to all Burnt Oakers: Watling Avenue, in the rain, leading downhill towards the tube station. While most of the shops change over the years, the skyline of sloping chimneys has remained the same. Actually one shop that’s been there all my life is Vipin’s, the stationers where I bought my pens and paper growing up. It hasn’t changed a bit. (I do wish they’d stock Micron Pigmas though!)
This is my contribution for Drawing Day 2008. Micron Pigma .01. It’s also my Illustration Friday entry (theme: ‘forgotten’, because I felt like I’d almost forgotten what it was like in Burnt Oak, until I went back just recently and was quickly reminded; this skyline, however, will never be so quickly forgotten).
I regret not sketching as much as I now do when I lived in London, for there is so much history and life to draw. I’ve drawn these railings before (with a burnt bike), and I thought I should start my sketching here. I met Simon and we proceeded on a sketchcrawl through a surprisingly sunny London. We walked through the narrow streets of St Giles and Covent Garden, as the city I’d not seen in a year came flooding back. After drawing the pic below (a whisky shop in covent garden; i was trying out a new brown micron pigma, i need to work on that effetc though), we stopped off for a Belgian beer (I had Maredsous) and some frites at the Bierodrome in Kingsway.
And then, through my old haunts of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Chancery Lane (to see the spectacular Maughan Library), and Fleet Street, before crossing Ludgate (pointing out the face of King Lud) and reaching St. Paul’s (and doing the sketch on the right, previously posted). More to come!
What a great week for british football, what a bad week for the labour party, what a terrible week for London. Now let’s see how many election promises boris can break (banning bendy buses? you are, as they say, avinalarf, intya). My own week started off badly; After a sad rescue attempt, I finally abandoned the bike, being unable to move the back wheel at all. I felt very sad, like I was shooting my horse or something. None of my tools could fix it (yes, I have the odd tool). Then a bird pooed on my new trousers and favourite shirt. I’ve also been off drawing, just haven’t been able to do it, partly just bored with the same trees at lunchtime, partly head interior all fuzzy. Hey, it’s May; funny how that happened so quickly.
This is the back of my building at work, lunchtime today, from a bench. I will draw in colour again, I promise.
The last, or the 24th if you prefer, of the You See Davis word/image unrelations. It has been fun. I will do more, similar things of equal unimportance. There may be slight differences. Rounded edges, perhaps.
This could be anywhere.
But it’s the large metallic window-sparse building called the ‘Death Star’ locally. I don’t know why; it’s not round, it has no superlaser, as far as I’m aware it has the ability to process a lot of paperwork but not yet functional to destroy planets, and I think its exhaust pipes are a little better protected. Maybe the locals know something I don’t? Tractor beams? There are a lot of farmers here…
I’m in California, but this is Aix-en-Provence. I spent a year there from 2001 to 2002; I met my wife there, and she met me there too. I drew this last night, Micron Pen 01, and intended to add a wash, possibly in a warm sepia; I still might, but quite like it as it is.
Aix is art country. I did draw a lot while I was there, and paint, but I wish I could go back and draw and paint more, in the way I do nowadays. The light is amazing there – like in California, but possibly better. You have toi watch out for dog-poo though, and dog-people. Et les nains de jardin au parc jourdan, bien sur.
The 18th Worldwide Sketchcrawl took place on Saturday, and I popped across the Causeway for the midtown Sacramento version. Three other sketchers were there, at the Sutter’s fort meeting point; none made it to the ending point, at the Streets of London pub on J street. It was the seventh time I’ve done the Sketchcrawl, and it’s nice to know I’m absolutely not the only one out on the streets somewhere on the planet with pen and sketchbook. Here are my results:
I went to the art store, and found my favourite sketching tool yet: a fold-up stool that easily fits into my small shoulder bag! Only $11. No more sitting on the dirty floor; it means I can sketch anywhere now (normally I find the comfy spot first, then choose what to draw).
petescully 