Tag: france

“i don’t want chocolates, i want paris”

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"i don't want a box of chocolates, i want paris!"

No, I’m not in France. I drew this from a photo, the Cathedral of Sacre-Coeur in Paris’s Montmartre, for the Pence Gallery’s Valentine’s Day thing. Imagine it in a black frame with a red matte, and there you have it. Drawn with that favourite brown-black Uniball signo dx um-151 pen (yes you do have to say the whole name of the pen, it’s like announcing royalty) on classic cream Canson paper. It’s been a long time since I was last in Paris. I think it was when I changed a train there, a much delayed Eurostar, more than ten years ago.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

restlessness has siezed me now it’s true

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villefranche sur mer

I finished the Villefranche-sur-Mer picture by adding a minimal amount of colour. I think I like it minimal, any more may have taken away from it. If you’re wondering where the Mer is in Villefranche, well it is behind me in this shot. I may draw the other side as well, because that was a lovely view downhill to the harbour.

when the half light makes for a clearer view

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villefranche sur mer, pen version

villefranche (unfinished)
parts of the process

When I was last in Villefranche-sur-Mer, the beautiful old Mediterranean port nestled between Nice and Monaco, I took this photo of Rue Eglise (having just eaten at that cafe and sketched the sea) and told myself I’d draw a picture of it when I got home. That was over six years ago. Yesterday I finally got the photo out and started drawing, because I was playing with perspective in my messy sketchbook (see the quick watercolour sketch below) and wanted something nice to draw.

One thing I recall is that Villefranche was where they set that film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. That’s a good movie. I especially like that Emperor Palpatine plays Michael Caine’s butler. I stopped off here on my way back to London from Aix-en-Provence, having been out here to visit some old friends and watch their play. I was flying from

villefranche, quick sketch

a quick watercolour sketch

Nice that evening, and so I whiled away a few hours by the sea at Villefranche. The old town is especially nice. I’d love to go back there to draw.

Well, I will have to make do with my old photos for now, I’m too far away. I did a watercolour study, primarily to work out how the perspective lines worked. It’s messy and quick but I quite like it, and sometimes wish I did more of my sketch work like that, if only so I could get better at the technique.  But I love drawing in pen too much! The version at the top is not the ultimately finished version – I will add some watercolour, if only just to tint it. But I like how it looks anyhow. I think it’s quite nice.

 
 

the day breaks, your mind aches

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aix-en-provence

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.