Sketching creative people as they create

As a continuation of a goal to sketch more people on location, I have set myself a task to try and capture the focus of people set about their work. A sketch of the pastry chef at Pana Chocolate in Alexandria, through the glass walled kitchen was the first.

Next was my friend and artist Fiona Verity and her lovely Labrador Sunny in Fiona's Brookvale Studio. Fiona's work is as colourful and energetic as she is, so it was a joy to develop a sketch and at the same time witness an ocean collage emerge on the wall. So much so, that I have resolved to sketch many more creative people at work during the year.

 

 

My third sketch was the result of a morning with glass carver Kathy Elliot. Her husband Ben Edols creates the blown glass vessel and then brings it to their home studio where Kathy carves and creates surface designs.  Kathy has admirable strength and focus in addition to her skill, as she stood carving the heavy vessel at the lathe for the full hour I sketched! You can see more about the process of their beautiful work on this video.

Boronia House, Mosman

Today I met with others of the Sydney Sketch Club at Boronia House in Mosman. I often glance in at this grand building when I pass it on Military Road, but had not before ventured through the front gate to sketch it.

 

Boronia House was built in 1885 and is now heritage listed and used as dining rooms for high teas and functions. An example of Victorian Filigree architecture - the iron lacework was quite a challenge.

Urban Sketchers Sydney meet at QVB.

It's been a busy few months and I'm a little behind with my posts!

The June sketch day for Urban Sketchers was at Queen Victoria Building. I chose to sit at a café outside the beautiful shopping arcade and make a study of 149 York Street which was once the Gresham Hotel, built in 1890.

Then in July we headed down to The Rocks - one of my favourite historical areas of Sydney. We had been offered to participate in the Aroma Festival by sketching on disposable coffee cups. They were surprisingly good to sketch on (once you get used to the curved surface) and took both ink and watercolour quite well. (The image looks a bit weird as we used the panoramic feature on our phones to try and capture the rotated surface of the cup).

Before and after the cup sketch I took the opportunity to sketch The Russell Hotel in George Street. This is one of my favourite hotels in The Rocks area due to that fairy tale like Scots-Baronial Tower. Many of the architectural features have been retained since the hotel was built in 1887.

Sketching Architecture Workshop with Liz Steel

Day 1 of Liz Steel's Sketching Architecture Course in The Rocks and after 2 hours of exercises and demos indoors we headed straight to the fabulous ASNC building on Hickson Road (near the corner of George St). At the end of an hour of some gnashing of teeth and a little cursing (lining up things proved a bit of a challenge) we were all pleasantly surprised to see how much we'd achieved. I added the ornate balustrades, downpipes and watercolour once I got home.

 

The Australian Steamship Navigation Company building was completed in 1884. The Federation Anglo-Dutch style construction was designed by William Wardell.

Chinese Garden of Friendship

 

Some very relaxing sketching was to be had at the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour Sydney last Friday with Suzi, Ethna and Lorna. Well at least the environment was relaxing (a good balance for my brain straining to understand the Pavilion design and how to draw the tiles). Smack in the middle of the city we were oblivious to all except what we sketched and the sounds of the waterfalls. 

 

 

 

I was very pleased to find a low angle to draw this Pavilion from in order to fully appreciate its height and grandeur.  I trialled 2 permanent Pigma pens in a Sepia that I had picked up from Larry Post. I used the Micron 01 to draw the Pavilion and then the Brush Pen to add the heavy shading. It gives a good punch to the shadows which I then was able to add more watercolour over the top of to even out the colours with the rest of the sketch. The foreground rocks and the trees were completed in my usual black ink.

 

 

This was the final double page spread in my A4 watercolour moleskine after I had finished the watercolours at home. Would have been great to get the full dragon wall in my sketchbook but time did not allow. I had a lot of fun drawing those clouds above and the water below the dragon. I would like to do more of this style at some stage.

 



Sydney Urban Sketchers at the Maritime Museum

 

 

 

On yet another gorgeous winters day a group of us headed to the Australian National Maritime Museum. Many in the group had sketched here, but this was my first time. So many interesting things to sketch that I've not ever tried to sketch before.

 

 

 

I warmed up with a sketch of the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse and then met with the others for an introduction and some tips on what's good to draw there. There is a fantastic range of boats to choose from. Some braved the tall ships whilst I settled on a pontoon to sketch the Epic Lass. Thankfully, it was quite a calm day in the harbour and the pontoon and boat only bobbed along quietly (at times the roll of the boat made for a change in perspective!) I liked hearing the tall ship behind me creaking on the tiny waves and gentle breeze. It made me wonder how much noise it makes in stronger weather.

 

Determined to get some colour on the page for this onsite sketch meant the boat alone took over an hour and a half to complete. I only had about 40mins left to go inside the museum and find a final subject to go with the boat and lighthouse. It was far darker inside than out, so the impression of the spot lit figurehead of Horatio Nelson was quite striking when I chanced upon it. I'm fascinated by these carvings because they give a personality to the old ships. It was really fun to sketch something that was already a caricature. I'd love to find more. I have a vague recollection of seeing a sketchbook online that was devoted totally to the sketches of figureheads! Fabulous idea.

 

Urban Sketching at the Maritime Museum, Sydney from Chantal V on Vimeo.

 

Thanks to the kindness of another sketcher, Phil, (who'd made a near 2 hour journey to meet with us all) for his guest pass and sharing his great knowledge of the Museum! Much appreciated!

Queen Victoria Building Sydney - from the inside

A quick venture into the city on Friday gave me time for a 30 mins shot at onsite sketching inside the beautiful old Queen Victoria Building in George Street, Sydney. The building in its current state is a shopping complex but has had various purposes in the past and was first built in 1898. I'm keen to sketch the outside but finding a good spot to view the building from where I won't be trampled by the busy street traffic (both car and pedestrian) will be a challenge. On this day I settled on the comfort of a café inside. The decorative arches and pretty coloured glass above the shop windows offered a good start.

 

 

The initial foundation lines are watercolour pencil which I don't erase but wash away when I introduce the watercolour paint later. Then with my extra fine nib in my fountain pen I add the black lines with a waterproof ink which once dried can withstand the wash of watercolour paint. Often, as I have done here I tend to add more pencil work than necessary (I should be leaving much of the details like the coat jacket and tie for just ink to save time).

 

 

I finished the colour and much of the ink details at home afterwards.

Urban Sketching - The Boat House at Balmoral.

This week I headed to the recently opened Boat House at Balmoral Beach, Sydney

Ideally I would have grabbed a seat outside with water views but the café was so busy that my only option was inside. Fortunately the décor all around is beautifully styled so its not hard to find an entertaining angle.

All of the drawing and most of the watercolour was completed onsite in about an hour and a half. I added a little more shading and colour intensity when I arrived home. I took a photo of two fishing buoys and found a postcard by The Boat House for inspiration on the opposing page in my sketchbook. Completed with watercolour pencils for foundation lines, waterproof ink, chinagraph pencil and Daniel Smith watercolours.

 

On another note, I sketched for the first time in the dentist waiting room today and it really helped me stay calm and distracted. Definitely worth trying again in the future.

A Week of Coffee

A week of coffee. In order to overcome my fear of filling the panoramic shape of my new watercolour notebook I set out to draw a coffee an hour a day this week (yes, the hardship). Gastronomic rewards aside, it actually looks like I learnt something! By the end of the week I'm filling more of the page, playing with reflections, shadows and instensity of colours.

 

I watched Danny Gregory's interview with Tommy Kane this week. Tommy draws amazing, detailed sketches with pen from the start and accomodates any errors on the way. I agree accepting the errors this way builds confidence of just getting stuck into what's in front. I wouldn't always do this but when I'm trying to get results from short sittings it seems to help.

A morning coffee at Manly Wine.

 

 

It only dawned on me this week that despite being a wine bar this place might be open early enough for my morning coffee. The flamingoes are only the first of many things to draw here.

Fighting the urge to detail

Last Saturday I went to Pyrmont to sketch with a group of experienced Urban Sketchers. They tend to work more quickly than I and with more detailed and accurate results. My aim on the day was to only use one hour or less per sketch (we draw for 2 hours). My preference here is still to offer more to these wonderful old sandstone townhouses by trying to capture its design and surface with further detail.  I am familiar with the term less is more but I have a real problem in recognising when is best to STOP. So time constraints for now seem to be still the only way I can prevent myself from trying to "finish" this in the way I am most accustomed too.

 

 

The rest of the week just flew by and suddenly it was Friday and I'd had no other opportunity to sketch. I took my sketchbook to my hair appointment and fitted this in before the weekend returned.

Sketching on holidays - Customs House, Geelong

When I first started using Instagram, places I have known for years started to have a different appeal. Where I would once walk past an old building perhaps without a sideways glance I was now searching for interesting corners or rusting old signs to photograph. Likewise with urban sketching, I am seeing my surroundings with fresh eyes.  This is most obvious to me when I return to Geelong for holidays to see my family and spend time where I grew up.

Here's a sketch of Customs House down by the foreshore in Geelong. I had previously dined here with my sister, but had never stopped to appreciate the combination of sandstone and bluestone in the building or the ornate gate. Sitting outside on the grass on boxing day I drew bricks, trees, lamp posts, counted windows and replicated the length of each blind. It may sound painfully boring to some but for me its like a meditation and I leave with a greater appreciation of architecture and design.