Exercise 2 - Sketchbook Walk
The task at hand in this exercise was to produce a number of drawing whilst out in the environment. Taking a sketchbook for a walk and documenting the journey. Now I’m not a prolific walker but as I’ve previously mentioned I do cycle, I assumed that the walking part of the task wasn’t to be taken literally.
These first three drawing where done on my way home from work on the Trans Pennine trail. In my work bag I always carry a couple of sketchbooks, these drawings being produced in the smallest. A tiny little A6 Fabriano, I find sketching in these small books very useful. Because of the lack of real estate I find I can sketch really quickly and without fear. Drawing as notes, reminders, not normally for public consumption.
The next couple of images where again done on my way home from work. They where done a little slower and as such are somewhat more resolved.
As the previous drawings had been mostly natural in subject I want to do something a bit more urban.
The first is the view from my front door looking down the street, the second is the view from the corner. These two views are what I get when walking to the corner shop. I spent considerably more time on this than the previous drawings. I used pencil and aimed to get more accurate tonal information than the ink sketches. I also spent time to carefully consider the composition of each, making sure to position myself so each drawing has something in the foreground, mid ground and background.
This next drawing wasn’t done out in the real world but was based on a rough sketch and a reference photo I took while out and about. I used a dip pen and ink for the line work and watercolour washes to add the tonal information. Again I made sure to used the composition and perspective to help draw the eye down the arcade. This allows you to feel the length of the street.
These last few drawings are examples of drawing, I’ve done while out and about on the East Coast. It doesn’t look like we’ll be venturing to any more exotic location for the time being. So the rugged east coast will have to do for now. Drawing the sea is really hard I just can’t get my head around a way of doing it. It keeps moving!
Exercise 3 - 360 Studies
We are very lucky here in the centre of Barnsley to have a beautiful old Victorian park on our door steps. The land was donated to the people of Barnsley by the Locke family in 1861. The 47-acre park is a 5 minute walk from my front door and ideal for this 360 degree study. Standing at the highest point in the park it offers a spectacular view West towards the Pennines. The other 3 points on the compass are filled with long established trees, shrubs and then magnificent grade II listed tower.
On a sunny, Summer evening I ventured to my spot and spent an hour producing the following drawing.
These drawings don’t feel like representational depictions of the landscape to me. They are my own short hand, notes taken to inform a bigger work in the future. I enjoyed doing these I particularly enjoyed trying to vary my mark making, in an attempt to best capture the information I deemed vital. I will be returning to this spot, without a shadow of doubt.
I’ve had a big idea, it might be a bit ambitious but I think it could work out really well. I’ll tell you about it in a future episode of Northern man does pictures in the back bedroom.
Happy Scribbling
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