Sketching an individual tree P.98

Sketching an individual tree P.98

I took my time on this sketch and wanted to give the tree lots of depth and dimension, I did this by overlapping branches and breaking the shadow up on the underlining ones, making them look three dimensional. In order to add the more subtle branches, I choose to selectively remove the house in the background and make it more dark, I would then lighten the general tone of the tree and add shading to the background. Finally, I used a putty rubber to add in subtle branches, by exposing the white of the paper.

Completed Sketch, Duration : 2-3hrs, using a 2B Graphite Pencil

Although I draw the majority of the tree outline and main shade for life, once I had enough information, I sat down to do the more detailed tones, and also decided to remove the house and fence in the foreground.

With my sketch, I tried to emphasis the odd branch coming towards the viewer, this can not be seen as clearly  on the tree I used, so I used this other more prominent tree branch as a reference, in terms of shadow and tone.

Drawing Statues P.96

Drawing Statues P.96

The following sketches were done in Burton Town Centre and I sketched from life with all pieces, and once I felt as though I had enough information, I took photos and completed each piece from home using the photos.

I found this really interesting gravestone, that was stained and weathered, and I thought would make good tonal study. I did chose to darken up the background when I got back from home to help make the tombstone stand out a bit more.

I did this 15 min sketch, sitting on a park bench, from still life and felt quite conscious of the people walking past, but I tried to get as much information down about the subject as I could, including tones, light source and how the landscape was divided up. I probably have enough information to go on to make a proper painting but I did take a photo as back up.

Charcoal sketch of the statue on the left of the picture. I prepared the paper by grating some charcoal with sandpaper over it, and used a cloth to smudge the powdered charcoal evenly over the paper. Upon sketching in the statue, and adding shading, I then created lighter tones via use of a putty rubber, revealing the paper.

Check and Log

• How did you use a limited colour palette to create a sense of depth?

I used stronger colour in the foreground, with more visually striking marks and tried to weaken the background both in colour and in mark making. The perspective of my lines naturally create depth with the scene I chose for this exercise as the buildings one side and the lampposts on the other, recede in the distance. However, going back to picture, I do think more can be done with it to create greater sense of depth and I plan work more on this piece.

• Did your preliminary sketches give you enough information for your final pieces of work?

In places, I think my sketches have enough information, I was able to produce a decent watercolour and ink painting from a sketch I did at the beginning of this assignment. Although I would say that I maybe rely a little bit too much on photographs where perhaps I could take down more tonal information, or a colour test while outside, but I am still very conscious of drawing outside, and a photograph is probably an easy escape in all honesty. But I have become more at ease with drawing out and about, staying out longer as this assignment has progressed. 

• Would you approach this task differently another time?

Probably just to try and relax more, and not worry so much as what people think you are doing. I also think the weather this time of year plays a big part in how much time you want to complete a task and you are more likely to be outside had it been summer. 

• Have you got the scale of the buildings right? Make notes on what worked and what didn't.

I think the work at Warwick castle turned out quite well and I particularly like the detail on the tower. The townscape in line sketch is ok, but I was doing this in freehand and I feel that some of the lines are not as straight as they could be. I am happy with the work on the shopping centre, particularly the perspective of the building receding into the distance, it was just a shame that I felt it was not so good as a compositional piece, perhaps the shopping centre at a slightly different angle and in proper daylight would make a better picture. 

• Have you captured the colour and atmosphere in your studies? How did you do this? 

In terms of the Watercolour Painting based on one of the Sketchbook walk pictures, I think I successfully captured the seasonal atmosphere I was trying to get by turning a dull late autumn picture into a more summer scene, by using more warmer colours and from personal experience, by adding people to the shopping center sketch, late night shopping just before Christmas sparked that uncomfortable feeling I used to get at that time of year, too many up tight people & crowds, getting a stress headache etc so it was not necessarily a  positive atmosphere I created by doing this.

A Limited Palette Study From Your Sketches P. 95

A Limited Palette Study From Your Sketches P. 95

In this exercise, I chose three colours as a limited palette ( Orange, Black, white ) and decided to work from a photograph in this instance. I also decided to merge some of the components from previous sketches into this piece

I thought this sketch would help indicate some of the dark tonal values that I had to include in my Limited Palette Sketch and I think it did help to simplify things.

My partner and her daughter, walking along the marina. I thought these two figures would compliment the  limited palette sketch below, partly because this is a space in the bottom right of the picture and both figure incorporate colours of the limited palette, black, white and orange. 

Original Photo that I chose to do the Limited Palette exercise from. I think black, white and orange seemed like quite common colours throughout the picture so they seemed like ideal colours to use.

After originally completing this exercise, I was quite happy with how it turned out but since then, I think I can add a lot more tone to the picture, whether that is pressing more firmly with the colouring pencil or mixing black with orange in places. I think I can bring the foreground forward a bit more with some stronger colour so instead of replacing this piece, I plan to do a side by side, to see if I can improve upon how it currently stands.

A Sketchbook of Townscape Drawings P.93

A Sketchbook of Townscape Drawings P.93 

I was fortunate enough to have a selection of studies to choose from in this exercise. Back in Sept, knowing that the Assignment of working outdoors was coming up, I had the opportunity to go to Warwick Castle where I was able to do a few sketches as well as take photos for future reference.

Warwick Castle : 2nd Sept 2012, 20 min sketch

Tower at Warwick Castle: 2nd Sept 2012

More recently, I chose to sketch a shopping centre, in Burton town centre.

I think my aim in doing this landscape as part of the exercise was to try and capture an emotion from drawing, and to focus on a busy shopping centre, around Christmas time, seemed like a good choice to provoke a response. I had a level of securing, sketching from inside of a car, but still, I remember suffering social anxiety in my teens and this is a situation I would find quite stressful. It reminded me of a time when I did not feel part of the moving social world, kind of separated from it all, and to observe and sketch the thing I would of found uncomfortable of years ago was unusual, but because I felt quite comfortable, it left me feeling empowered.

I do like this sketch, particularly the busy shoppers, which reminds me of Pissaro's series work with The Boulevard Montmartre and if I were to do a full sized study of it, I would have create character in it by adding stressed out shoppers.


Completely opposite to the previous sketch, here I referred back to the sketch I did in The sketchbook walk , only this time, I used a photo as a loose colour reference to create a watercolor piece.  I remember that the day was quite dull when I did the original sketch with quite an uninteresting sky, so I wanted to brighten this picture up with lots of warmer colours.

Study of a townscape using line P. 92

Study of a townscape using line P. 92


For this townscape study in line, I chose a clock tower in Burton on Trent.

Date: 4th January 2013, Time : Approx 2pm, Weather Conditions : Dullish and cool
Duration: 1hr

I decided to use quite a spaced out crosshatch technique for parts of this sketch, being that the building had layered tiled roofing which would suit the crosshatch and in terms of positioning the sketch, I wanted the clock tower to be slightly off center otherwise I would cut off some of the building to the lower left. Trees and bushes framed the building quite nicely and the perspective of the building was helped along by a street lamp and traffic sign each side of the road creating depth. I used stronger lines in the foreground for the road sign and curb and likewise, kept background of the building quite vague. In terms of shape, I found the building very useful, from the cube shape of the clock tower, to the triangles at various points of the building. The curved roads and circular flower bases added more variety.

Angular Perspective P.89

Angular Perspective P.89

In this attempt at Angular perspective, I tried to draw this shed like structure, freehand from the  view outside my window. Once I finished the sketch, I then used a ruler to estimate my eye level from two vanishing points. Firstly, I am clearly wrong with my angles of the shed as the the V.P.2 is much higher and V.P 1 is practically  horizontal. This would explain difficulty in getting the roof to line up correctly. I then predicted where my Eye Level would be and given a large enough piece of paper, I have estimated it to be around where the bracket is above the shed. Even though my proportions were completely out, I have found this a really interesting exercise in terms of double checking any buildings I draw in future.

Again, I have tried to create perspective on this sketch, without the aid of a ruler and I am quite satisfied with how it has come out. Once it was completed, I used a ruler to see how my natural lines converged. I am out slightly with the plant pots which I found quite difficult, sketching them into the foreground, but other than that, I feel this is far more accurate than the shed. 

Check and Log P.90

• What problem did you find in executing perspective drawing?

In terms of freehand, having a reference point to start from. With the shed, I did the vertical line in the center fine but the lines of width and depth were not level so it twisted the shed slightly. With the image of the marina, I was able to start with the building at the far end and build outwards from the door, using the plant pots  buildings and lamps as a guide until I was at the foreground. This way seemed more simpler for me to judge the perspective.  

• Makes note on the merits of using or not using, rulers to guide you.

I am a bit puzzled as to whether a ruler is classed as cheating or indeed if there are any rules in art at all. A ruler will obviously give you straight angles and a level of accuracy that can not be achieved freehand, but does this take away the human touch from a picture and make it more of a diagram ? To play devils advocate, as an aid to the artist, the use of a ruler is not so much different to using a grid to enlarge a picture because without either tool, the artist would have to use their artistic skill to estimate. Then I hear ( on the Drawing and Painting Channel ) a professional artist say that a ruler was ok to use on his painting of a bridge because it was a man made structure, and it would not look right freehand, so I am unsure were the merits lie either way  On the same channel, and used by professional artists, was something called " Trace Down", tracing paper with a layer of carbon, so you can create an image without the use of sketching, so if artists are fine with this, the consensus seems to be that creating art is whatever you want it to be and use whatever tools you have available to you.

Parallel Perspective - An Interior View P.88

Parallel Perspective - An Interior View P.88

I would estimate this exercise took just over an hour or so and I did have to make adjustments which have been left on the paper. I also included my estimated eye level as I drew this sitting on the settee. I am happy with most of the perspective considering I have not used a ruler, although the glass panel at the bathroom door entrance is off by quite a bit. The rug leading into the bathroom turned out quite well, and was slightly fatter (considering I am seated slightly higher than the photo suggests)