Exercise: There and back again

I took advantage of a journey from Blackheath Station to the City of London to draw some sketches and take some photos.

I struggled to draw on location, both on the train and when I arrived at London Bridge as the station was quite busy and I did not feel comfortable to sketch.

Here are some of the photos I took on the way.

At home, I drew some sketches with a black pen in my A4 sketchbook.

I then used watercolour for more drawings.

I cropped my favourite black and white sketches to illustrate the journey. I also painted some areas in grey in Photoshop in the second drawing in order to enhance the perspective.

I tidied up the sketches in colour digitally.

What went well

Once again, I started every sketch at home with the idea of spending at least 10 minutes on a drawing without putting too much pressure on myself regarding the outcome and this helped a lot.

Although I found it challenging to draw the perspective when I drew the scene taking place on the platform in Blackheath, I enjoyed working out the various perspectives of the rooves, walls, floors, etc.

I focussed on adding some contrast in the sketches in colour and I feel that I slowly understand better how to add shadows.

Challenges

I find it difficult to draw on location if the circumstances are less than ideal (If the place is quite busy for instance or if the weather is not at its best (in this case, it started raining outside Blackheath Station).

What to take forward

It’s not always easy to find the time to sketch and as I start commuting again to go to work, this is a good opportunity to take my sketchbook and improve my confidence when I draw on location. I am now thinking of making sure that I have my sketchbook with me when I travel and practice to see what happens if I do this more regularly.