I went to the cricket on Wednesday and Thursday mornings this week. It was Australia v South Africa for the Boxing Day Test, an iconic event in the Australian sports calendar.
I confess that I am not a sports follower and have never been to the hallowed MGC (Melbourne Cricket Gounds) even though I live across the road. But, I did grow up watching The Test Cricket with my brother in the days of Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh and Geoff Lawson and know the basics of the game.
On the spur of the moment, I bought a ticket (in the cheap seats) and had such a great time that I went the next morning as well.
I went in when the Gates opened and settled into my seat and started sketching the grounds. You see from the sketches below, the different views from Day Three Seat X to Day Four Seat D, A lot lower and closer. I was still not near the action. but was a bit closer.
I sketched the crowd in front and around me (below). I wanted to include the expanse of the ground to give the figures context. This ‘sketching the back of heads of people’ is my usual style. I sketch the outline with my Lamy Safari Joy ink pen and then decide where to add colour with watercolour pencils. All the sketches are done on location. i carry my sketchbook and sketchkit with my watercolourpecils and ink pen with me daily. Sometimes I add a bit mot intensity to the colour at home afterwards.
Sketching the cricketers (below) was a challenge! I learnt a lot on Day Three., which I put into place on my Day Four visit. I learnt that players return to the same positions on the field with each ball. They change ends over (6 balls), so that means I get to see two different options – one from each end. BUT they only stay for seconds in the one position, so it takeds a lot of time to get one stance down on aper. It would help if I know more about cricket.
You can see the difference between my first day (the three blocks below…
the second day… (below)
I had a fabulous time and maybe will go again next year. And I can say that i have been to the MCG !
