Category Archives: “Martin Place”

Sydney city people and places

Sydney city, like all others, is made up of both people and places. I have been out sketching both this week, with my watercolour pencils
 
Martin Place is a pedestrian area that extends over several blocks. There are large areas for the public, including a stage and steps. There is also space where skateboarders congregate. It is school holidays, so there was a younger crowd there this week. The are so quick and hard to draw. I needed to watch them do the same trick over and over again before I could get it on paper. If I watched them often enough I would have a better understanding of where all the limbs go !

 
The Big Issue seller in Martin Place. The Big Issue magazine is a fortnightly, independent magazine that is sold on the streets by homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people

a coffee shop in Hunter Connection, Wynard . I went there because someone recommended the coffee and because of the coffee cups. I did the sketch in Payne Grey watercolour pencil while I waited for my coffee. There was a bit of a queue , but they were quick, so I did not get very long to sketch. Coffee cup sketched later .

Sydney sketches today

Sydney is enjoying the warmest winter in years. The day time temperature has not dropped below 20 degrees and this week there have been blue skies and sunshine everyday. I made the most of this opportunity and sketched . Today I was inspired (and had the time) to do two sketches, one before work and one at lunch. These are both sketched in Martin Place at the GPO end near the Westin.

As it was such lovely weather, lots of other people were out and about in their lunch hours too. That is why it is nice to come into work early and sketch at 8am.  I can sit in doorways of stores that are usually open through the daytime.





I am very pleased with what I can capture on a page in around 30 minutes. I like the vignette style and the little scene. I think that this style has only come to me recently. It is one of the styles that I would like to use when travelling. I also like to use pen and ink as well to do this style of sketch. I also like to do a very quick sketch of people and crowds. I have a variety of styles and it depends on the scenes (or most usually) what I feel like on the day to which one I use.

 

I start with a very few lines in pencil. Just some basic horizontal and vertical lines and for these, the arches, just so that I don’t miss out on a level of the building. Then my lovely watercolour pencils come out. I draw in the lines and areas in their colour, Then I apply the waterbrush, then more watercolour pencil and so on until it is time to go !