Urban Sketchers Australia, Sydney event.

Eleven sketchers met on a cool grey day at the University of Sydney- Australia’s oldest university (1862) to paint, sketch and draw . Most of us stayed in the oldest area – the Quadrangle. But there is so much detail – where to begin ?

a short simple sketch in ink of the building

close up of details



more details

I decided to approach the day by pretending I was on holidays  in London and planning my sketching day as a travel journal .It was easy enough as I  just had to  imagine squirrels scampering across the green lawn in front of the quadrangle. In preparation for my upcoming (next month) holiday to the UK,  I have been reading about the Victorian Gothic revival buildings of London , including Westminster , which this building was modelled on. So I was in the right mindset to draw this wonderful building.

Last year I participated in Sketchbook Project , where I revisited a 2007 holiday to Paris as if I were the avid sketcher that I am now ! I experimented in the sketchbook on pages to see what would work, what I wanted to include, how I approach the day. See my flickr Paris 2007 set  to see all the pages of my project. I have also written my thoughts about the process  on Artists Journal Workshop, 

• each day leave the first page or two blank – at the end of day draw a map and write notes here . I also have the time to draw on object I have bought or a picture from a brochure or a ticket 
• sketch throughout the day – what I usually would do
• sketch large buildings in ink only and don’t spend too much time on them , then add details of the building  in close and colour as I am better at these.
• I can improve composition of the pages by connecting colours (at home/hotel) across the pages, for example in the writing on the page

After a few hours of sketching we had a discussion about our sketches from the morning .

I then drew on the bus. I was too tired to draw my lunch in the city. but potentially would have !