Manchester Urban Sketching Group

Manchester Urban Sketching Group, a group on Flickr.

Well our Manchester (School of Art) Urban Sketching group is really up and running now...this is our flickr site.

Urban sketching in Didsbury Village, Manchester

Last Friday I wasn't at work, so in the afternoon walked down to the village to do a bit of 'urban sketching'. It was a particularly mild autumn afternoon so I based myself outside Cafe Nero with a large americano coffee to keep me warm. This is the sketch I produced over an hour and a half. I am quite pleased with it but think I need to draw quicker and be less fussy with some of the detail. A combination of approaching dusk and a sudden chill in the air, bought my enthusiastic sketching to an end for the day!

Sketches from our first urban Sketching event

For a couple of hours on Wednesday afternoon, I completed the following views. The first took about an hour and 15 minutes and the second view, slightly unfinished, just over half an hour. I was pleased with my progress and my ability for the first time in ages, to completely absorb myself in simply drawing...or urban sketching, I should say.

The first first view is from All Saints Gardens looking towards the Manchester School of Art with Chatham Tower behind and the second view is also from All Saints looking towards St. Augustine's Catholic church with the new MMU Business School behind.

All Saints looking towards Manchester School of Art with Chatham Tower behind

All Saints Gardens looking towards St Augustine's Church

Manchester School of Art Urban Sketching Group Event No1

Yesterday we had our first Manchester School of Art Urban Sketching Group outing and I am delighted to say about 30 people (or more), attended...it's a really exciting initiative and everyone seemed very engaged by the concept of 'urban sketching'. Also because it was such a mild autumn afternoon, a number of us spent the couple of hours sketching outdoors in the All Saints Gardens. I can't believe how relaxing it was to concentrate fully on drawing! Sketches will be uploaded tomorrow, but in the meantime here are a couple of group photographs from the 'show and tell' at the end of the session.

Manchester School of Art Urban Sketching Group

We're on our way! Our first sketching afternoon is arranged for next Wednesday afternoon in the new MMU Business School building and I am delighted Caroline Johnson USK correspondent for Manchester and Rennes is joining us for the afternoon. I am really looking forward to meeting her...I think we will all be very inspired!

We now have a facebook group and over 50 people have signed up already....do join us. The intention is to apply for official Urban Sketching Group status early 2013 and then we'd be a Manchester, not just School of Art group.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/321316664634124/

Here is a link to Caroline's work:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33087681@N03/

INTERIOR INTERN: London Skyline - July/August 2012

INTERIOR INTERN: London Skyline - July/August 2012: London Skyline, Which has taken a couple of weeks to get the perspective all in line. But im chuffed with it.  Now i need to learn how to...

Cornish watercolour 1

This watercolour was painted last time I was in Cornwall, in the height of the summer. Bright colours, pretty flowers and blue skies. I usually paint by the Camel estuary but this is inland, looking across from Trebetherwick towards Polzeath. The paint flows more freely out in the sunshine. My next visit to Cornwall will be in a couple of weeks time and I am sure my paintings will be all moody skies and wild autumnal weather.

Mann Island, Liverpool

As part of a visit to Liverpool Biennial with our students on Wednesday, we walked down to the Tate at the Albert Dock, and it was really interesting to revisit the view I had painted last year from unfinished photographs of Mann Island - a new commercial development by architects Broadway Malyan. I was quite surprised, and rather pleased, at how similar the painting and photograph were. 

The reason I am so drawn to this view, is the complexity and layering of the city...dock, ferry, Victorian building, modern architecture at its most inscrutable (as an architect I really like it, but can appreciate it has had a mixed reaction from the general public) - and the stunning backdrop of Liverpool's Three Graces. I actually have quite an emotional response to this view and would really like to do some more paintings in this area. If our Urban Sketchers group gets off the ground, I'll definitely organise a Liverpool day-out!

Mann Island, Liverpool October 2012

Liverpool skyline, painted 2011

Didsbury Park, a watercolour sketch

Didsbury Park, a photo by simoneridyard on Flickr.