St. Pauls Cathedral from Tate Modern

St Pauls from Tate Modern (2.11.05.)
11" x 15" pen and ink and coloured pencil in Sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

I think this is one my very favourite views in London. This was my first attempt at sketching this view. My second is in this post.

Creating the Tate Modern in the old Bankside Power Station was a brave decision which has proved well worthwhile. However who ever thought of building the Millenium Bridge to create a walkway from St Paul's Cathedral on the hill all the way down and across the River Thames to Tate Modern - with a brilliant view looking back up to St Paul's - was truly inspired!

I'm fully intending to do a big work of this view one day! The external terrace attached to the Friends Room at Tate Modern may will be put to good use in this connection as the weather gets warmer.

This particular sketch was done on the day after the service in St Paul's Cathedral for those killed, injured and involved in the events of 7th July 2005.

Technorati tags: art , coloured pencils, colored pencils, drawing , landscape, painting

Victoria Park: The Tea Pavilion

The Tea Pavilion

11.5 x 17 inches, coloured pencils in Daler Rowney sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

This sketch was done last last summer and posted on Making a Mark on 13 June 2006. New links added about walks involving Victoria Park and relevant information sites at the bottom.

Another really hot day yesterday - I sketched under the trees next to the artificial lake and the Tea Pavilion in my local park. Much musing on the colour of leaves on the trees as the weeks pass by - and why I need all those greens in my collection - and why the ones I wanted seemed to be at home!

It always amazes me what a drop of red does in a largely green image. It's always great fun adding it in - this time to suggest people and (as usual) to get better darks as the complementary hue.

I draw people as one shape and largely as light shapes against a dark background. There isn't a lot of detail, nor does there need to be.

This sketch is size A3 (it's done on a double page spread of my A4 size Daler Rowney hardback black sketchbook) and was completed using coloured pencils.

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(1st April 2007) I've included some new links to walks involving Victoria Park.

• London Landscape Web is a guide to sites of landscape design interest in London with both historic and modern sites included. It has an entry for Victoria Park and a directions for undertaking a walk from Blackheath to Victoria Park using the foot tunnel under the Thames.
• The Open Guide to London is a free guide to London which allows you to search using either categories or key words. It has a page for Victoria Park which highlights other amenities near by such as the Hertford Union Canal, to the South East of the park and by the Regent's Canal to the South West. It highlights a favourite walk of mine between Victoria Park and Mile End Park along the Regent's Canal.
  

Links:

• The Open Guide to London - Victoria Park
• London Landscape Web: A Landscape Walk from Blackheath to Victoria Park in East London
• London Landscape Web: Victoria Park E3
  
• Making a Mark: The Tea Pavilion

Technorati tags: art , drawing , coloured pencils , pencil , plein air , sketching , sketchbook

Sketching Victoria Park and the Hertford Union

This was originally published as Sketching East London in Making a Mark on 3rd May 2006. Given the quantity of East London sketches I've done since then I've changed the title plus added some new links.

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I am trialling Julie Oakley's exercise and sketch routine mentioned in yesterday's thread "Drawing the UK Countryside" I know I'm not going to be able to manage a daily routine but I thought I'd give it a go. (See note below)

So armed with Moleskine and a mechanical pencil I set out. We have a network of canals and a network of parks where I live which are wonderful for walks - so I've got one of each.

First the Hertford Union Canal Top Lock - sketched from the Footpath Bridge. The canal and bridge were both opened in 1830. It runs alongside Victoria Park and is now a branch of the Regent's Canal and is part of the Grand Union system.

The next sketch is of a London Plane Tree and rugby posts in Victoria Park. The park was created in 1842 and is of considerable historical interest being the first Victorian park to be owned by the public and designed for recreational use.

(Note: Julie Oakley's walking and sketching efforts in the Hertfordshire countryside around her home have been prodigious and her blog "One Mile From Home" won my "Get off your blogging bottom and sketch" award at the end of 2006. She's still walking and sketching - as of yesterday she was up to Walk 337. I'm afraid I dropped out long ago but am a faithful reader. Check out Julie's blog for sketch views of rural Hertfordshire - complete with small child and dog.)

Links:

• One Mile From Home
• London Canals
  
• Hertford Union Canal
• Wikipedia: Hertford Union Canal
  
• Wikipedia: Victoria Park
  

Technorati tags: art , drawing , coloured pencils , moleskine , pencil , plein air , sketching , sketchbook