On a bit of a roll today sketching heritage rolling stock in Sydney. Put on my trainspotting hat (no anorak, though 😉 ), made myself a schedule, and managed five sketches in three hours at the Transport Heritage Expo at Central Station this morning. In order:
1st sketch of the day (done standing, for that special wobbly touch): 1920s wooden-bodied rail-motor carriage (ink in Hahnemühle Nostalgie A6);
2nd & 3rd sketches: Steam locomotive 3526 and diesel locomotive 4001 in the royal blue livery it was given in 1954 when it carried Queen Elizabeth II (ink and watercolour in Hahnemühle Watercolour sketchbook A5); 4th sketch: 4th sketch: Preparatory ink sketch of steam locomotive 3801 – a sleek American design from 1943 (ink in Hahnemühle Nostalgie A6); 5th sketch: Steam locomotive 3801 – a sleek American design from 1943 (ink and watercolour in Hahnemühle Watercolour sketchbook A5).

#SydneySketchClub #HeritageTransportExpo2023 #SydneyTrains #CentralStation #Trainspotting #Locomotive #SteamLocomotive #DieselLocomotive #UrbanSketching #UrbanSketch #WatercolourSketch #WatercolorSketch #InkSketch

In the Sydney suburb of Paddington with Sydney Sketch Club this morning, sketching one of the many Victorian terrace houses. Traditionally a homeowner would paint their front door red on paying off their mortgage. No idea whether that's the case here.

#UrbanSketching #UrbanSketch #PaddingtonSydney #WatercolourSketch #WatercolorSketch #TerraceHouse
#SydneySketchClub

On Sunday afternoon I attended a workshop at the Sydney Opera House: Life Drawing and Opera. It was led by three practising artists and a soprano from the Australian Opera Chorus was the guest performer and costumed model.

#SydneyOperaHouse #CentreForCreativity #LifeDrawing #OperaAustralia #CostumedDrawing #FigurativeDrawing #CharcoalDrawing #GraphiteDrawing #ArtWorkshop

Sunday turned out to be a figurative drawing marathon. Spent the morning at the Archibald Fountain in Sydney's Hyde Park, making pencil drawings of Diana and the Stag, a turtle, and Pan watching over the sheep and goats.

#Sydney #ArchibaldFountain #DrawingStatues #DrawingSculptures #ClassicalMythology #ClassicalDrawing #FigurativeDrawing #GraphiteDrawing

Two of my sketches from today's Urban Sketchers Sydney excursion to Sydney Olympic Park. I brought along watercolour pencils in the colours of the five Olympic rings but then looked in vain for suitable subject matter. Eventually made do with the entry attendant at a construction site (plus his orange hi-vis vest, of course). Didn't leave enough time for painting at the brick pit site, so that one's a 20-minute speedy number with little detail. I think, however, I managed to convey something of the vertical as well as horizontal depth.

Brick pit: A5 Hahnemühle Akademie Aquarell watercolour book; Construction worker: A6 Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook

#USkSyd #UrbanSketch #UrbanSketching #WatercolourSketch #WatercolorSketch #InkSketch #ConstructionSite #SydneyOlympicPark

Today I joined a Sydney Opera House event: a hybrid activity, part tour (guided by Darryl), part mini-art lesson with artist Zanny Begg. It felt strange being on a tour for a building that I feel like I practically live in and where I've spent many years working. The art part involved a number of speed exercises (about 20 minutes each) of which two are posted here.
1. Southern exterior in 7 lines; then again with rather more lines. I don’t think I'd ever really noticed the distinctive "fold" in the glass under the southern sail of the Concert Hall, which made me think of Sherlock Holme's line about the number of steps in 221B Baker St.
2. Focusing on the weight and depth of the concrete fans that support the sails – an exercise in tonal value.
The third sketch wasn't part of the tour, just people-watching at lunch.

#SydneyOperaHouse #GraphiteSketch #InkSketch #UrbanSketch #UrbanSketching #SydneyArchitecture

On Wednesday morning I spent about an hour in front of the Museum of Sydney, sketching a view including one of my favourite Sydney buildings: Booth House (1938). I think I let the cold temperatures get to me – the sky was subdued but it wasn't quite as drab as this 🙂
Ink and watercolour in A6 Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook (not meant for watercolour, but surprisingly forgiving)

#SydneySketchClub #UrbanSketching #UrbanSketch #WatercolourSketch #WatercolorSketch #Aquarelle #SydneyArchitecture #MuseumOfSydney

This morning with Sydney Sketch Club, an indoor, inner city "nature journalling" session. (This involved gathering upstairs in a pub and playing musical chairs with artefacts that we'd all brought in.) This spread is a mix of ink, graphite and watercolour sketches.

#InkSketch #GraphiteSketch #WatercolourSketch #WatercolorSketch #SketchBook #NaturalHistory #NatureJournalling #NatureJournaling #SydneySketchClub