descriptive rendering that captures such features as
texture and colour.
URBAN SPACES
Select a space in your town and record its key features
using freehand drawing. These may include public
buildings such as libraries or the town hall, or – if the
space is a residential square – perhaps repeating house
fronts. The degree to which the space is enclosed, the
height of the surrounding buildings, and any features such
as sculpture or trees in the centre of the square should all
attract the artist’s attention.
If the square is large and complex, you will probably
have to focus your attention on a single aspect of it. If,
say, you decide to explore how the library relates to the
square, then you could draw the façade of the library,
its entrance, and the way the doors open out from the
space. Many public buildings have a gathering space
outside the entrance, perhaps sheltered beneath a
columned portico. Often major squares are landmarked
by a tower or spire and this, too, could form the subject of
your personal exploration.
In smaller residential squares, the use of shared
balconies, communal drying areas or playgrounds for
children may be an important feature. Such courtyards
are frequently jam-packed with cars or filled with
dense greenery, and again this could provide a fruitful
topic for sketching.22.1
The sketch of Penicuik high street in
Scotland shows the rhythm of house
fronts. The sketch records the curve
of the street and shows how the
house in the distance becomes a
focus and deflects the eye around the
bend.Exploration through the sketchbook 199