Whetherexploringnewcities onholidayorcapturinglocal architecture,
KEVINSCULLYhastopadviceforcreating quick,insightfulsketchesBuildings
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ot all buildings are blessed
with architectural merit, but
even within the humblest
construction, one can usually find
something of interest.
I often find that a building not
normally deserving a second glance
can provide enough material for a
successful drawing. The addition of
colour can also add a touch of drama
and a sense of place.
You will find a far greater variety of
shapes and styles in buildings that
exist in reality, particularly in the vast
array of ornament, brickwork,
windows, doors, portals, columns,and so on. Add to this the shop signs,
television aerials, fences, street
furniture and other paraphernalia,
and the possibilities are endless.
It’s always worth spending some
time stalking your subject matter
before deciding on a viewpoint, and
the most interesting one is rarely the
one seen from a nearby bench.
A very tall building is probably best
viewed from fairly close, so that its
height can be exaggerated as it rises
into the sky in a portrait format,
whereas a row of terraced houses
naturally cries out for an elongated,
landscape layout.A drawing produced on the spot will
often have an immediacy that is
difficult to replicate in the studio and,
due to time limitations, it may contain
only the minimal amount of detail.
I approach these drawings in a
variety of ways. If it’s intended for
reproduction, publication or framing,
I may begin the drawing on the spot
and then either add colour back in
the studio – or even use this as the
basis for a larger, more ambitious
work. This allows for a greater degree
of consideration when making
choices regarding composition,
scale and colour.ABOVE A Shanty
Town, Indonesia,
watercolour and
ink on paper
“The buildings
demanded a very
loose treatment.
This chaos was
exaggerated by
overlapping the
lines and colours.”