A deep dive into urban sketching, in the landscape of Sheffield
It is always a pleasant surprise to be asked to come and demonstrate my urban sketching picture-making skills. To be honest, I don’t really feel like I’ve been drawing so long, and I’m pretty much winging it with everything I make. So, the idea that I might have something good, helpful or valuable to show someone else abounds with pleasant surprisingness.
I’ve been at it, this workshopping-teaching-facilitating thingy, pretty much every week since we got into this strange year we’re having, so this feeling has been ramped up a fair bit. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’ve reached ‘ecstatic alarm’, but certainly somewhere between that and pleasant surprise is the general vibe of things.
Anyway. All the art groups, societies, and DIY organisations I’ve been to he have all been great in their own way, but one that stands out is the Art House in Sheffield, which I’ve visited twice for a 2-part course on urban sketching over the last couple of weeks. Most of the demos I do involve a few hours: make something in that time, help people with the tips and tricks so much as you can, and moving on – but 2 full days was another thing entirely. You get to really do a deep dive into your practice, and to be more hands-on with everyone who comes along.
The course really reminded me about what I love about urban sketching. For one thing, working outside is always a special experience. You face the… unpredictable weather, passing groups of students in fancy dress, and heckling groups of Lads Lads Lads saying witty things like “oh my God they’re doing portraits, weirdos” (we were not doing portraits) and “look at the one with the long hair” (I must admit they had correctly clocked this feature of mine). But whatever is going on somehow finds its way into the drawing – this happened in a very physical way on our trip round the city. There was rain throughout, turning into a torrential downpour. This smudged and dripped our work in ways we couldn’t possibly have done intentionally. I am very fond of the messy sketches I made in the rain, and I wish I’d taken pictures of everyone’s first drawings. They had such a wonderful energy and looseness, and I think we all struggled to bring some of that feeling into our final pieces.
Another thing about urban sketching is looking at a place with a fresh pair of eyes. I asked everyone to suggest a place we could visit to draw, and one of the choices was one Paradise Square. Despite having worked in Sheffield for a number of years, I’d never seen this place before – it’s funny how you get into these routines of getting from a to b in a very functional way, as if getting to our jobs and getting home are the only things that matter. It’s always worth asking what you might have missed by dint of habit, and this way of working is a great way of finding out.
In the second week, we made our final pieces, based on the initial outdoor sketches from the last session. I didn’t manage to get a picture of everyone’s work, but how delightful are these? Some of the people here hadn’t touched a pen or brush for decades, others were just starting out, and there were a few more experienced hands there too. But what a reward to help bring these interpretations of a city into being!
I went for Paradise Square for my own demonstration piece: What can I say, I’m a sucker for a grand old Georgian house. I was reliably informed this was the legal district of the city, so, naturally, when I added some imagination to my observation, it came in the form of pigeons in lawyers’ outfits and wigs.
My next art workshop is on the 28th February at Abbey House, in which we’ll be looking at the mastery of the children’s book illustrators, learning to draw in their loose, energetic, and emotional way. This should be a doozy: We’ll be playing with many materials, using the excellent exhibition for inspiration, and engaging in some particularly playful and anarchic ways of drawing. To book, call Abbey House on 0113 3784079 or email [email protected] – it’s also the most affordable workshop I’m ever likely to do at a mere £25, including all materials and refreshments!
