Simplifying forms of complicated buildings

 Last week I was in the Rocks - casing the joint for my upcoming classes on Sketching architecture and getting excited at all the options available there! One of my favourite buildings in the Rocks area is the Australasian Steam Navigation Company building. "An unusually picturesque and exuberant" polychromic brick building by William Wardell (quote from Jahn's Sydney Architecture guide book)... so after I had planned my classes I sat down to sketch it.



Here are my first two steps... which clearly show how I constructed my sketch. I didn't use any persepctive guidelines at all - instead I used a simplified outline of the main forms of the building as my setup - drawing the shapes as I saw them.
 

Next I mapped the light and dark areas and then had fun drawing with my ink pen and then splashing watercolour over the top.

This approach is one of the things that we will be looking at detail both in the 4 week course and the 1 day workshop coming up. I will also explain perspective... but I firmly believe that you don't need to use it. It is incredibly useful and a tool to help you - but you should never become a slave to the fear of it!

I still have places available for my 4 week course Thursday mornings 07-28 Nov or  the one day workshop  on Saturday 30 Nov. Please email me if you are interested

Both of these classes are suitable for beginners as I will be starting with fundamental skills (yes, how to draw a straight line if you want to - though once again, straight lines are not the most important thing!)

I would love you to join me and the other great group of sketchers that have already signed up.... I knw we will have a lot of fun.... yes! sketching architecture IS fun!

More details here

My Architecture Sketchbook article

I am pleased to share my article on Sketching Architecture that I wrote for the UK magazine Artists & Illustrators. I am very thankful that one of my blog followers sent me a copy of it in the mail today as it is not a magazine that I see in the stores here (it is available but not that common)



Here is the article….
it is a good summary of some of the things that I will be sharing in my upcoming Sketching Architecture classes/workshop. If you missed it.... details here

Extra Sketching Architecture class and workshop!

On location sketching classes or workshop in the Rocks Area - Sydney

As the Friday class is now full I have decided to offer it on a Thursday morning class as well....and also a full day Saturday workshop which will cover the same content as the 4 week class.

Please let me know if you are interested in the Thursday class or going on the waiting list for the Friday class (I expect there to be some movement on a waiting list)

 4 week course
Thursday mornings 07-28 Nov or Friday mornings  08 - 29 Nov. Time: 10.00am - 1.30pm.  Cost $150.00

1 Full Day workshop
Saturday 30 November 2013
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm Cost: $100.00


You don’t need perfect perspective to draw buildings but you do need to understand what you are looking at. This 4 week Friday course will help you grasp the fundamentals of drawing architecture and have fun doing it! I will share with you my system for drawing architecture which involves seeing forms and structure and detail, describing edges and using simple strategies for perspective.

Working with ink and watercolour wash, we will also explore ways to sketch architecture with lively lines and loose and colourful watercolour washes. A series of exercises has been developed to help all levels of participants progress from simple buildings to more elaborate architecture.. and I will also be doing demonstrations each week to show how it all fits together.

Extensive handouts will be issued to each participant of both the 4 week classes and the workshops.

Sub_urban sketching: Infill Porch

Another sketch in my Sub_urban sketching series.

Another occasion when I started with the roof and didn't apply any rules of perspective - just drew the shapes of the roof as I saw them. And then projected the walls down. Once again I managed to park my car outside the most rundown house in the street…but it doesn't look as bad in my sketch!
Also I only used a triad of colours….more about this over here www. lizsteel.com

Hope my little scribbly notes make sense.
A lot of the things that I have done on this sketch will be explained in my upcoming Sketching Architecture: The Rocks classes. More details just below

Sketching Architecture Classes: The Rocks Sydney

I was planning on posting this before I went down to Melbourne for my workshops… but anyway… now I can say ….

Following on from the great fun we all had at my Sketching Architecture workshop at Melbourne University, I am very excited to announced that I will be running a 

Sketching Architecture 4 week course - on location sketching in the Rocks area  Sydney. 
Thursday or Friday mornings   06 - 29 Nov. 10.00am - 1.30pm.
Cost: $150.00 for the 4 weeks.
and also a one day workshop
Saturday30 November 9.30am- 4.30pm (covering the smae content in the one day!)
Cost; $100.00

You don’t need perfect perspective to draw buildings but you do need to understand what you are looking at. This 4 week Friday course will help you grasp the fundamentals of drawing architecture and have fun doing it! I will share with you my system for drawing architecture which involves seeing forms and structure and detail, describing edges and using simple strategies for perspective.

Working with ink and watercolour wash, we will also explore ways to sketch architecture with lively lines and loose and colourful watercolour washes. A series of exercises has been developed to help all levels of participants progress from simple buildings to more elaborate architecture.. and I will also be doing demonstrations each week to show how it all fits together.



The Rocks area has a wealth of varied architecture from which to find our subjects…and I am really excited to be running this class.



Please email me if you are interested as spaces will be limited.

And although not in the Rocks ... I can't resist adding a SOH sketch to this post - it is seen from the Rocks area though!