Part 3 Project 2 Ex 3

360 deg Studies

The land around me is very flat and dominated by power stations.  If the stations aren't in view, pylons generally are.

It is December and sunless, grey and bleak with a cold north wind. It is the worst possible time to be working outdoors so I took the cowards way out and sat in the car with the heater on.  I parked  on the grass verge on a country lane and began by looking at the dominant power station.  I was concerned because I didn't know what most of the component buildings did but then realised that I didn't have to.  All I had to do was draw what I saw.

I took fine liners with me as well as pencils and pencil crayons.  I also took charcoal but I didn't really want to use it in the car because it's so messy.

1. Looking south towards the power station

1.

I've not sketched in this sort of wide open space before.  I had my viewfinder and it helped to cut out most of the scenery and give me focus.  I found it hard to use thereafter as it interrupted my work.  I just made a mental snapshot of the view I had chosen.

I didn't want the huge cooling towers to take over the sketch so they are just a hint on the left.  They had to be there in some way because they define what the sketch is about.  The large building is grey and brick red but my pen gives me no information about that.

I began by drawing the chimney to give me a height guide.  I now think this was a mistake because in the end it was way too short.  A few general marks to guide me might have been more useful.

2. North towards the next power station

2.

This was the hardest view to sketch because everything was made insignificant by the pylons.  I wanted to get the feeling of them striding across the landscape but I didn't get the perspective right.  I need to observe them more closely and give them a better shape.  The one on the foreground is pretty inaccurate.

3. East towards the river

3.

Here I'm parked on the verge with the hedge on my left and the lane on my right.  I found the power lines here difficult so rather than make lots of marks I left them.  If I should return to this sketch I'll have to sort it out.

West down the lane

4.

This view shows that I was parked on the wide grass verge with the narrow lane to my left.  In the distance there is the only hill for miles and to my right a hedge.  The lane goes round a bend and I struggled to get the hedge to make the same sweep.  I thought this was perhaps because I was using pen so I got my charcoal and put in the sweep with one stroke.  I'm learning to love this stuff.  In the foreground is something in a blue plastic wrapping.  I found I'd done the multi stemmed hawthorn near it far too big.

The poles that carry the electricity wires worked better than I thought and they give the sketch a feeling of depth.

Each of these sketches took about 15 minutes and I'm reasonably happy with them.  There are clearly issues to get to grips with but that's why I'm doing this course.