Quick picture

A quick sketch of my phone and scarf...

View from Limehouse

View from opposite my flat. I struggled with this one as it was freezing and so windy. I gave up the first time as I couldn't hold the paper still in the wind. Turned out a massive storm was sweeping the UK, so didn't feel quite as bad once I realised that. It's great to stand somewhere like this for a long time though, just seeing the changes in weather and mood. One thing that's really special about drawing on location.

Library

Drew this in the excellent Westminster Reference Library near Leicester Square. So many good art books there!!

Jacket

A quick drawing I did of my jacket and hat (in the hood) hanging up in my room.

Gower's Walk

A quick sketch of a street near me. The warehouse on the right is similar to the ones along the river. So many fascinating streets in London, with the different styles of building.

Liverpool Street

A couple of sketches I did while I was waiting for my friend outside Liverpool Street Station. So busy!

New house drawing

I did this pic of a house belonging to some friends of my Aunt's a few weeks back. The day was freezing cold, with a bitter wind. By the end my hands were pretty much numb and I was so glad to get back to the station and warm up in the waiting room. Was still a great experience going out of London to draw on location.

Narrow Street

Drew this old warehouse in Narrow Street, Limehouse today. Was freezing cold, with quite a bitter wind coming from the East. After finishing I went and warmed up with a green tea and chocolate flapjack in Departure Cafe, near Limehouse Station.

Limehouse Sketches

So, I've started to do a few sketches around my new place in Limehouse. Seems like there's going to be loads of great stuff to sketch, so really excited.

These are a house opposite a coffee shop in Wapping, (meant I could sit down which was nice) and also part of a warehouse down Narrow Street.

This is a more modern house by the Shadwell Basin / Brussells Wharf.

Heading back

This is an old picture from my Belgium and Hamburg trip. Some different views from the windows and of the train. Would love to do another train trip soon!

Bike handlebars

I did a quick drawing of my bike's handlebars leaning against the side in the bike space on the train. It's pretty unusual for the space to be free, people normally sit there, even when there are seats available elsewhere on the train.

Covent Garden

I did this in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden a little while back. There are a couple of camping shops, behind where I was sitting. This is looking towards Bedford Street.

Old pic of Borders

I drew this a little while back from the window of the jazz cafe in Foyles. This used to be Borders before they closed down. I love Foyles, but was still such a pity to see Borders go. The one on Oxford Street stayed open until 11PM and had an amazing selection of magazines. I think London definitely lost out when they went.

Borough

Did this drawing near Borough Market. The row of houses was pretty run down, with peeling paint, and the people who were coming and going looked like they might actually have grown up in the area and been part of the local community. One old lady asked if it was easy to draw the houses and I said no it wasn't really. She was pretty friendly anyway. The first floor window is held open by one of those grip strengtheners with a spring and two handles you have to squeeze together.

My bike

A quick sketch of my bike I did while I was on the train.

Kingston marketplace

This is looking out from the Druid's Head / Hogshead (I think they're the same pub now) towards the marketplace. The guy collecting drinks said he liked the drawing which was encouraging.

Southbank

I love the area round Waterloo and the Southbank, I've spent a lot of time exploring there over the years. This is looking towards the station (behind the buildings), and I think the elevated walkway at the end of the road's the way through to Waterloo East.

View from the windows of the Festival Hall. Did this on two pieces of A4 and joined them together.

Looking over to Somerset House, a red bus crossing the bridge.

View East with a bit of the NT in the foreground.

Germany train journey

After Brussels I travelled onto Germany and visited Hamburg. The landscape in this part of Germany seems pretty flat, with lots of trees and fields.

This is the Speicherstadt, a big group of old warehouses, most of which seem to have survived the bombing of WWII 

I drew this looking out from Balzac Coffee, near the big Christmas Market. My main memories of this trip are coffee, Ritter Sport and beer, which can't be bad.

Brussels train journey

Brussels Trip

Here are a few sketches from a trip to Brussels on the Eurostar. Galerie Du Roi is an old fashioned covered shopping arcade, really nice design. I remember some expensive shops, all I bought was a lemonade.

The comic museum is full of all sorts of interesting comic related stuff, including original artworks, and also has a really good shop. Comics are really popular in Belgium and there are loads of titles in the shops in Brussels I'd never seen before, not to mention the great comic murals dotted around the city.

Teas and Coffees

Whenever I go for a tea or coffee I try to do a quick sketch (or maybe doing a quick sketch is an excuse to go for a coffee), here are some of my favourites from the last few years.

This one was in Paris

Progresso Coffee shop in Covent Garden

My shoes

This is an old drawing I did of my shoes. They lasted for ages, and I now have another pair of the same type.