Smock Alley

Last week was the Dublin Book Festival at Smock Alley, and while it was busy in the beautiful indoors space, there was a nice little café just outside, the bus stop café it's called I think. 

At first I sat indoors, with a good view of the Four Courts and the quays across the Liffey. 

Then I moved outdoors - they have a good sheltered space with a nice view of Smock Alley Theatre. It was a bit cold, but I was well wrapped up and I wanted to make the most of a dry day. My perspective went a bit crazy as I moved. I should probably have done a sky shape drawing to start with - that might have kept things more controlled, but hey, I need to embrace the wonkiness, don't I?

At that point, I started to find it too cold and decided to go in for a bit. I switched to a smaller sketchbook and a fountain pen and I sketched this one standing up. I added a little bit of colour with a pencil afterwards, but I prefer this version. One thing I want to work on is how to create a focus in a pen sketch without colours. Actually that's something I need to address in all my sketching - how to give strength to the focus and how to push the rest further back. I know that step one is to identify my focus - I often start sketching because something or someone catches my eye, but then I'm like a magpie - lots of glittery things catch my eye and I have to put them all in - the lady reading the book, the round lampshades hanging from the ceiling, the gothic window, the piles of books, the young woman with the long hair, ... With this sketch, I remember them all so clearly, but I realise I am the only person who sees them, as I should have done 5 different sketches, where they can each shine in their own space. I need to start sketching faster to fit all of that in!