Playing with folding and unfolding

I don't really know how to explain this. So you're going to have to attend a workshop with Mário Linhares to learn how to do this folding and unfolding sketch thing. All I can say is that it really inspired me to explore sketching techniques more, and look at what's in front of me with a new pair of eyes. Particularly useful if you're in a location where you feel intimidated by the architecture or scale, or if you feel out of your comfort zone!

These were all from London. What I love about London is the train lines that criss-cross the city. And of course all the bridges across the river. And it was really something I wanted to sketch on this trip, the importance of the railway and the river in London, connecting everyone across this vast city.

For this workshop, Mário took us to three different locations that enabled me to connect all these elements together!

Sketch 1. This was near the hub for the USk London event. Between Southwark and London Bridge, a quiet area where the railway crosses over the road at various points. And there's always little businesses tucked under the bridges! I worked in quick watercolour, followed by pen (it was a warm day, the paint dried quickly!). I would have had more freedom to experiment if I had worked in a portrait sketchbook, leaving plenty of space above, but I managed to work it out in my landscape double spread.

Sketch 2. Going to a different location and trying to find something that will work with what's already on the page. Unfolding the page and connecting the middle to the edges. I haven't added watercolour to all of it yet. I might leave it like this, who knows?

Sketch 3.  Another location again. The final unfolding, and trying to create something different to surprise the viewer! In this case, the bridge transformed into a building under construction on the other side of the Thames, and a neighbourhood where the scale of the houses is completely different to the new blocks being built. And, you might not see it at this scale, I managed to even capture a train on the bridge at the very left! I know that it looks strange with the bit in which I haven't added watercolour, but that's often how I sketch, with watercolour and pen anyway. It makes me happy and that's all that matters!

Later on that day, I had the opportunity to try the same idea at St Paul's Cathedral. In this case, it was all the trees that connected my two sketches (didn't have time for a third one). Yes, I found a lovely spot to sketch the cathedral from. I didn't want to face only this huge building and dome, knowing it wouldn't fit on my page. And I didn't want to hurt my neck. So there is a lovely small garden just at the back, and it offered the perfect view.

I moved to the side of the cathedral, and there were more trees. This sketch only hints at the side entrance. But to me, it's a reminder that London is not just about grand architecture, it's also a city where you can find nature in the most unexpected places.