The Big Draw was organised by the National Gallery of Victoria as part of Melbourne Now in collaboration with the Melbourne Urban Sketchers. A bunch of regular sketchers met in Fed Square to draw alongside members of the public who were provided with paper, clipboard and pencils. It was extremely fun.
I got to the city early to do a warm-up sketch, which turned into a much more elaborate drawing than I first anticipated. This was a two-coffee drawing.
Then I headed to Fed Square where the sketchers soon descended. Everyone found their vantage spot - some people sat at tables set up on the stage, others in deck chairs or camp stools in the square itself. I found a shady spot at the side of the stage.
You can see me here, leaning against the black and white Federation Square sign, next to my 4-year-old daughter in the pink, underneath a big screen showing...gasp, one of my sketches.
It was such a thrill to see my sketch pages on the big screen amongst the work of many other Melbourne Urban Sketchers in a wonderful slideshow put together by the NGV.
As for the actual drawing I did on the day. I cheated a bit. I did a pre-wash the day before.
Knowing how challenging the architecture of Fed Square is to draw, I didn't want to face a blank page when I got there. This was part of my view, so you get a sense of the buildings:
I started with pencil to guide me with perspective lines and composition. Then I switched to pen.
I talked a lot. So I didn't finish it. But I think it looks okay in it's abandoned state:
The best part was catching up with other sketchers and meeting new ones. My mum came too. And Kim arrived with the kids later in the afternoon. Miss P had brought her sketchbook and soon got her pencils out.
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My daughter drawing, and some more pics capturing my sketches on the big screen. Eeeeeeeh! |
And when it came time to lay all of our sketchbooks down for viewing, Miss P ran over with hers and added it to the display. I was so proud of her! (That's hers - bottom right corner.)
It was a fun day and I'm extremely thankful to have been a part of it. A big thanks goes out to Evelyn Yee from Melbourne USK and the NGV for making it all happen.