Work started on the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh in 1846 as a theological college and home for the Free High Church and eventually the United Free Church of Scotland. Today it is used by Assembly Festival as a venue each August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The artwork is a measured elevation drawing from the original architects' plans drawn at 450 x 630mm size on stretched 85Ib Canson Montval Aquarelle NOT watercolour paper.
An advance copy of my book has just arrived - make a note in your diary for the book launch on Thursday 31st May from 6.00 to 9.00pm at Anise Gallery, 13a Shad Thames London SE1 2PU
with the publication of my book on architectural illustration early next year. Architectural Illustration was commissioned by Crowood Press eighteen months ago and I'm really excited to announce it will be available in all good bookshops from February/March 2018. The book is largely instructive but also traces the subject's history and theoretical foundation focusing on watercolours and topographical applications. All the illustrations are my own but I have also included artist profiles on six leading practitioners within the field.
The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh was designed by John Henderson and opened in 1787 as a meeting place for social gatherings and is now used as an arts venue for public events. It is one of a commission to illustrate four buildings in the City most notably used to host performances in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The artwork is a measured elevation drawing from architects' plans drawn at 320 x 680mm size on stretched 85Ib Canson Montval Aquarelle NOT watercolour paper over 4 to 5 days.
illustrations showing the changes made to the view of a proposed country house. I don't often post my commercial work but I thought this one worth mentioning. I hardly ever get to make site visits as much of my work eminates from far afield. This is where Google Maps comes in. The general lay of the land can be found in satellite mode and all main roads are represented on Street View with many minor roads. This view was put together using such references together with client's photos. In retrospect the perspective angle applied to the building is a little too wide I feel, but the client was very happy! The two versions show how amendments can be made on the original artwork without resorting to Photoshop, made possible by using a paper with a rugged surface. In this case 90Ib Canson Montval Aquarelle NOT surface together with a hard erasor and much scrubbing!
and showing an aerial view of a development to convert existing farm buildings into four homes. Watercolour over pencil on Canson Montval Aquarelle 240 x 600mm NOT 185gsm (90Ib)
commission for a planning application to show a listed cottage with new extension disguised around existing flint walling and the addition of a "new" thatched roof.
and in contrast to recent postings here is the latest London building: the Institute of Cancer Research in Fulham Road. Its a measured orthographic elevation drawn from photographs taken on-site. It was a matter of working in reverse by identifying vanishing parallels and vanishing points and projecting onto a picture plane. This is when counting brick courses can be most helpful.
showing a recent commercial piece - my usual subject of vernacular-style buildings with traditional materials to the Peterborough region. This one took a while due to the presence of the Great Crested Newt! I still set these perspectives up by hand as I know what I will get and I prefer to draw than sit at my computer (I do use SketchUp from time to time).
in the March issue of Hampshire Life - pick up your copy: on the shelves now!
of a new house design in a beautiful Gloucestershire setting using traditional materials of oak, stone and slates.
showing a proposed design for a split-level "agricultural" style dwelling in Norfolk. In order to break up the length of elevation the architect has introduced a slight angle change to the floor plan. To add to the vernacular qualities there are two roof pitches, the main with plain tiles and the lower of pantiles. Best of all - real chimney stacks! No country compromise on luxury here though with seven bedrooms - six of them en-suite.
About 5 years ago I was commissioned to produce several illustrations for a book commemorating the tercentenery of the Sir John Cass Foundation. One illustration was of the SJC's Foundation Primary School in Aldgate. I have just completed the very same view for the second time which was presented to the headteacher on his retirement. The second version is at the top which I feel I have improved on the original by increasing contrast and cast shadows and by darkening the slate roof - not much in it otherwise. This commission was a first for me (or should I say second!)
Aerial view of Fordingbridge Hospital due for conversion into residential accomodation. An interesting commission, my brief was to portray the existing listed building in proposed landscaping. Originally a workhouse the building was designed in the Queen Anne style and has a date stone of 1885.
Here is the third of my London buildings commission. Channel 4's headquarters at 124 Horseferry Road was designed by Richard Rogers and completed 20 years ago - 8 years after his Lloyd's building. This presented me with a real challenge in order to represent the building both accurately and aesthetically - you can judge the result for yourself... Done on Saunders Waterford 140 Ib NOT at 570 x 380 mm.
This is the second of the London buildings commission. The RSA building in John Adam Street is the home of The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. It was designed by the Adam brothers and completed in 1774 as part of their innovative Adelphi scheme. An interesting fact is that the statues above the pediment and the wall plaques are not original. These were left off at the time due to cost restrictions and the plaques were added in 1980 and the statues in 1994. The artwork measures 500 x 360 mm.
The long awaited publication of SAI members' work has just been published. The Society of Architectural Illustration was founded in 1974 and has around 150 members mainly in the UK. This book represents more than 60 of its leading members including yours truly. Copies can be obtained for £25 - the official book launch is next week - details to follow. An exhibition of selected works is currently at the Anise Gallery where the launch will take place.
It's back to bread 'n butter work with this proposal for a new farmhouse dwelling on a large plot near Peterborough. Pleasant venacular style design using a mix of traditional materials.
Just completed the first illustration of four London buildings commissioned by a private client. This is the Bishopsgate Institute designed by Charles Harrison Townsend and established in 1895. It's one of three major buildings that Townsend designed in the Arts and Crafts style, the other two being Whitechapel Gallery and the Horniman Museum. My client wanted the artwork as large as I could work comfortably and this measures 600mm x 320mm.
I am always impressed by the quality of the paper I use for my commercial work. It's a 90Ib NOT made by Canson and in this example I had to change the facing brickwork of this new "Georgian" style property from red to buff. At first I thought Photoshop would be best but then realised that the windows had also changed so I just flooded water over the entire surface and soaked all the colour off. Once dried with my trusty hairdrier I used various grades of eraser to bring the surface back to near white ready to take new washes - here's the "before and after".
This is the poster that Julia Moszowicz and I had designed by two 3rd year graphics students at Solent School of Art, Lilly Marfy and Oliver Russell: thanks both - a great job! It was for a poster presentation at the recent illustration conference "The Science, Imagination and the Illustration of Knowledge" at the Pitt Rivers in Oxford. Julia and I intend to pursue the theme of linking topographical illustration with Michel Foucault's Heterotopia and hope to give a paper later in the year. The quote on the poster makes more sense when I tell you that it refers to a view in a mirror. The illustrations are taken from a sketch and painting I did of Stokesay Castle.
I've been busy of late with commercial work alongside teaching - here's a recent project. This is very much "bread and butter" to me but I still enjoy visualising new developments of this vernacular type. My commissions vary in interest but the process of drawing an architect's design in perspective still holds its magic for me. Knowing I am following in the footsteps of the likes of Cyril Farey and Charles Cockerell validates my enthusiasm. My topographical watercolour paintings on the other hand, present different challenges in representing the natural and built environment. For me the two activities go hand-in-hand and are complimentary.
Just found some old 6" x 4" prints of these I did about 15 years ago. I was asked by the architect Stephen Mattick to illustrate a new house he was designing for Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. As you can see it is in a very traditional vernacular style using hand-made materials including red cedar shingles for part of the roof and knapped flint walling, Stephen asked for three views to show the project "in the round" and to represent the building with atmosphere. I have taken the liberty of posting a photograph from Stephen's website of the finished building so you can compare with the artworks. An interesting project although disappointing not to meet Mark Knopfler himself!
The SAI exhibition opens on 21 April at the Anise Gallery Shad Thames London. All welcome at the reception on 20 April from 5 to 8.00 pm. http://www.anisegallery.co.uk/stories-in-light-and-line/
Although named Tudor House this Grade II listed building is early 17th century and built in local limestone near Peterborough. Due to be renovated with a new-build to the left in a vacant plot this was a pleasant commission just completed. Most new houses in this region have to be stone-built and often with Collyweston slate roofs in order to blend with the local vernacular. You'll notice that the roof slates are graded with the smallest at the top and largest at the gutter. Drawn traditionally in one-point perspective from architect's plans this took around 16 hours to complete.
Just completed this proposed design for a Georgian style property to be built in Dunmow, Essex. The designer is Stephen Mattick who specialises in traditional and vernacular houses. The house and outbuilding will replace an existing house which sits on land of nearly two acres in a rural setting. The illustration is designed to show how the property will look from the road and improve on the existing building. I have worked on many commissions with Stephen: one of the most interesting was a series of perspective views for a house in the New Forest for Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
For the first time ever Anise Gallery will be exhibiting a collection of art works by members of the Society of Architectural Illustration (SAI), the world’s oldest and most prestigious architectural illustrators organisation.With a keen interest and passion in illustration, Anise Gallery is excited to have this unique opportunity to bring together the leading architectural artists, illustrators, model makers, animators and photographers in one show.The art works on display will span from traditional watercolours and pencil sketches to CGIs and photo real imagery reflecting the diversity in disciplines that the SAI as an organisation represents and encourages.
April 22 to May 20 2012. For more info go to: http://www.anisegallery.co.uk/?page_id=46
Here's an interesting commission - a large residential building with an observatory under a sliding roof. A very remote plot away from the street lights - well it would have to be!
...and here's the final approved version with minor details amended - spot the differences - there are 3!
Here's a thoughtful design with some existing and new build. The farm house and outbuildings to the left are not part of the development and so I left them faded to knock them back. Aerial views like this help to communicate an architect's vision as part of the planning process and go a long way in avoiding misunderstandings. Perfect subject matter for the medium of watercolour - I don't thnk this would have been as successful as a CGI (discuss!).
Here is the finished drawing in watercolour on 90lb Canson NOT paper.
I'm wearing my commercial hat at the moment and working on a range of projects for planning applications. Here's the process I use for an aerial view showing a lovely barn conversion for two dwellings in Northants. The first drawing was prepared using SketchUp to establish a basic view from plans supplied and approval from the client (1); the final pencil draft drawn traditionally (2) and the finished watercolour drawing (3).
A rather belated mention of the SAI drawing and rendering workshops held at the University of Bath in October. Given it was held on a saturday morning the turn-out was extraordinary. The Architecture seminar room was the venue for a series of workshops delivered by myself and four other SAI members to a packed audience of more than eighty B.Arch. undergraduates hungry to learn the masters' secrets! This is me in full flow: How to draw a peg in three easy lessons! Here's a link for more info: http://www.sai.org.uk/blog/?p=584
...and of course I had to sketch a delightful church nestling on the corner of St Mary's Axe in contrast to the high tech steel and glass which dominates this part of the city.
Here are some sketches I made on saturday's Big Draw event as part of the City of London Festival. The workshop called "From Brief to Vision with the SAI" was put on by the Society of Architectural Illustration at 30 St Mary Axe. SAI artists invited participants to design and visualise their personal ideas for sites within the City of London using both traditional and digital media. You can see our marquee here - the one on the right. It was very well attended and enjoyed by all - photographs to follow. Thanks must go to Joe Robson our President and friends for its success - also to Don Coe our Chair.
http://www.colf.org/about-the-festival.cfm
http://www.sai.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=316