Continuing on from Part 1…

FRIDAY: Sketchfest Day 2

Day 2 started with another workshop session. It was another morning that looked ideal for an urban sketching workshop but once again we had very cold winds.

Don’t you love all the funny expressions we make when we are sketching?

Here is a throwdown photo showing the shape-based warmup exercise. 

And then my main demo… completed as the rain started!

We then relocated to a cafe and I gave the group a bonus session on adding people to sketches and looking for the eyeline. Sadly we missed taking a final group photo.

The afternoon was devoted to Sketchwalks with two suggested routes. These were not your typical Sketchwalk with everyone doing their own sketching as the instructors gave demos (and in some cases mini workshops!) This was a great way for the participants to get to see more of the instructors in action.

I had no time to think about what I was going to do, and ended up opposite the imposing Treasury Building with a group following me. There was a noisy performance nearby and it was generally not a very calm way to start a demo! So my sketch started out a bit frantic and then I settled into it.

At one point Leonie said that it needed some pink, so I obliged and added some. Here is the pre-pink version

It was super fun to do a very ambitious demo like this with zero prep! Here is the final spread – click to see larger.

After this I managed to lose the group (I went in search of amenities and told them not to follow me!) and did the next sketch at Queens Gardens totally solo.

But the rain returned and I didn’t get it completed.

I continued along the Sketchwalk route and ended up finding Angela sitting on a ledge.

I joined her and then did a sketch of a crane-scape.

Lots of sketchers walked past (heading for a warm cafe I think!) but I managed to sketch until it was time for the throwdown. There were too many people to get a good photo of the sketches.

It was nice to achieve so much during a sketchwalk!

I ended the day having a lovely quiet dinner with my Brisbane friend Natalia.

SATURDAY: Sketchfest Day 3

    
The forecast for Saturday morning was for rain and I was worried about how cold my workshop location would be. But funnily enough the conditions were better – we sheltered in a nearby building next to a coffee van! 

A hardy local in the rain!

I had another fantastic group and I modified my workshop in case we had to retreat to a warm place. But we were able to stick it out and I was once again super impressed by the work done. It’s really tough to try and teach perspective in a 3 hour workshop, and I make it even harder for myself by spending the first hour teaching edges, shapes and volumes!

We had a different view of the building – further away – so I encouraged people to walk up to the building and really look at the details before sketching. And here is my quick demo for this last workshop.

Group photo…

and final throwdown. Such a fun group and great work!

And the rain cleared – this was the view at the end of the workshop!

For the afternoon sketchwalk, a number of instructors walked up the hill to the same location and I managed to sit on the edge of the group with only a few sketchers next to me. I was more interested in a context sketch, than I was of the classic vista looking down Edward St.

I then walked up the hill (on my own!) and sketched two quick tree trunks next to Meeghan and Faye, and then ended up opposite the Old Windmill with Deb and a little group formed around us.

I finished the Sketchwalk with Deb in Anzac Square sketching the bottle trees with not another sketcher in sight – where were they?

Then it was time for the final throwdown…

and then the big group photo. (Thanks to Leonie Andrews for this photo)

A lovely closing event and group photo of the local team and most of the instructors.

A nice low key dinner (sketch included in the image above) with Paul, Rob and Louisa and then Sketchfest was over! We had a celebratory gelato to end the event.

MONDAY

After a wonderful Sunday at a local church, I had a few hours on Monday before heading home.

I left the hotel early to do my third version of Brisbane City Hall – this time focusing on how it sits within King George Square.

And then I spent the morning with Paul – talking art and playing with his brushes!

Here are the messy test pages from our session.

Time to head to the airport and head home. My final sketch of the trip was in the plane (using a water brush!)

I had such a fantastic time in Brisbane. The Sketchfest was incredible – thanks again to the amazing organising team for putting on such a perfect event.