Yesterday I was looking through my sketchbooks from this year and discovered that I never posted my sketches of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from October. There are Sydney’s most well-known structures and I love sketching them.
These were done a few days before I left for my CA trip. I went into town to catch up with Lise from Paris who is visiting Sydney at the moment. It was so lovely to hang out with her again! I didn’t get a lot of sketching done – it was a wet day and we did a bit too much talking – but it was fun to sketch Sydney’s two icons again.
I used to make a point of sketching them at the end of a big trip as a way of signifying that the sketching journey continues when I’m back home. But this year it was obviously before a big trip.
Note: These sketches were done in a Stillman & Birn Epsilon 5.5 x 8.5 Softcover book.
BTW, I’ve had a very busy week working a big architectural illustration commission (the first one for years) but I hope that next week I will have a chance to prepare some of those articles I have been promising lately. (I haven’t forgotten – I promise!) I hope your week has been a good one.
So, do you like sketching icons of your hometown, or do you prefer more less known subjects? (To be honest, I like doing both!)
9 Comments
These two sketches are beautiful!
Sketching around where I live is one of the reasons I love urban sketching so much – I’ve lived in Dublin for 32 years, and I joined Dublin Sketchers (Urban Sketchers Dublin) about 3 years ago. And I’m falling in love with Dublin all over again, with every sketch!
HI Marie Helene – yes, totally agree. Urban Sketchers has made me see and appreciate my hometown more too.
Both of these are really nice and take me back to my week in Sydney!
Thanks Joan – glad it sparked the memories for you
Thanks Liz. Love following your adventures. As a retired (recovering) architect I would really like to see how you approach an architectural illustration. Is that something you’ll be able to share?
Hi Randy – here is a glimpse from a few years ago. They always turn out to be ultra neat (for me)
https://lizsteel.com/architectural-illustration-work/
Thanks Liz. Amazing, you still maintain your “Liz” touch, even with the increased “carefulness”. Very nice.
Your sketches are always lovely and vibrant! It looks you’re doing more direct watercolor these days?
Yes… I have been doing ‘paint only’ for the last few years and it’s increasing more and more. I start with paint 95% of the time but often switch to ink half way through. This switch is becoming less.
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