When the summer weather started I stopped sketching locally as my usual spots were all in the sun! So instead I’ve been spending many of my afternoons inside my local cafe, sketching my coffee or the view and getting a lot of work done (I’m always super productive when I work in a cafe!)

With Oneweek100people happening next week there will be lots of cafe sketching coming up, so today when I was told there was a 20-minute wait to get a seat (Goodfields Eatery is very popular) I seized the opportunity. I crossed the road and sat on a bench opposite. I was in the sun but there was a nice fresh breeze so the heat was bearable. But in fact, the breeze was more like a strong wind so sketching was a little challenging. This is a ‘hero shot’  before I went inside at about the 15-minute mark.

I added a few more details once inside and then sketched my coffee.

When was the last time I sketched this building?

I just did a little research and it’s been over 5 months! Wow! I’d forgotten some of the proportions of the building and relationships between the parts so it felt fresh and I had to concentrate. (Note: I’m someone who can sketch the same subject over and over without getting bored as each attempt turns out differently!)

It was really good to be outside again today sketching with my kit and StablO board, and it felt more comfortable than yesterday. So hopefully, if everything goes to plan, I’ll be out sketching tomorrow and that will make it three days in a row.

And finally, I also did some warmup for next week. A page of super loose mostly blind contour drawings. This was really good as it helped remind me of various strategies – what to draw first… head shape, hair shape, glasses, eyebrows, forehead etc. Really looking forward to next week! Are you joining in?