Let's draw Greenwich

Join the London Urban Sketchers for a sketchcrawl in and around Greenwich on Saturday 20th August.  Meet at 11.00 am under the bows of the Cutty Sark.  We'll meet up again there at 1.00pm, when, if you are feeling intrepid, you can join a group and walk under the Thames via the foot tunnel to sketch the view of Greenwich from Island Gardens.  The final meet up is at 3.30pm, under the bows of the Cutty Sark again, to take a look at the sketches from the day and take a group photograph.

Maritime Greenwich is a World Heritage Site so lots of great architecture to draw including the Old Naval College and the Queen's House.  Also great views of the Thames in both directions and as it's a busy spot for tourists, lots of people too.  It's worth walking up the hill to the Royal Observatory for a fantastic view over London.  There is free entry to the Maritime Museum which also has a cafe and toilets.

Free event, all abilities welcome, just bring your own art materials.

For more information, visit the London Urban Sketchers blog, Facebook page or follow on Twitter @UrbSketchLondon.

The meeting point throughout the day is under the bows of the Cutty Sark.

 Starting at 11 am, then 1 pm and finally at 3.30 pm.

Let's draw Greenwich

Palm Houses and Pagodas on a sunny sketching day at Kew Gardens

Sketches and London Urban Sketchers at the end of the day 
on the steps outside the Palm House at Kew Gardens
Right click this to see an even larger version in the lightbox

A great time was had by all at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew on Saturday. We had blue skies and sunshine from the start and it gradually warmed up to the point where serious consideration was given to sun screen!

The general consensus was Kew Gardens was a really great place to sketch and very different from the normal places we go for urban sketching.  The buildings are a bit different for starters plus there's a few more trees than usual!

It was also fabulous to welcome people who had travelled a long distance to be at our sketchcrawl to draw Kew Gardens. We had people from Northamptonshire, Cambridge and Eastbourne - as well as a chap who hails from Iceland and a lady who got to Kew from Portland Oregon via Barcelona!

Here's some photos of the day - of sketches and sketchers - and an awful lot of Palm Houses and Pagodas!

Sketches and London Urban Sketchers at lunchtime
on the terrace outsideThe Orangery at Kew Gardens
Right click this to see an even larger version in the Lightbox

These are some of the morning's sketches

Group of morning sketches at lunchtime outside the Orangery
Right click this to see an even larger version in the lightbox

These are the sketches of the Pagodas from the morning

Sketches of the Pagoda at Kew Gardens

These are sketches of the Palm House

Sketches of the Palm House and other glass houses

This was the group at lunchtime.  Not everybody was here because it can take a long time walking from one place to another Kew Gardens!

These are the group sketches at the end

Sketches outside the Palm House at the end of the day.

....and you can see the group at the end of the day - in front of the Palm House - in the first image of this post.

It was great to introduce Kew Gardens to people for whom this was the first visit - and I think Kew Gardens had some new 'Friends' by the end of the day.

Do please upload your sketches to:

• the London Urban Sketchers Facebook Group
• the Group Pool for London Urban Sketchers. If you're not yet a member you need to upload your sketches to your own Flickr account before applying for membership.

and finally......

Sangeeta got retweeted by Kew Gardens!  Now that's the power of Twitter!

MT @sangeeta771: @kewgardens Urban Sketchcrawl @UrbSketchLondon pic.twitter.com/zep0NRiglt

— Kew Gardens (@kewgardens) May 18, 2015

Next Month - June 2015 - we're in Hampstead

Keep an eye on the blog - this is the Sketchcrawl Page and the link to the blog post about it will be announced in the note at the top of the right hand column when the date is announced.

Palm Houses and Pagodas on a sunny sketching day at Kew Gardens

Let's Draw St Paul's to the Thames - 25th April 2015

For our next London Urban Sketchers' Sketchcrawl we're got the scope to draw some big buildings and big views!

St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

• WHERE:  St Paul's to the Thames
• WHEN: Sunday 26th April 2015 CHANGED TO Saturday 25th April 2015 (due to the London Marathon)
• START: 11:00am at the top of the steps (right hand side) of the Main Entrance to St Paul's Cathedral.
• LUNCH: 1:30pm on the Roof Terrace of One New Change (if dry; wet weather venue to be notified)
• END: 3:30pm Paternoster Square - between St Paul's Cathedral Steps and St Paul's Tube Station (if dry; wet weather venue to be notified)
• MAP: A map has been created in Google Maps/Drive of the area and key places
• TUBE: Stations: St Paul's (Central Line); Blackfriars and Mansion House (District and Circle Lines)
• RAIL: Thameslink @ London Blackfriars and City Thameslink; Cannon Street

Last time we were at St Paul's - in August 2014 - we sketched the churches of Wren's London.

London Urban Sketchers on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral
at the end of Pete Scully's Wren's Churches Sketchcrawl August 2014

On Saturday 25th April 2015, London Urban Sketchers are going to be sketching the part of the City of London around St Paul's Cathedral - down to the north bank of the Thames.

The view of where we're sketching from Tate Modern 7th floor
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Birds Eye View of the area around St Paul's Cathedral
right click and open in a new tab to see much larger version

Above is a top down view of the area - right click the image and open in a new tab to see what's there. The suggested boundaries of the area are:

• North: Paternoster Square, the London Stock Exchange and Christchurch Greyfriars Garden
• West: Ludgate Hill and the narrow allies between Ludgate Hill and Queen Victoria Street
• East: One New Change - this is a brand new shopping centre which is open on Sunday from 12:00. On the Roof Terrace (accessible via the lifts) there are great views right across London plus a really up close view of the top of St Paul's Cathedral
• South: The north bank of the River Thames and the Millennium Bridge - accessed via Peter's Hill - south of St Paul's - which has lots of views off either side of churches and alley ways.

Here's another view of the area - taken from the map near the City Information Centre across the road from the Main Entrance to St. Paul's

Map of the area around St Paul's Cathedral

What you can sketch

There's masses to choose from whatever type of sketching you like doing. Here are some suggestions

St Paul's Cathedral and Churchyard - lots of architecture from lots of different perspectives around and about. You can find great views of it from:

• Fleet Street and the bottom of Ludgate Hill looking up to the Cathedral

"Ludgate Hill - A block in the Street" by Gustave Doré- from London, A Pilgrimage, 1872
The view caught by Doré of the view up Ludgate Hill to St Paul's Cathdral.
It's a bit different now - but you could try sketching it!

• From Peter's Hill looking up from the Thames and the Millennium Bridge

The view of St Paul's from Peter's Hill walking up from the Millennium Bridge

• From the Churchyard - just looking up
• From the Roof Terrace of One New Change - where you can get a whole new perspective on the Dome.

I created "The Leaning Dome of St Paul's" the last time I sketched it
from the Roof Terrace!

You can also draw people just sitting the people sitting on the steps...

Take a walk down Peter's Hill to the Millennium Bridge

the view down Peter's Hill to the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern

On the Millennium Bridge take a look at the view east up the Thames of The Shard and bridges over the Thames and, if you're lucky, the exposed shoreline complete with timber sticking up 

The view east from the Millennium Bridge
- of the tidal beach, the Shard and bridge along the Thames

Go below the Millennium Bridge and there's some great views to be had of Tate Modern. Trying to draw the Millennium Bridge is tricky from any angle!

The view of Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge from the north bank of the River Thames
below City of London School
Katherine Tyrrell

PLUS (excitement!!) we're also going to be able to sketch Shaun the Sheep ;) who is taking up residence in various guises in the City of London between now and the end of May. You'll be able to see

• one called 'Out of this World' Shaun at the City Information Centre, (- just to the south of St Paul's Churchyard) designed by Josh and Aimee Williams
• two more - 'Fine & Gandy' by David Gandy and 'Wolly Wiggle' by Zandra Rhodes - at One New Change

AND.....

If people are up for it we may just try a "Draw the Dome in 15 minutes Challenge" over lunch at the Roof Terrace!  You can of course just watch!

After the Sketchcrawl

You can add sketches to the

• London Urban Sketchers Facebook Group - please add them to the St Pauls Sketchcrawl Album https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.353603474837411&type=1

OR

• London Urban Sketchers Flickr Group Pool https://www.flickr.com/groups/usklondon-grouppool/

Let's Draw St Paul's to the Thames - 25th April 2015

Bank Tube station, London

Bank Tube station, London, a photo by Lion Ren on Flickr.

A wonderful sketch of the area near bank Tube Station by Shih Jhih-Ren (Lion Ren) - a member of the London Urban Sketchers Flickr Group

See more of his work in the Flickr Group Pool for London Urban Sketchers

Anybody can join the Flickr Group for London Urban Sketchers - which you can apply to join and post your sketches if you've been on a sketchcrawl.

Make sure you post your sketches to your Flickr account first!

Plus Post sketches of London ONLY - and read the rules first which you can find if you click this link

the Group Pool for London Urban Sketchers - which you can apply to join and post your sketches if you've been on a sketchcrawl. Make sure you post your sketches to your Flickr account first! - See more at: http://urbansketchers-london.blogspot.co.uk/#sthash.jpFvRng5.dpuf

the Group Pool for London Urban Sketchers - which you can apply to join and post your sketches if you've been on a sketchcrawl. Make sure you post your sketches to your Flickr account first! - See more at: http://urbansketchers-london.blogspot.co.uk/#sthash.jpFvRng5.dpuf

the Group Pool for London Urban Sketchers - which you can apply to join and post your sketches if you've been on a sketchcrawl. Make sure you post your sketches to your Flickr account first! - See more at: http://urbansketchers-london.blogspot.co.uk/#sthash.jpFvRng5.dpuf

Bank Tube station, London