Image Development

This shot was grabbed hastily on my phone whilst walking through Covent Garden in the rain last "summer" with the idea that I would draw from it later (you can call me feeble but it was just too cold and wet to sit and draw there & then) There's lots happening so it seemed ideal for this project.

wet

untidy

closing time

bustle

space

building

squeezed

waiting

imposing

Umbrellas

The final image is the one I like best although I think "Waiting" has potential.

I did some quick studies

This one in pencil in my sketchbook

This with some old felt tips and some touches of coloured pencil

When I look at the picture the canopy of the umbrella in the foreground grabs my attention but I am then lead to the bright blue umbrella being carried through the market and then striped canopies to the left of it. The pots and furniture in the foreground is important the lonely pedestrian behind them emphasizes the emptiness of the tables, but it is lighter above and I look upwards to the umbrellas, structures and plants on the roof terrace. I also like the chimneys with their bowler hats on top, very London!

The important colours of the picture are the warm red brown of the buildings and the blue of the carried umbrella which can be more muted to a bluey grey for the roofs and pavement and be mixed into a green for the foliage, oh and there's creamy white for the sky and parasols and very dark greeny blue for the shadows. Sounds simple, I wish it was so easy.....

First attempt

Please believe me when I say that it does look a bit better in real life than this smaller scanned version. As ever I have tidied up the image when I redrew it and it has lost something from the felt tip pen sketch. I think it needs to be further simplified to give it more punch though I suppose there are elements in the foreground which have a sort of naive charm maybe?

I did another quick study on coloured paper to remind myself where I'm going with this and I'm off to have another go.....................