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I recently got back from a weeks holiday in Wellington. During that time I spent hours on the street of Wellington sketching. For months I have been doing these daily ‘sketchcrawls’ around Levin. It was great to draw Wellington.

Here’s the works:

Tuesday evening. This was shortly after getting off the TLC bus. I needed to wait around town for two hours as life drawing was happening at Vincents at 7pm. I had just brought a new clutch pencil from the TLC store - had store credit which I needed to spend. It was weird getting use to the new clutch pencil - and took me some time to warm up.

This drawing is of the waterfront. The building behind the camera is the Rowing Club. 

Another waterfront work. This one is of the playground area. I drew this on Sunday morning. The angles of the playground were a challenge  I didn’t spent long on this - Wellington was cold so I had to keep moving

Typical Cuba Street view. This was drawn on the 31st of October - Halloween. I didn’t do anything for Halloween but people came out to town for it. Town was busy. This image needs more dark.

Waterfront. Somewhat happy with this. The composition is stronger than previous - and my line/tone is confident. I’ve been trying to create a range of textures using mark making techniques - such as small horizontal straight lines to represent water, curvy lines to show the plant material (but also straight lines in a leaf shape,  the hills were created using directional lines to build up the 3d shape.

Second page. This is the outside of a bar. People are standing outside looking out into the water. Beautiful day. The bridge continues in the foreground. Somewhat empty than the first page.

Cuba Street. Sitting on a bench looking toward the shops on the right. Capturing all the information that I can see. Managed to capture some figures. I don’t spent long on the figures but just use them to give a sense of scale to the work.

Second page. This is one of the most complete drawings I’ve done. I partially enjoyed drawing the animal outside the bookstore. It gave the scene - ‘oh yeah, I know where that is’.  Courtney Place. I started drawing this scene but got ineruped with two Germans talking to me. We talked for sometime - I showed them my sketchbook and then they took off. It was getting cold (cold seems like a theme in Wellington) so took off home. I continued the drawing at the same spot on Sunday.  Second page. The Telstra Clear logo finishes - pole in the foreground blocks the view, and a car takes up most of the space. Capturing a range of planes helps the scale of the work.

View on Willis Street. I had just been to Gordon Harris. I stopped on a bench nearby to draw and rest. The view was a typical cafe view outside. I like the lights. The detail in these are improving - the tone helps. Captured several figures. People generally stayed still as they were waiting for the bus. A billboard took up the majority of the page. It was advertising something about dumping rubbish and the circle that happens. I drew in areas of the poster into my work. I’m not sure about using brands in my drawings. Often I just create rectangles for writing areas. But then again - it will be more correct to add these elements in. I guess whatever feels right.

Hotal Bristol on Cuba Street. This was just a quickie. Nothing special.

Cuba Street view from Mr Bun as I was having lunch. The dark tonal areas (on the left) feels very close.

Railway station. This was the final drawing I did in Wellington. It’s my favorite - nice to leave on a high. I drew this same scene when I was leaving Wellington two months ago. Great to go back and compare they two. My level of detail has certainly increased. I feel more confident in using tone in these streetworks. 

Tone wasn’t used hugely in this railway drawing, mostly in the figures/beams/and started on the windows. I spent sometime drawing the Gundi statue. He stayed still for me. One of my final waterfront drawings. Very happy with this one. The boats were especially fun to draw into the scene - so often I draw the same objects it’s great to have something completely different. I struggled with the perspective in the distance - often I look, then make a line, then look again and see I did the opposite  I need to focus on capturing the right direction. As always, Ball in the foreground helps give the scene a sense of diminision.

And the second page. Several boats parked next to one another. They were helpful for measuring the scene, and filling up the water. It’s better to have a chaotic scene than empty. Quick outline of a figure in the foreground.

Just went to New World for lunch. Found a seat nearby to draw. Spent the majority of the time working on the lights and shelter behind. There was a large building the the background. Tone added to areas - the signs and the sky.

Second page. Clouds in the sky. Poles scaling up to show the distance. Some vegetation scatted in areas. New World building on the right. Cars on the bottom left - very rough.