Commencing the selection of possible subjects to draw for next year's forthcoming Ely & Downham Market 2015 Calendar - opening my reference file of photos I'd taken on numerous visits to Ely seemed a good place to start.
Start being the operative word. It turned out that I had a plethora of Ely images from historical architecture, waterways, narrowboats, sculpture, fauna and flora.
I also had a huge selection of photos taken at the previous year's Eel Day celebrations. Ely being the multi faceted place that it is offered an almost inexhaustible mine of fabulous and inspiring subjects to draw and paint.
Having already drawn, well - part of Ely Cathedral, and recently completed a drawing of Cromwell's House that I began several years ago, I started the new project with the Remembrance Arch...
 |
| Ely's wonderful Remembrance Arch opposite the market Square. |
What really appealed to me, apart from the many architectural features such as the gridlike arrangement of paving stones, the wrought iron railings, the classical design of the arch flanked by regimented brickwork and random stones - was the fabulous contrast of the trees behind the wall striking a beautiful organic counterpoint to the solid ordered arrangement below.
When the drawing had been virtually completed bar the trees, having spent a good deal of time on the drawing - I was in two minds whether to go ahead and draw in the trees, or leave them out entirely - who would know?
I had to remind myself that the main reason I chose to draw the Remembrance Arch was the appearance of the trees above the arch below.
 |
| Handwritten script on the stone tablets. |
OK - having left the script on the tablets within the arch till the very last minute - after I'd lettered all the books and posters in shopfront window of the 'Toppings & Company Bookshop' illustration, I felt confident enough to attempt to letter names on the stone tablets within the arch itself.
I hope you're as pleased with the finished artwork as I am.
Andy.
No comments:
Post a Comment