Urban Sketching with David Steeden

A message came across Urban Sketchers Hobart’s Facebook feed from David Steeden, from Manchester, UK, asking if anybody would like to join up for a sketch when he was in Hobart, Tasmania. I recognised, and knew, that this is a name of significance in the urban sketcher world! I organised a Sunday meet-up at Franklin Square in Hobart, and then much to my disappointment, I couldn’t make it because I had to do gallery duty, which I normally enjoy doing but…..

Luckily, David was available to meet up on Monday, which we did. We had a brilliant, peaceful time sketching in Bellerive, Tasmania. Firstly, we sketched Fair View, an ornate house on Victoria Esplanade, Bellerive.

This was my view of Fair View

The Victorian sandstone residence was built by the O’May family, pioneers of the Bellerive ferry service. The O’Mays emigrated from Scotland in 1856, settled in Bellerive and in 1864, Thomas and Robert started rowing passengers across the Derwent River in an open boat. The O’May brothers ran scheduled crossings and their reputation for reliability stood them in good stead culminating to purchases of larger vessels.

Our sketches – mine on the left, David’s on the right

Then we wandered down the street for a coffee. After a coffee at Gastown East in Kangaroo Bay, Bellerive, half a block down the street, we sketched the mounted remnant of the Sydney Harbour Ferry, built in 1911, arriving in 1975 and broken up in 1991.

The Kosciusko at Kangaroo Bay, Bellerive, Tasmania

Our sketches – David’s at the top, mine underneath

Some of the helpful tips that David imparted are:

1. Draw vertical lines for feature corner stone work and then join together
2. Draw extra ink spots in random corner of pavers and bricks to make them look more realistic and grounded
3. Draw dark in between fence posts

At home, I added paint to today’s drawings.

9 Victoria Esplanade, Bellerive, Tasmania

Kangaroo Bay, Bellerive, Tasmania

Thanks David for an awesome afternoon of sketching.

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