Today I’m simply given a selection of photographs of Mont-Saint-Michel and told to make an urban sketch. No advice about composition, detail, colour, darks or what to leave out. I choose a street scene rather than the spectacular views of the abbey — give me the slightest hint of timber framing at the moment and apparently I’ll ignore an entire medieval castle. I use my Platinum 3776 UEF with Platinum Carbon Black and add a restrained wash of grey, ochre and brown.
I’m pleased with the first attempt and, mainly to see whether I can repeat it, decide to draw the same scene again. This turns out to be rather more uncomfortable than expected. Having produced one drawing I like, I spend much of the second wondering whether I’m about to produce a worse version of it. Strangely, the second drawing feels harder to make but is ultimately the stronger of the two, not my assessment. There is less information, particularly in the central and right-hand buildings, and much more of the paper is allowed to do the work. The street is largely left untouched apart from a loose sweep of grey, whereas in the first version I paint most of it.
The Verdict – Both drawings work and, importantly, they look as though they were made by the same person. The first has more immediate energy, a stronger arch and two tiny figures that give the scene scale, but it becomes slightly congested on the left and across the road. The second is more selective. The central building is described with remarkably little information, the right-hand building is allowed to almost disappear and the largely untouched paper makes a much better street. If the best elements of both could be combined, the result would be stronger still — but recognising what those elements are is probably part of the exercise.
Attempt 1: 8.7/10
Attempt 2: 9.1/10 — chosen for Day 28.
The Loose Nib 
Leave a comment