Today I sketch the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, concentrating on its pale columns and the shaded space beneath the portico.
My first attempt captures the building’s height and presence, with selective detail in the Corinthian capitals and quiet outlines of the surrounding buildings.
The main difficulty is separating the column faces, their shaded sides, the rear wall and the doorway. A little additional pen work helps: door panels and a few masonry joints give meaning to areas that initially read as rather ambiguous grey washes. After the critique, I draw a second version, this time pausing before painting to identify what each shape represents. The warm columns stand more clearly against the cooler rear wall, and the building feels more solid. The entrance becomes busier than I intend, but I am pleased with this drawing and consider it one of my strongest so far.
The first attempt receives 7/10 and the second 7.5/10.
Our discussion also helps clarify what I want from looseness: recognisable, believable architecture with lively lines and selective washes. Small irregularities can belong in that approach; clarity matters more than making every edge mechanically precise. I hope to continue with an instinctive first sketch followed, when time allows, by a study addressing one or two points from the critique. Knowing what needs improving is one thing; remembering to pause before placing another brushful of grey is another.
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