by Ellen Y.
We know that Barcelona is one of the most beautiful must-visit places on the earth.
We also know that Barcelona could be one of the most crowded visitor destinations in the world.
How can you sketch in Barcelona with ease and peace?
What can you sketch on location in Barcelona to capture the essences of it's urban landscapes and architectures, and the vibrancy of the Catalan cultures and life?
Vivienne Lingard, an experienced sketcher, illustrator, art teacher and curator, shows in her travel sketch blog how she embraced the inspiring location sketching experience, with a group of kiwi sketchers during her Travel Sketching Spain Holiday Tour in April 2019, organised by 2WAYS Tours in partnership with ErinHill Sketching New Zealand.
Author: Vivienne Lingard Photo: Ellen Yule
I'm inviting you to share a little of my experiences of sketching in three Spanish cities, beginning with Barcelona, a city made famous by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) for his unique take on Catalan Modernism architecture.
Amelia and Ellen, our two terrific guides, made sure that our art group experienced the very best of Barcelona right from get go; and took us to Picasso’s old hangout, the Four Cats café, in the Gothic quarter. Posters of Picasso’s prints filled the walls, and we lifted our gaze from our wine and tapas to draw inspiration from the great master.
The next day we were heading out to our first sketching destination. Casa Mila, or La Pedera as it is also known, is the most famous of Antoni Gaudi’s house designs.
My apprehension turned to excitement, as we crossed to the corner diagonally opposite and settled in to capture our best view. Boy. What a complicated structure, but so interesting with its gorgeous organic shapes and decorated windows. None the same as another I might add. I was in awe, but I had a job to do; so off I went sketching loosely across two pages, knowing that I’d be using ink first, and applying colour later.
The following day first up for sketching was the fabulous Plaça Reial. I did a quick pen sketch, and have half-finished a detail of the ‘angel’ whose perfect sculpture was repeated around the centre fountain. A saunter down tree-lined La Rambla next, to mingle with masses of tourists. One great place to pop into is La Bouqueria market, where the amount of food available is staggering.
The following day it was Sagrada Familia. This is Gaudi’s largest project – a cathedral of such immense scope it is hard to credit how he first conceived this vision. We gathered across the lake from the cathedral to draw. I tried, but found the sheer scale of the building too much for me. So I decided to focus on sketching details once we were inside the complex.
Visit Vivienne Lingard's ARTISTRY blog for the full story and sketches of Travel Sketch Barcelona, Spain.
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P.S. The next 2WAYS Travel Sketch Spain Tours will take place in October 2019 and April 2020 with lots of personal interaction with your skilled sketching tutor and knowledgeable local tour director.
From now until then, we'll be sharing some free tips and interesting stories of travel sketching in Spain to help you get ready for the creative adventure. If you are interested, please click here join our FREE facebook group Travel Sketch Spain Holiday or sign up the dedicated e-news. 👇
I'm inviting you to share a little of my experiences of sketching in three Spanish cities, beginning with Barcelona, a city made famous by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) for his unique take on Catalan Modernism architecture.
Amelia and Ellen, our two terrific guides, made sure that our art group experienced the very best of Barcelona right from get go; and took us to Picasso’s old hangout, the Four Cats café, in the Gothic quarter. Posters of Picasso’s prints filled the walls, and we lifted our gaze from our wine and tapas to draw inspiration from the great master.
The next day we were heading out to our first sketching destination. Casa Mila, or La Pedera as it is also known, is the most famous of Antoni Gaudi’s house designs.
My apprehension turned to excitement, as we crossed to the corner diagonally opposite and settled in to capture our best view. Boy. What a complicated structure, but so interesting with its gorgeous organic shapes and decorated windows. None the same as another I might add. I was in awe, but I had a job to do; so off I went sketching loosely across two pages, knowing that I’d be using ink first, and applying colour later.
The following day first up for sketching was the fabulous Plaça Reial. I did a quick pen sketch, and have half-finished a detail of the ‘angel’ whose perfect sculpture was repeated around the centre fountain. A saunter down tree-lined La Rambla next, to mingle with masses of tourists. One great place to pop into is La Bouqueria market, where the amount of food available is staggering.
The following day it was Sagrada Familia. This is Gaudi’s largest project – a cathedral of such immense scope it is hard to credit how he first conceived this vision. We gathered across the lake from the cathedral to draw. I tried, but found the sheer scale of the building too much for me. So I decided to focus on sketching details once we were inside the complex.
Visit Vivienne Lingard's ARTISTRY blog for the full story and sketches of Travel Sketch Barcelona, Spain.
✍🎨✍🎨✍🎨
P.S. The next 2WAYS Travel Sketch Spain Tours will take place in October 2019 and April 2020 with lots of personal interaction with your skilled sketching tutor and knowledgeable local tour director.
From now until then, we'll be sharing some free tips and interesting stories of travel sketching in Spain to help you get ready for the creative adventure. If you are interested, please click here join our FREE facebook group Travel Sketch Spain Holiday or sign up the dedicated e-news. 👇
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