Mike Whalley
Drawing
Drawing has been at the centre of my life since I was a child. I relax and find focus in drawing. I try and draw regularly; I've always had a talent, but like any skill it needs practice.
During 2020 I've had more time to draw, but a limited range of subjects. Drawing can make the most mundane situations and objects interesting.
Every drawing tells a story.
Garden in Brampton
Urban Sketching
Urban Sketchers came into being in 2007, through an online forum created by Seattle journalist and illustrator Gabriel Campanario.
“For all sketchers out there who love to draw the cities where they live and visit, from the window of their homes, from a cafe, at a park, standing by a street corner... always on location, not from photos or memory.”
- Drawing at Stoke on Trent UK Symposium 2018
- The Horniman Museum, London
- Little Venice, London
- UK USK Amsterdam International Symposium 2019
- St Pauls from Tate Modern, London
Sata Maria Della Salute, Venice
When I was recuperating from illness and during the pandemic in 2020, Google Maps streetscene feature became a regular source of subjects.
Arran, drawn from a photograph
Portraits
People are a challenging and fascinating subject to draw. I can't always have a live model but online sources have provided an excellent resource recently. During January 2021 I drew a portrait every day. Spending the morning drawing someone gave purpose to the lockdown day.
Portraits from Sktchy online community
Links
https://www.sktchy.com/
http://www.urbansketchers.org
“I love the quality of pencil. It helps me to get to the core of a thing.”
Andrew Wyeth
