An Urban Sketcher’s Wollongong Sketch-meet at Port Kembla
My backyard
Sydney CBD
Some of the subjects I photograph may end being reference photos for sketches, watercolour, line and wash or oil paintings.
Even though I don’t photograph a lot with DSLR camera’s these days, I like to ‘keep my eye in’ with my phone camera. At some point, I will purchase a mid to high range compact camera that can fit in a suit pocket that I can carry anywhere.
Last Sunday, I met up with the Urban Sketchers Wollongong on a field trip for the first time. The meet was held at Port Kembla, near Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Port Kembla is well known in Australia for Steel manufacturing and it covers a huge area of land near the Pacific Ocean. I can still remember going on a school excursion there back in Primary School. It was (and is a massive place).
Our field trip location was at the end of Christy Drive, Port Kembla and one of the subjects people were sketching appears below.
I had been down to this location once previously, with my Wife, Susan and remember remarking that, ‘wow, that would take some patience to sketch’, as I turned away to sketch something that I thought was easier to sketch…
So, here I was back there and this was one of the subjects to choose from.
Here is my effort below.
Overall, I am happy with the attempt however, I am conscious that I added too much water to the sky, particularly around the edges. Another learning experience, for sure.
Before we headed off for a coffee and lunch at a nearby lunch spot, I managed to complete a pen sketch of a nearby pier. I added the colour to it last night.
4 years, 162 days of a Watercolour Sketch a Day.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time meeting, sketching and interacting on a social level with the Artists from the Urban Wollongong Sketchers and am looking forward to attending the next field trip in August.
Happy Sketching/Painting!
Written, sketched and photographed by David Johnson
8 July 2023
For more information on the Urban Wollongong Sketchers:
Communicating Creatively 