Urban Architecture and Sculpture Sketchcrawl with The Big Draw

Join artist Jeanette Barnes, The Big Draw and The Line for a unique Urban Architecture and Sculpture Sketchcrawl this month! This is an excellent opportunity for sculpture lovers, urban explorers or anyone looking for a unique day out in one of London’s most exciting creative quarters.

Jeanette Barnes is a visual artist known for her urban sketching and she will be guiding you to create some wonderful architectural and sculptural drawings throughout the day, plus she’ll be sharing her hints and tips to improve your drawing confidence. The Line will give our participants a unique opportunity to get under the skin of East London’s ever evolving skyline, with artwork introductions by one of The Line team members.

Our tour starts at North Greenwich Station with some great sketching views and artworks by Gary Hume, Richard Wilson, Antony Gormley and more. After we’ve explored the area, we’ll then be taking the cable car over the river, which is a great chance to sketch some panoramic views from above!

Our walk will take us through the Lower Lea area and over to Rana Begum’s sculpture on City Island. We’ll then stop for lunch at Trinity Buoy Wharf where you can grab some food at the cafe or Fat Boys Diner, an original 1940’s Diner that was shipped over from Massachusetts, USA and one you might even recognise from the 1998 film, Sliding Doors. The site is also home of The Big Draw HQ and London’s only Lighthouse. The buildings here were erected between 1836 and the mid-1950’s, all with a story to tell. From making and repairing Buoys for the Thames and further afield, to Michael Faraday conducting experiments (you’ll get to see what is to be believed, London’s smallest museum celebrating his achievements).

The sites we will be exploring are some of the most fascinating around London and after lunch we will explore and draw Trinity Buoy Wharf and then make our way around over to East India Dock Basin, which is a small nature reserve, perfect for a bit of bird spotting and also the end of the sketchcrawl. This tour will last approximately 5.5 hours so comfy shoes and an explorer’s spirit are essential. We sketch come rain or shine so make sure you bring suitable clothing for potentially wet and windy weather. Please note this will be a long day, so expect lots of walking and standing, so this may not be suitable for those with mobility issues or those afraid of heights.

We ask that you arrive at least 10 minutes early in order to be registered and there is a maximum of 20 people only on this tour. We will send you further details of meeting times and locations a few day prior to the event and you will be provided with graphite sticks and pencil for this event, so all you’ll need to bring is a sketchbook, yourself and an inquisitive mind! Please note cable car tickets are included in the cost of the sketchcrawl.