Every Cornish sketcher knows Porthleven in summer. Tourists, ice cream, the harbour packed with boats and people and the particular chaos of a popular destination on a bank holiday weekend. Beautiful. Impossible to sketch without someone standing in front of you. November is different. The cafe on the harbour is still open — it is…
I have a studio. It is a good studio — north-facing light, the right height tables, all the materials I need within arm’s reach. And yet some of my best work gets made leaning against a gate on a lane outside Mylor, with a pen that is running low on ink and 15 minutes before…
You do not need a fancy bike to be a cycling sketcher. You need a bike that is comfortable enough that you actually want to ride it to interesting places, and stable enough that locking it to a fence post does not fill you with anxiety. That said, a few things genuinely make sketch trips…
The number one question I get asked at workshops: what do you carry when you’re sketching on the bike? The answer has evolved considerably over three years of trial, error, and one memorable incident involving a full water pot and a white shirt. The non-negotiables Sketchbook: A5 Stillman & Birn Epsilon — 150gsm, takes watercolour…
This is one of my regular routes and it earns its place on the list every time. The Fal estuary is endlessly paintable — different light, different tide, different mood on every ride. The route Starting from Penryn, heading south through Mylor Bridge, picking up the lane towards Mylor Harbour, continuing to Flushing (worth a…
Mylor is one of those places where you feel slightly guilty for not painting it better. The boats are too pretty, the light is too good, and before you know it you have spent 40 minutes on something you promised yourself would be a quick sketch. I arrived on the bike just after 9am —…