natural earth pigments | Drawing the Street

drawing of wedgwood institute — *Detail above entrance to the Wedgwood Institute*

There’s many a fine building in Bonny Burslem but none with an entrance quite like the one into the Wedgwood Institute.

I recently finished the Wedgwood drawing which I began a few months ago. I picked up the pencil for this one having been influenced some time ago by a poster I bought of the entrance to the Natural History Museum, London, by Alfred Waterhouse.

poster of Natural History Museum — *Entrance to the Natural History Museum*

I bought and framed this poster when I was an architecure student and it’s now on the wall of our son’s flat, an architectural student, thirty+ years later! I still love the drawing and this is what made me choose to spend some time on the Wedgwood entrance with its intricate tile and terracotta details.

red and yellow ochres for brickwork and terracotta — *Terracotta details in the wall of the Wedgood Institute*

Terracotta tiles and masonry details next to wedgwood institute — *Coat of arms on the side of the Wedgwood Institute*

I’ve used traditional pigments with gum arabic on some very heavy (600 gsm) hot pressed watercolour paper. I really like the combination of the warm French and English Ochres, against the bright green malachite and azurite. I’m also hooked on using the pigment called ‘Caput Mortuum‘ – it seems to end up on quite a few of my icons!

It has been a treat to pause and spend time on a small part of a street but it only makes me want to zoom in further and pick up on the terracotta work. This is quite a rich subject which I may explore in future having been sidetacked by some of the tiles in Newcastle under Lyme.

tile details — Collage of terracotta tiles from a building in Newcastle-under-Lyme

drawing of wedgwood door — The final drawing of the Wedgwood Institute door

For more info and to order or stock prints from a small limited edition run, please have a look at my website or email me at RonnieCruwys@drawingthestreet.co.uk

Thanks for reading.

Ronnie

Stone Road Eccleshall, pen and ink stage

Some months ago, I began drawing out the bones of Stone Road, in Eccleshall, Staffordshire. This is an architectural gem of a market town, packed full of Georgian and Victorian buildings.

All the streets I choose to draw have some personal meaning for me. This part of the Stone Road sits opposite Eccleshall Police Station, a tiny spot which is engraved in my memory…Some years ago, my husband got knocked off his bike whilst out cycling nearby. He was whisked off to A&E and lived to tell the tale but his bike ended up in Eccleshall police station where I later went to collect it. Of course I was really upset about the bumped bike but what really cheered me up was the sight of this elegant row of cottages.

Stone road Eccleshall — Row of Georgian cottages in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, part of the conservation area.

I will write more about this on another day but thought I would let you know that work is in progress on this delightful Staffordshire market town.

egg tempera wash on Stone Road — First wash of colour using egg tempera – English Red Light and English Ochre

This is a work in progress picture taken this evening. Just an idea of what is on the drawing board as well as my drawings along the Holloway Road.

Plenty more drawings of Eccleshall in the pipeline….thanks for reading!

Ronnie

Pencil drawing of Eccleshall High Street — Pencil sketch of Eccleshall High Street

drawing out the best in our streets

Drawing the Street

Tag Archives: natural earth pigments

An iconic kind of door

Drawing Eccleshall, Staffordshire

drawing out the best in our streets