Friday 6 May 2011

A Sketch in Time!



After turning down a backstreet in the city centre I came out into a large piazza and found this lovely view of a church dome shining in the sun after a rainstorm.  
Here's my original sketch done in five minutes on the day, just enough to get some information and colours down.  It may not look like much but I only have to look at this little sketch to remember how I felt as the scene opened out in front of me.

18 comments:

bettyfromtexas said...

How very LOVELY your sketches are!! Filled with character and charm!

Shirley said...

Loved seeing both of these - the quick sketch and the final one. The tree is magnificent.

seesue said...

These are delightful. Love your site.

Elizabeth Rose Stanton said...

Very beautiful colors!

Gillian Mowbray said...

Isn't it just the best thing - the way that a brief sketch can inprint places on our memories in a way that photography cannot.

These are both charming and it's fun to see the more studied piece worked later. x

martinepittet said...

Great idea this first rough sketch to get all the information you need; and the final result is really lovely ! The light on the dome is so well captured and your colours are beautiful, as usual !

Sandy in Michigan said...

Beautiful sketches, both of them! It's interesting to see how you've refined the same scene in the second painting. Thanks for sharing them both.

Unknown said...

Love them both.

Kate (Cathy Johnson) said...

Beautiful! And like Sue said, love them both...

Timaree said...

I would have thought the sketch was pretty but then I saw the picture you made from it. Both are great but that finished painting is terrific.

debra morris said...

Lovely Cathy, so wish I lived in Italy!

Anonymous said...

I love the way you have made the dome stand out, just as you saw it, without it being too dominant. Beautiful painting and a lovely use of colour.

Unknown said...

This is wonderful. I find it very interesting to see how the painting evolved from the sketch. Thanks for posting both! Your work is always so pretty!

Alex said...

Spectacular work yet again! =) I just love seeing your drawings, and looking at things through your eyes. For a 5 minutes sketch, it's awesome! But you're able to transform it into something wonderful.

Anonymous said...

You captured a lot in a 5 minute sketch! The finished piece is amazing, too.

Lucia B. said...

I like both sketches, Cathy! I'm surprised to see how the quickest one already contains everything! On the other hand, the finished one has wonderful colours, and shows a great care for the composition.

Anonymous said...

Oh what beautiful drawings! So light...

Unknown said...

I love this sketch and the lavendar dome with the light hitting it.