Sketching Reculver Towers in line and wash with limited time

Today I’m out again with the Rochester and West Kent Art Society. We’re at Reculver near Herne Bay, a place I haven’t visited before—at least not this side of Herne Bay.

I normally have no more than an hour on outings like this. That means the time I spend choosing the angle and composition matters just as much as the drawing itself.

It feels more rural here, but there is still a beautiful sea view. The Reculver Towers and Roman Fort are surrounded by open green space, with no other buildings crowding the view. It is very easy to find something to sketch.

In terms of the view and composition, much of the hard work has already been done for me. St Mary’s Church at Reculver was founded here in 669. The twin towers I am drawing were added much later, in the late twelfth century. Whoever chose the location and orientation chose well.

Finding an interesting composition or angle can take a huge amount of time. It requires testing and quick sketches, and it can easily use a third of the time I have to complete the whole artwork. Luckily, today it should not take much. The towers sit against open sky and sea, with open space all around them, so there are many angles to try. I choose one and see how it goes.

Today I’m also experimenting with a different setup for filming the process. I’m using a GoPro instead of the Meta glasses and phone I have used before. I tested it at home last night and it seemed to work well, so let’s see how it handles a complete outdoor sketch.

Testing the angle with a 4B pencil

I start with a quick sketch using a 4B graphite pencil to see whether the angle works.

After about ten minutes, it actually looks good. I’m happy with the angle, the distance and the composition, so I proceed with ink and watercolour.

Drawing with the fude fountain pen

I use a fude fountain pen for the lines. It has a unique upward-bent nib designed to work more like a brush. I love that I can control the thickness of the line with the same pen.

The day is very cloudy and the contrast is flat. There are few strong shadows, which makes it difficult to separate the different parts of the ruins.

Sometimes I have to introduce the contrast into the composition myself. It is not easy. There are lots of mental calculations involved: where to place the darkest areas, which lines need more emphasis and which parts can stay lighter.

Finishing with line and wash

Once the ink drawing is done, I add watercolour using a simple line-and-wash approach.

That is the sketch finished. I’m happy with the result.

Materials used

• 4B graphite pencil
• Fude fountain pen
• Watercolour brush

Why I draw and paint quickly

After finishing the sketch, I go and say goodbye to the other members of the art society. As usual, I have to leave early.

Something I have learned about myself is that I can only draw or paint well for about one or two hours at a time. I do not have the luxury of painting all day anyway, so I have to make that time count.

When I arrive at a new place with a new subject, I may need the first 30 minutes simply to look, test angles and decide on a composition. That leaves me about an hour to an hour and a half to make the drawing. I may not finish it, but I need to have made substantial progress.

If the drawing is unfinished, that is fine. I can pick it up another day. Because I have already made substantial progress, it will still be exciting to return to. The sketch may also be enough if I intend to use it for a painting later.

But if I am 90 minutes into the session and still have not made a sketch I am happy with, I usually know that something is wrong. I may have chosen the wrong angle, or it may simply be the wrong day. At that point, it is unlikely that I will finish the work.

Once I have inspected the place and decided on the composition, speed of execution becomes critical if I want to finish the artwork. That is why I have had to learn fast sketching techniques.