Pebworth Cottages, Dorsington Road, ink sketch

As I was walking around Pebworth on a cold, crisp March morning, I came across this patchwork of cottages opposite the church. It is exactly the type of subject that fascinates me. No two houses are the same, each with its own style, colour and texture, yet together they seem to form one cohesive group. Also, the bright spring sunshine helped to define and simplify the solid shapes. I thought the subject lent itself to an ink sketch.

Stage 1

On an A4 sheet of cartridge paper, make a simple outline pencil drawing of the principal shapes. Start with the building closest to you, in this case the white house on the left. This will form the initial focal point of the finished sketch, leading the eye across the page from left to right, and taking the viewer 'down the lane'. Do not try to draw every brick and shrub at this stage. Let the pen add the details later.

Stage 2

Once you're happy with the composition of your sketch, you can get to work with the pen. I like to use a fine-nib drawing pen which allows me to get a lot of detail, but feel free to experiment. You can even achieve some great results with a ball-point pen.

Start with the house on the left. Use a light-touch sketching technique to suggest the different textures of the tiles and bricks. The whitewashed bricks don't need much detail, especially on the wall in full sun, but the gable-end facing us has slightly more shadow. Use cross-hatching to define areas of shade under gutters, behind chimney stacks and inside windows. This gives the sketch a 3-dimensional quality, making the buildings look solid.

Close-up showing drawing and shading techniques

Stage 3

As you work across the paper, the drawing can become less detailed. This will help emphasise distance and give the sketch extra depth. Sketch the shrubs and plants in the front gardens very loosely, so that they don't become too dominant. Let the pen 'squiggle' on the paper to suggest foliage, and add some shading underneath and behind the shapes to create bulk.

Close-up showing treatment of plants

Stage 4

The last house on the right has very little detail other than a little shading on the roof, and the outline of the windows. Suggest some trees in the distance. 

Close-up showing house and trees in distance

Finally, add the bare branches of the trees on the left, and the denser shape of a yew on the right, with its shadow stretching across the road underneath. 

The finished sketch is shown at the top of the post. I hope this has given you some inspiration, and you will be tempted to swap your smartphone for pen and paper when you next want to capture a special view.

-Kevin