Watercoloured Westminster #atozchallenge

Technically I don’t think my sketches are watercolours. They’re probably called something like ink and wash or something. I pencil sketch then cover with watercolour then finish with a pen outlining a few main lines. You’ve called them drawings and illustrations. I’ve called at least one of them a caricature.

Ok, my AtoZ theme might be being stretched to it’s limit in this post but isn’t that what parliament is all about?

I struggled with my initial watercolour. Then something wonderful happened. I had a meeting in London near Westminster so I took my camera and took a photo as I emerged from the tube station. I love that area of Westminster and knew I’d be able to adapt my show don’t tell to fit. I love that when you’re close to Big Ben it’s just a wall, very beautiful but just a wall, until you strain your head and look up.

When I pass Westminster I take a few moments out to look at something that I’ve not focussed on before. Each time I find something different, something that makes me ponder and helps move my mind into a more calmer place. I love that in one small part of the world there’s so many different people at any one moment with so many different backgrounds and there for many different reasons. Last week, this person walked out of the tube, took a picture and looked forward to when she had time at home to sketch Westminster in watercolours. Here’s what I produced.

Show don’t tell.

Shirley felt watercoloured in Westminster.

vs

Wearing her more subtle colours, Shirley toned in with the others in the room. She blended well with everyone she met while she moved fluidly from person to person. Later, putting on her bright coat and scarf she blended in with the tourists outside when someone asked her to take their photograph.

Doing the sketches/drawings/illustrations has been made easier by having a show don’t tell section which gave me more to work with, I hope you’ve enjoyed them. They’ve been a challenge in their own right but I’ve enjoyed it and am sad we’re heading into the last few days.

Lynne’s AtoZ blogging challenge theme in case you couldn’t tell:

Linked to thoughts of emotions and behaviours, my theme is ‘I feel….’. Writers among you will be familiar with the phrase show don’t tell, for others it’s what every novelist tries to do. Authors want to show you the emotion and behaviour without telling you it. Trying to practice showing not telling, I have included an example in each post. I may have got it right, I may not have. Please let me know.

Here’s who else is doing the AtoZblogging challenge.