Home | Helen Wilding Art

BRUNSWICK STREET

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helenwildingart

Australian artist, urban sketcher, librarian with a long term project to draw all of Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Prints available through my website.

Today I finished drawing the section of Brunswick

Today I finished drawing the section of Brunswick Street between Alimentari and Madame Saigon - numbers 251 to 261. I thought I'd try to be all modern -like and try my hand at video editing so you could get an idea of the process not just today but over the many weeks it takes me to complete one of these streetscapes. Today I returned to the area to fill in the bits I missed earlier due to trucks and parked cars, only to find myself dodging a big rubbish skip! Ah well, such is the challenge of sketching in the real world! Regardless, it had the bonus of chatting to one of the guys filling the skip, as well as a lady out with her baby, a postie doing his deliveries, and even a lady who kindly parked her car specifically not to block our view :) I will add watercolour at some stage but that will be safely in my studio! #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #melbourneurbansketchers #urbansketchers #usk #urbansketch #melbourneartist #brunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #fitzroy #melbournestreetscapes #bockingford #melbourneheritage #victorianarchitecture #architecturesketch #archisketch @alimentari.est1998 @skinandthreads @madamesaigon_fitzroy @hemleystore.au @olgadepolgaclothing @hemleyskateboarding

The United Firefighters Union in Brunswick Street,

The United Firefighters Union in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy on a freezing cold Melbourne morning. I drew this a while ago but had my proportions so wrong that I needed to revisit. This is my husband's union so I'm glad I could capture it, even though its 100 year anniversary billboard is long faded - not surprising as the centenary was 12 years ago now, in 2011! #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #melbourneurbansketchers #usk #urbansketchers #brunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #bockingford #tradeunion #unitedfirefightersunion @ufuvic

This might give some idea of the size of my long B

This might give some idea of the size of my long Brunswick Street panoramas, which I draw over many sessions. I have quite a collection after starting in January 2019, many of which are not yet painted. Once I finish a piece I scan it and then add watercolour to my original at home. I tried painting one on site and it was a disaster when it got windy! The painting takes about 10 hours with nany layers. Then I scan again to make coloured prints so it is a very long process. Thank you to Zeki Akbas for the photo! #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #melbourneartist #melbourneurbansketchers #urbansketchers #usk #brunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #bockingford #streetscape #melbournestreetscape

Another snippet of Brunswick Street, Fitzroy finis

Another snippet of Brunswick Street, Fitzroy finished this morning - the west side of the street from Cecil Street to Alexandra Parade. It took me 2 years to finish which is probably not so hard to understand when you see how long it is! Fortunately I wrote on the back of the paper so I know I started in 2021 as we were emerging from covid lockdowns. Back in 2021 I began with @sacredheartopshops and stopped at @blondefitzroy . Today I added Patel Pharmacy with a ‘Yes’ poster in the window, referring to the upcoming Australia Indigenous Voice referendum, and @wynstanwithay . True to the social limitations of 2021, a customer waits outside the cafe for their coffee. Fast forward to today, and Blonde’s table and chairs have spread down the street and both inside and outside are full of customers. It’s a happy change :) In time I’ll add colour. #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #melbourneurbansketchers #brunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #urbansketchersaustralia #melbourneartist #melbournestreetscape #fitzroy #cityofyarra #panorama #streetpanorama #bockingford #usk #urbansketchers

I think I need to add colour to this sketch I made

I think I need to add colour to this sketch I made during our brief stopover in Munich, although in reality once I run out of time to paint on location I rarely add anything later. But this does seem a bit lacking in life without colour. More and more I’m enjoying adding the people I see into my sketches, and although I often have to blend multiple figures together if they move too fast, I also remember specific people, such as the one guy who seemed to be watching me. Can you spot him? I was sitting in a median strip on a lump of concrete, and Stephen eventually found me with his book in hand, but there were admittedly nicer places we could have sat! #helendrawsgermany #urbansketchers #melbourneurbansketchers #usk #sketchbook #germany #munich #traveljournal #travelsketchjournal #travelsketchbook #travelsketch #urbansketchersgermany

This was how my sketch in Verona, northern Italy,

This was how my sketch in Verona, northern Italy, finished up, cobbled together from two different viewpoints. I have found it easier to play a little loose with these things after my workshop with @hoelleroliver in Auckland. Piazza Bra #piazzabra #helendrawsitaly #usk #urbansketchers #melbourneurbansketchers #travelsketch #travelsketchjournal #verona #sketchbook #urbansketching #pensketch #pendrawing #hahnemühlewatercolourbook

Back home in Melbourne after a fabulous holiday in

Back home in Melbourne after a fabulous holiday in Europe, and back to filling print orders. I still remember sketching this in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy long before we had ever heard of covid. The original was in an A5 sketchbook, drawn on location over cakes and coffee with ink and watercolour, but this is the large landscape sized print. As an artist it just feels lovely to be sending my work off to a new home :) #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #melbourneartist #urbansketcher #fineartprint #signedprint

Piazza Bra, Verona, Italy, during a day trip to th

Piazza Bra, Verona, Italy, during a day trip to this very beautiful city. I had already drawn the Arena on half the page from a different angle. I'd like to share more of these drawing videos but I need to find a better technique, as I can't see what I'm drawing while also holding the phone! #helendrawsitaly #usk #urbansketchers #melbourneurbansketchers #travelsketch #travelsketchjournal #verona #sketchbook #urbansketching #pensketch #pendrawing #hahnemühlewatercolourbook #twsbieco