A lazy day in Manchester

My Manchester sketching didn’t end with the symposium. The symposium is super fun and packed with events, and I love all of it. But I also love the couple of days after that I hang around and sketch and chat with friends. More relaxed sketching, even a long afternoon tea. And lots of catching up with old friends, lots of sketch talk, lots of throwing back and forth ideas of where we’re going with our work. All while sketching, of course.

It was a glorious morning and the sun came out. I could have sketched the spectacular Manchester Cathedral, but I’d have to sit in the shade to sketch. So instead I sat with my back against the cathedral wall, and sketched the Hanging Bridge Chambers. Looking at my sketch now I can tell I really enjoyed the sun, because that building wasn’t really as sun-bathed as I made it seem.

I wanted to take a break from drawing all the red brick of the city and draw other stuff that caught my eye. These two little pieces capture other aspects of Manchester I loved. On the left, road signs: everything is under construction and the city is full of signs and diversions. Great for urban sketching. On the right: bright shoes. So great how so many people wear really fun, happy-colored shoes.

But the break-from-sketching-buildings didn’t last long, there’s just so many great scenes to draw in the city. Every little alley is interesting. Another quiet sketch from a pretty mellow morning.

But that afternoon I visited the superb John Rylands Library (which many people know as the Harry Potter Library) , where the architecture is anything but quiet. Just like my sketch.

I could have sketched at the library forever, but was tempted away by the suggestion of tea and scones. No sketches through a rather long tea: when you give me a pot of clotted cream, it gets my full attention.
Afterwards, another sketch ( I did one on my first day in Manchester from almost this same spot) of Albert Square.

If you are totally tiring of Manchester sketches, you are out of luck. I’m posting some more before I’m done.