Toulouse Street Scene

Sketches of Buildings in Toulouse

I fully intended to get stuck into sketching buildings in Toulouse, and in preparation for that I did colour swatching of Toulouse colours before I went there. But I’d signed up for a busy version of the Urban Sketcher’s Symposium itinerary, and I only had a couple of half days where I was free to roam the city to sketch what grabbed my attention.

Sketching Le May

On the way back to the hotel after the sketch crawl on the first morning, I stumbled across a cute little street where the restaurant Le May was. I felt like I’d discovered a little gem of a sketching location. I think it would have been better if I’d coloured the front of the building and just left the side of the building as an ink sketch.

I was actually exploring the neighbourhood to find local second hand and vintage clothing shops – I stumbled upon four of them. And I felt really luck to find this sketching spot. But the next day Jo said it had been on a sketch crawl, and the next day I ended up at the same location doing Richard Brigg’s workshop. Some of our group ate at the cafe with Richard after the workshop, but my social batteries were running low, and I opted to return to the hotel for a complete change of humidity-soaked clothes and some quiet time instead.

Sketching Le Faux Vives

I have a thing for windows with shutters, and this building really appealed to me. It’s a bit wonky and the perspective is off, but I still like it. As well as shutters, I like sketching tiled roofs. I think a little less detail, or minimal colour on the three surrounding buildings would have worked better to create a stronger focal point.

Sketching the Blossom Cafe

On our last day we all congregated for a final group photo, and while I waited I did a quick sketch of this cafe in the corner. I only had a biro with me, which encouranged me to not be too fussy about the final look of the sketch. I like the look of the tables and chairs, made up of loose rough lines and there to add some context, but not intended to be a focal point.

It was a little disappointing to go to Toulouse and not capture more of the scenes of the city with my pen and watercolour. If I had a chance to redo this trip, I’d take less workshops, or go a couple of days earlier or stay a couple of extra days, to make sure I had plenty of time to roam the city and find streets scenes that resonated with me, and inspired me to sketch more buildings.

Sketch Crawl on the Last Day

I sketched a street scene in Wilson Square, using the demo style of Peter Rush. I sat there for a few minutes feeling overwhelmed by al the details of the buildings on both sides of the street, before remembering Peter’s demonstration from earlier in the week. Then suddenly I felt inspired to sketch this scene.

Then we wandered next door to Charles De Gaulle square, where there were some impressive looking buildings, and a fruit and vegetable market. Again, I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to sketch a full building, but I did pick out a few elements in the building to sketch a collection of vignettes with tonal shading.

Then I wandered over to the market, where I’d usually sketch the stalls and stall holders as a scene, but instead I sketched a close up of the fresh produce on the stall, which captures the current prices for this selection. This tells a story, so feels like a bit of gentle reportage.

Next year the USk Symposium is in Toronto, and I don’t plan on going. But hopefully the next time it’s hosted in Europe, I’ll be able to attend. I’d even consider going even if I couldn’t get a ticket, just to be able to be amid a sea of sketchers.