Eric Ngan organised The Big Draw Meet-Up in Auckland’s old Railway Station for this, the last Saturday of June. I trained into the new train station at Britomart and walked the short few minutes around the corner to the old train station on Te Taou Crescent.

The forecast this weekend was in keeping with the season, and as I emerged from the underground train station I saw it wasn’t just raining, it was *chucking* it down. With luck though, the wind wasn’t too bad and the walk to the venue was rather pleasant - you know - for a rainy, Winter’s day.

We had a pretty good turnout to the Meet-up with a number of new faces. The old station has been turned into private apartments, but we were allowed into the cavernous entrance so we could still draw while the weather did it’s own thing outside.

I came to this Big Draw with a very paired down set of tools. In fact, if I couldn’t carry my equipment in my coat pockets, I left it behind. One thing with us watercolourists though, we need water to paint with and generally take sealed jars of water, but this time I decided to use a new tool: the water brush. These brushes have a soft plastic barrel that holds the water and with a gentle squeeze, the water flows out through the brussels of the brush.

It was a revelation to use. I’ve known about these brushes for years but never tried them. Now I’m wondering if I’ll ever go back to traditional brushes; certainly not when out-in-the-field anyway.

The best thing about these water brushes for me was that I didn’t lay down as much paint on the page. It’s something that annoys me about my technique and it was delightful to be able to brush the delicate washes of colour onto my drawing.

It was so well worth braving the weather and making the effort to transport myself to the Meet-up today - as it always is. I was reminded, yet again, that making the effort is always worth it - for the drawing, and for the group.

Associated links:

Eric Ngan and Steeven Mou Sang organise The Big Draw Meet-Up in Auckland every month. I’m happy to be corrected but I think they've been organising this artistic get-together since 2011.

Today we met to draw at the Pah Homestead in Hillsborough, Auckland. In a past life, the Homestead was just that; these days it’s a gallery and cafe. Views across Auckland are just gorgeous. Along with those views, on days like today, there’s a wicked breeze that really means only we hardy souls will stay outside for any length of time.

The Big Draw typically starts at 1pm on the last Saturday of every month. We all meet again at 3:30pm and chat, compare our drawings, and take a group photo. The smarter members of our group drew inside; a couple of us hunkered down against the elements outside and drew the building, sculptures, and features of the beautiful grounds.

The Big Draw team meets to share our work

Figuring out what to draw can be a real time-consuming part of the day. Every moment I spend finding the ‘perfect’ subject to draw, is a minute I’m not going to be able to spend drawing. I like to made a decision quickly and get started. Some of the points I consider when deciding what to draw include:

sunshine at from behind
cast shadows adding strong contrast
an “essence” of the environment

Sunshine

Having the light-source at your back saves your eyesight. Staring at a subject with the sun in your vision makes for a very low contrast, and a bright distraction that can really make things a lot harder than then need to be.

Shadow

Strong shadows add drama and help define the shape of the subject you're drawing without necessarily needing to draw too much detail. Shadows are particularly fun if when painting with watercolour - washing across a drawing following strong angular shadows can really add interest to a work.

Essence

When I'm having trouble deciding what to draw, or where to draw from, I ask myself "What can I draw that will communicate this place?" This can really narrow the list of options to a manageable number of options.

Sometimes though, I do just draw the thing that grabs my attention. Today it was a wrought-iron gate. Although drawing a gate can be done at one hundred other venues in Auckland, drawing something is better than drawing nothing.

Regardless of the subject or the place or the materials being used, the number one piece of advice at The Big Draw, or anywhere you're working in a group, is: Don’t compare yourself to others. Drawing practice is not a competition; no one is ranked at The Big Draw. Some members have tremendous experience, others are brand new. Comparison can be discouraging for some, and uncomfortable for others - so just don't do it - it's just not helpful.

Sure, be constructively critical of your own work, but also be proud of what worked too. We're all seeing and drawing - no one else can see through your eyes, and no one can interpret a scene quite like you.

The real requirements of The Big Draw - apart from showing up with something to draw with and something to draw on - is to observe, draw, be supportive, and enjoy yourself.