Regardless of wether you're drawing simple 'beach boxes'
at Brighton Beach (as above) or incredibly ornate Victorian architecture — you will be overwhelmed by colour.
Fresh from Auckland's conservative 'paint everything white culture'
I was shocked at how much colour was on display in Melbourne. Even the Victorians were at it. Building in stone and brick, they relentlessly contrasted laying styles, colour and relief for decorative effect, then added arabesques, dormers, tiles and ornate ironwork for good measure.
All awesome fun to sketch of course, but I admit sketching the restored Rialto, Winfield and Olderfleet buildings (above, now an Intercontinental Hotel) in Collins Street was a little overwhelming! So good these buildings were saved for future generations to enjoy.
It’s a good 25 years since I last visited Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, and it’s just as colourful as ever. This is deli Alimentary. I can highly recommend their Shakshuka.
Look at this beautiful place on Johnston Street, just around the corner from Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. Drawn while sitting in front of the Sir Charles Fitzroy cafe with a flat white. That mansard roof and widows walk are the icing on the cake.
Another stand out building is the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens. This sketch is definitely all about colour, not so much the details. Difficult not to focus on the colour with warm sunlight casting the building in pink hues, a garden of orange flowering ginger plants and cactus. If only Dunedin had saved their exhibition buildings from 1865, 1889 and 1939, although not quite as spectacular I’m sure they would be drawing visitors today too.
You really do feel like you’re in a proper city in Melbourne – there are people everywhere! This is the crowd on the State Library Victoria steps.
