For 2 hot days in June I stayed in my old neighbourhood of Kings Cross.
Always evolving, the Kings Cross I once knew… wasteland, late night clubs and urban golf have all been replaced /enhanced with sleek architecture, vibrant restaurants and retailers with their finger firmly on the pulse. The people in this transient world fascinate me. They appear grounded despite change being the only constant. A diverse mix of fashion students, city workers and tourists.
The Everyman outdoor cinema provides more than a film – a great hang out for friends or somewhere to go when you’re alone. I know because I was watching … yes it is a little stalker like ! ‘Kirate Kid’ played while I sketched from the Bridge and then later ‘Boyhood’ while I sketched from the audience (good film, bland ending).
It was a hot weekend in London – Temperatures hit a high and my eyes felt like raisins. I was using my Lamy pens, Risdon & Risdon pen roll and some great kuretake felt tips to add variations in line size. Paper was a mix of Bristol and Marker. My main aim was to capture how it felt to be there … mostly people drawing with hints of buildings. The first few drawings are often my least favourite as it takes a while to soak up the true atmosphere and overcome my preconceptions.
The next part is tricky – I have to let go of some of the pictures I love because they aren’t needed and I have to redraw some that aren’t up to standard. It’s a fine line between losing the essence and not polishing it enough. I try to mix it up a bit. Some additional work on my ipad pro with photoshop and more hand drawings while keeping mostly original sketches.
After 3 months I have 5 finished illustrations in the Kings Cross collection now titled ‘You are here‘. They will be on display for the first time at Design Junction in Kings Cross from September 19th – Click here to see more
Cherie Jerrard 