Leafy palm trees and geometry at the Winter Gardens and People's Palace

It was a lovely time drawing together inside the peaceful environment of the Winter Gardens, such a shame it may have to close soon for renovation. We sat so that we could look at the glass and white painted metal beams of the glasshouse, plus see the plants, cacti, sugar cane and palms, and also over to the quirky interior brick structure of the People’s Palace.

After a little time just looking at things around us and getting settled, we began with some warm up drawings of the shapes in the glass, which we developed into pattern – there were some funky spacey shapes emerging in the drawings! – and then continuing with textures of the organic plants, using pencils.

The softness of the lead or sharpness of the tip of the pencil was ideal for experimenting with the spiky or soft qualities seen in parts of the palms and cacti.

There was also time to bring in some more colour with pens, taking in a some of the interior, even the benches, bins and stone pathways were an interesting complement to the exotic dark greens of the beautiful plants. The round windows on the brick wall also helped our drawings have a nice fun structure.