DUTCH ARTIST STEFAN BLEEKRODE CREATES FASCINATING DRAWINGS OF ENTIRE CITIES USING HIS MEMORY

Text by Stefan Bleekrode

 

As you can read below, already from an early age on I began drawing impressions of cities, it was merely a hobby, a kind of escapism from the rather mundane surroundings where I grew up. Inspired by artists such as Monet and Van Gogh I decided to start painting after seeing the impressionists in London. Although I went to art school I consider myself self taught, on most museum visits I brought pencils and paper along and during my spare time I avidly studied art through picture books and artist monographs.

 

Perspective, colour and composition were my main fields of interest. To sustain myself during these years I worked in various jobs but also to fund future trips abroad in search of new ideas. After seeing an idea, a fleeting image, a specific building, a view from a passing train, I record this in my sketch book and often later, sometimes a year or so I might turn this idea into a painting or use it as one of the many elements which make up a city drawing. Usually specific architectural styles, the play of light and dark, contrasts and a fascinating composition are the main motives to undertake a drawing. 

 

I start off with a quick pencil sketch on smooth, 300grams watercolour paper which is also suitable to ink drawings. Usually in freehand I do some houses or a square in the foreground and then I might alter the idea a bit or continue. As I go along I sketch sometimes quite extensively in pencil before adding ink. For shading I use ivory black watercolours for it gives a nice shade of brownish black. It takes usually from 30 hours for a small drawing and sometimes over 700 hours for a big piece. I work on several drawings at the same time though.

 

A lucky encounter with a distant relative in Switzerland, who gave a solo show in his studio in April 2012 allowed me to give up work and dedicate all my time to painting and drawing.