Adventures in London

Last week we were in London! Being a rather intensive trip combining work and pleasure, I had no time to draw or sketch at all, although I had my sketchbook and pens at hand. Not to worry. I figured once home I should be able to collect all inspiration from the trip, doodle the fun memories, modify them into cuteness and develop some ideas. On a two-page spread from Strathmore’s Mixed Media art journal, the adventures began firstly with a pencil then followed by color with Faber Castell’s Pitt Artists Pens. And what have we here!

Big Ben

This famous monument is part of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. Last time we had been in London in 2018, Big Ben was under external refurbishment and covered with scaffolding which was disappointing for my partner who was keen to have a look and photograph it. You can then imagine his excitement when we arrived there this time although the general public cannot get up too close as it is restricted access. And hence, I thought I would include Big Ben in the picture as it is a known landmark. For added cuteness, a ginger cat was randomly introduced. Maybe that’s Larry’s friend? Larry is that often talked about domestic “mouse catching” tabby cat from 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister’s residence. Now that’s an inspiring story to paint about!

Kawaii Double Decker Bus

Another London characteristic is of course the red double decker bus! They did away with the traditional hop on and off Routemaster some years ago, and now it is with automatic doors and no conductor, just a bus driver. Nevertheless, the double decker concept remains along with the iconic red color. And why not also make that kawaii? Let the passengers be little animal characters as well as Little One’s. Don’t forget too the advertisement banner across the bus. How about make it Hello Kitty? A great publicity for that Cute Exhibition currently taking place in London! Interestingly enough, I in fact had made a canvas painting about the London Bus back in 2021 called Bus 23 depicting the old Routemaster and the kawaii characters. This is the more updated version, and perhaps it would be a great idea to develop this one to a painting too!

Harrods Teddy Bear

Oh yes, good old Harrods. The upscale department store in Knightsbridge apparently frequented by the British royalty too. At one point it was owned by an Egyptian millionaire, Dodi Fayed, who then in 2010 sold it to the Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund. Just for a laugh, we decided to go and see what it was all about. Very beautifully presented and lots of expensive brands of course. What drew me more, though, was the Chocolate Hall, a huge area filled with various posh chocolate and confectionery brands and… the famous Harrods Teddy Bear! The store comes up with a different edition every year. Although I don’t collect the Teddy Bears, I found them rather cute to draw about. Now give me a yearly Harrods Hello Kitty anyday, and I’ll take that instead!

And There’s Us!

Just both of us happily enjoying our break together. Although both of us have been under the weather with coughing fits (seems to be a virus going around), we tried to make the most of it. Walks along the Thames River and Regents Park, attending the Cute Exhibition, meeting up with friends and exploring London’s business district. And check out the iconic green shopping bags of Harrods! In them are some souvenirs I bought, tins shaped like the old London bus and the traditional telephone booth featuring teddy bears. I’ll have to do a painting about the latter too! For this part of the doodle, I went for Caran d’Ache’s Neocolor II for our hair an face for a softer finish compared to markers. Eyes were drawn in with colored pencils for the same reason. And how sweet do we look!

The Whole Picture

Although there were plenty of other landmarks and sights we came across, those were the few of the highlights. Had so much fun sketching them as I looked back on the amazing few days we had in London. Added in the doodle sketch are also the logo for the London Underground and part of the red phone box. Then on the corner is a tag label of one of Hello Kitty’s merchandise I had purchased at the Cute Exhibition as a reminder of that wonderful event. And let’s not forget of course the Union Jack! This drawing would not be complete without it. And now with all these little doodles on the pages, I am now ready with some new ideas for my upcoming paintings! Looking forward to seeing what I can come up with…