My latest piece is an A3 pen-and-ink drawing of the north view of the Sheffield Winter Gardens is finally complete. Each of these drawings takes around a month to finish, and this one has unfolded slowly through daily sessions, building up the lines and layers that bring the space to life. I took the reference photos myself on a clear morning, then converted them to greyscale so colour wouldn’t distract me from the shapes, shadows, and structure that make the Winter Gardens so recognisable.

All of the Winter Gardens pieces are drawn on Fabriano Artistico Extra White, a smooth, high-quality paper that holds crisp ink lines beautifully and gives just enough tooth for texture without catching or feathering.

Pen and ink leave no room for impatient hands. To avoid smudging, I always work from the top of the page downwards, letting sections dry completely before moving on. The Winter Gardens is full of delicate overlaps, sweeping architectural lines, and deep pockets of shadow, so thinking carefully about where my hand rests is just as important as the marks I make.