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Putting pen to paper with Caroline Smith
03 July 2020
4walls was blown away by the multi-talented artist Caroline Smith, aka Black Pen, and her stunning work - from her detailed skyline depictions to her keen eye for interior design.
Born and raised in Blackpool, Caroline recognised her artistic abilities and eventually relocated to London in order to pursue her career in the vibrant capital. She began by studying Interior Design in Kingston, graduating in 1989 and deciding to make London her home. She tells us: “Looking up, you see so much more. Cityscapes and rooftop views became a fascination of mine, and cities are forever changing”.
Her work has since taken her all over the world, including Australia, Russia and the Caribbean, and she has been sure to take her sketchbook with her wherever she goes. One of her most favourite locations for finding inspiration is New York, which she believes has been a major influence on her illustrations, and one day would love to be commissioned to do a huge cityscape.
Caroline has always loved pen and ink, and she has quite a loose, free-hand technique when sketching which allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions and individually interpret each piece. She encourages hand sketching in her studio as she believes it is now a dying art: “Computers are fantastic, but actually hand drawing a space allows you to understand the interior much better”.
In terms of where she finds her inspiration, she says that her greatest love close to home is Battersea Power Station, having drawn it multiple times including for many commissions. She is also a huge fan of Italy and Portugal: “there are no better places to draw when working with colour, with their vibrant tones and jumbled cityscapes, they are just irresistible and I can’t wait to get my watercolours out when I visit!”
When it comes to framing her work, Caroline insists: “framing is part of the art itself and is the finishing touch. If a piece is framed badly, it can ruin everything! Taking time to carefully consider the colour, size and proportion which will best enhance the artwork is key”.
To see more of Caroline’s work visit her website or follow her on Instagram @Urban_Sketchliner.
black-pen.co.uk
Born and raised in Blackpool, Caroline recognised her artistic abilities and eventually relocated to London in order to pursue her career in the vibrant capital. She began by studying Interior Design in Kingston, graduating in 1989 and deciding to make London her home. She tells us: “Looking up, you see so much more. Cityscapes and rooftop views became a fascination of mine, and cities are forever changing”.
Her work has since taken her all over the world, including Australia, Russia and the Caribbean, and she has been sure to take her sketchbook with her wherever she goes. One of her most favourite locations for finding inspiration is New York, which she believes has been a major influence on her illustrations, and one day would love to be commissioned to do a huge cityscape.
Caroline has always loved pen and ink, and she has quite a loose, free-hand technique when sketching which allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions and individually interpret each piece. She encourages hand sketching in her studio as she believes it is now a dying art: “Computers are fantastic, but actually hand drawing a space allows you to understand the interior much better”.
In terms of where she finds her inspiration, she says that her greatest love close to home is Battersea Power Station, having drawn it multiple times including for many commissions. She is also a huge fan of Italy and Portugal: “there are no better places to draw when working with colour, with their vibrant tones and jumbled cityscapes, they are just irresistible and I can’t wait to get my watercolours out when I visit!”
When it comes to framing her work, Caroline insists: “framing is part of the art itself and is the finishing touch. If a piece is framed badly, it can ruin everything! Taking time to carefully consider the colour, size and proportion which will best enhance the artwork is key”.
To see more of Caroline’s work visit her website or follow her on Instagram @Urban_Sketchliner.
black-pen.co.uk
