ARCHITECTURAL LINE DRAWING COMMISSION: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES
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In 2020, I was commissioned by the National Museum of Wales to create architectural pen and ink drawings of their main museum building.
Following the global pandemic, the museum wanted to commission a unique ‘welcome back’ range of prints and cards for their museum gift shop. Together, we discussed the key outcomes of the project, then I created detailed ink drawings to showcase the museum’s beautiful architectural highlights. |
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The building’s history
Sitting in a prominent position at the front of the Civic Centre in Cardiff city centre, the striking building with its Portland stone façade, was opened to the public in 1922. The building holds an impressive collection of art and other artefacts originating from Wales and across the globe. It’s one of the most recognisable buildings in Cardiff, and is loved by locals and tourists alike. |
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The process of creating these architectural line drawings
Before putting pen to paper, I met with the Head of Enterprises at the National Museum to fully understand the objectives and outcomes of the project. After a couple of further meetings, I was asked to produce a drawing of the front of the main museum building as well as four smaller drawings, focusing on specific architectural details found within the museum. Our meetings involved walking around the beautiful museum, investigating and discussing which architectural details they’d like to feature in the ink drawings. Once I was familiar with the building, I put together a proposal document, outlining a range of different options. From here, the client chose their four favourites. You can see some process videos and images below. |
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Challenges and highlights
I really enjoyed working on this Welsh art project, but it wasn’t all plain sailing. In fact, when I was working out the proportions, the building was under scaffolding. This meant I had to work entirely from historical photos and drawings for the main elevational illustration. Covid also made its mark on the project. Our discussions started pre-covid, so my client’s needs and plans changed slightly over time. However, the final drawings all went to plan – and the postcards and prints were ready for the museum's reopening in September 2020. |
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The final pen and ink drawings included:
The main elevational drawing (A4) Architectural detail drawing of part of the door panel (A6) Architectural detail drawing of the top of the columns (A6) The clock that hangs in the main entrance (A6) The view of the dome from inside the main hall (A6) |
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Giving clients a little extra
I was also asked to turn these Welsh art prints into cards too. Both the main print and the smaller drawings are available on my website, and from the museum gift shop. |
