Sometimes on a weekend I will go into Oxford to sketch but the crowds can get to be a bit much – depending where exactly you are sketching. As an alternative, visiting Blenheim Palace is usually quieter and less pressured, so last Sunday, with a shiny new yearly pass, I ventured back to the Palace.

Being so close to Oxford this is somewhere that I’ve been sketching many times before. As an example, here is a sketch I did back in 2021. It’s of part of the palace buildings around the main courtyard.

In the photo above my sketch is of the buildings on the left. On my latest visit I sat a little further back – and here is my view and the resulting sketch.

Looking back, I think I prefer my previous drawing as it’s a little more vigorous. However the real purpose of these two sketches is really to continue and build up a broader panoramic view of the palace – so there is still a fair bit of work to be done yet.

This might turn out something a little like the panorama below – just a bit sketchier.

I also took the time to draw this clock tower – it is part of the view when you enter one of the inner palace courtyards…

I also finished off on this occasion with a quick landscape sketch of the lake – but maybe that’s one for another time?