James Hobbs

An ink drawing in black and grey of trees in an urban park.

Trees in leaf. Summer days in Clissold Park, north London.

An ink drawing with digital colour of a street scene showing the base of a spire, a basilica and assorted street furniture, including plants, bikes, cars and rubbish bins.

La Flèche Saint-Michel, Bordeaux, from a cafe on Rue Gaspard Philippe. This drawing omits the reason for its name, la flèche (arrow), by editing out the spire, which was mostly encased in scaffolding anyway.

A black ink drawing of a valley showing trees, rocks, a building and a stream.

A grey ink drawing of a mountain with a blue sky added digitally.

Two views from the spectacularly situated Mirador de Lallende bar at Bulnes, high in the Picos de Europa in northern Spain. It’s at the very end of the track, on a ledge, after a drive, a subterranean funicular ride and a trek. #Bulnes

A drawing of a park showing trees and plants with buildings behind.

Finsbury Circus Gardens, London EC2, recently reopened after being closed for about a decade while the Elizabeth line was built.

An ink drawing with touches of digital colour of houses and a street in a Spanish town.

A glimpse of a Spanish town scene between two buildings, one close, one further back.

The view from the cafe table where we ate lunch in Comillas, Cantabria, Spain. Just a glimpse of the gently rising street between the buildings. Enough.

A monochrome ink drawing of a Spanish landscape showing buildings, a garden, trees and telegraph lines.

The view from room 202 at Posada de la Abadia, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, northern Spain.

👍👍👍 Thanks.

A monochrome drawing of an inner city garden showing trees, a variety of foliage and houses partially visible behind them.

Barnsbury Square Gardens, Islington, London N1. #Islington

A drawing in black ink showing a car park in front of a railway station, with a glimpse of Devon’s rolling hills behind.

A detail of a drawing in black ink showing a car park in front of a railway station.

A detail of a drawing in black ink showing a car park in front of a railway station, with a glimpse of Devon’s rolling hills behind.

A detail of a drawing in black ink showing a car park in front of a railway station.

Exeter St David’s railway station as seen from the Premier Inn across the road. I’ve passed through this station so many times over the years. #Exeter

An ink drawing of a modern building with barriers and hoardings and trees at ground level.

A monochrome drawing of the spires, rooftops and windows of the Victorian St Pancras station building.

Two drawings from last weekend’s USk London gathering at St Pancras, one of the still unfinished Google “landscraper” HQ that stretches from King’s Cross station all the way to Granary Square, and the second of the St Pancras station as seen from the British Library piazza. #StPancras

Views from the train on the way home from a quick visit to Cornwall for a funeral. It’s late afternoon, the carriage is almost empty and the train is flying along. There’s occasional laughter from the end of the carriage.

Thanks. Yes, the pencils went out ages ago. The one in the article was done in Berlin back in 1998 in a little homemade book.

Inside the Sketchbook of James Hobbs See inside the sketchbooks of London-based artist and author James Hobbs, a prolific drawer with over 200 sketchbooks.

I’ve written about me and my sketchbooks for the Jackson’s Art Supplies blog as part of its Inside the Sketchbook series. Find it here: www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2025/05... #Sketchbooks

Thanks Cristina!

It’s here ready for you when the time comes.

The interior of a grocery shop drawn in thick black ink, showing shelves, a cheese counter and a door and window looking out onto a city street.

A detail of the interior of a grocery shop drawn in thick black ink.

A detail of the interior of a grocery shop drawn in thick black ink, showing shelves, a cheese counter and a window looking out onto a city street.

The interior of a grocery shop drawn in thick black ink, showing shelves and a door and looking out onto a city street.

The view from inside Superette, a deli on Upper Street, Islington, N1. #islington

Yes, a physical thing rather than a digital one. It is special.

A monochrome ink drawing of trees and buildings in thick black lines.

A detail of a monochrome ink drawing of trees and buildings in thick black lines.

A detail of a monochrome ink drawing of trees and buildings in thick black lines.

A detail of a monochrome ink drawing of trees and buildings in thick black lines.

Brunswick Square Gardens, Bloomsbury.

Thank you Cristina.

Thanks! 😀

A detail of an ink drawing of the tower blocks of the City of London.

A detail of an ink drawing of the tower blocks of the City of London.

An ink drawing of the tower blocks of the City of London.

The City of London skyline viewed from the beach beneath the Millennium Bridge.

When the Thames tide is out, it’s lovely to walk down on the beach. By Tate Modern, where I sit on the pebbles to draw, the City skyline is visible under the Millennium Bridge. The sandier parts are further upstream by the Festival Hall.

An ink drawing of East End buildings including a church, flats and a school with the towers of the City of London in the background.

Last chance. The Urban Sketchers London show of more than 300 works closes on Sunday 30/03 - I have two drawings in it, and copies of Sketchbook Reveal are on sale too. urbansketcherslondon.co.uk/exhibition-p...

Copies of my new book Sketchbook Reveal, published by Sketcher Press, will be on sale, as well as my drawings.

I have a couple of drawings in the mega Urban Sketchers London show at the Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, London running 22-30 March. It will consist of more than 300 drawings and an array of hands-on sketchwalks and other drawing events. See urbansketcherslondon.co.uk/exhibition-p... #UrbanSketchers

The left hand side of an ink drawing of Eastbourne Pier.

The right hand side of an ink drawing of Eastbourne Pier.

An ink drawing of the structure of Eastbourne Pier, with a few small golden domes, and one larger one.

Eastbourne Pier. The starlings are still gathering here to murmurate at sunset – it’s not as mesmerising as when we were here one February, but amazing nonetheless. #Eastbourne

😊 Happy that they make you happy.

An ink drawing showing a junction with a tree in the foreground and a restaurant with a yellow awning behind.

The Fig and Walnut, Marchmont Street, Bloomsbury: a new restaurant to meet old friends. #Bloomsbury

An ink drawing of the photo of a wedding party projected during the intermission of The Brutalist, with digital colour added later.

The intermission in the 215-minute film The Brutalist. Huge, but A Real Pain worked better for me.

An ink drawing of the River Thames showing trees on the embankment and and a pier and boats on the right.

Patricia Chow dropped in from the US and we went drawing down by the river. It’s always good to sit over a coffee and go through someone’s sketchbook before heading out to draw. It’s a cold winter’s morning so we viewed the Thames from inside the Royal Festival Hall. Safe travels Patricia. #Thames

Save the date for Sketcher Fest 2025! Art and travel enthusiasts, mark your calendar for July 19-20, 2025!

Let the 2025 journey begin!
#edmondswa #travelsketchbooks #urbansketchers #graphicjournalism #sketchbooks #reportage #sketcherfest2025