Drawing Lichfield Cathedral 3rd

Lichfield Cathedral 3rd October

Today's Friday drawing lesson was a field trip to the beautiful Lichfield Cathedral; a massive Gothic style cathedral with a long history.

We started by walking around the outside, taking photos of the whole building, as well as capturing small details of the carvings and figures on the exterior walls. It was hard to pick which parts to focus on as it's such an ornate building. All the stone carvings had been lovingly crafted with such skill that each one deserved to be individually admired. Everything about the building showed how important this cathedral must have been to the whole community. When the cathedral was built, the church was the heart of the town. If that is true then this would be a good example. Each of the three stone spires are heavily engraved with a gold crosses on top. They appear to be reaching up to the sky towards God. Back then it would of been the tallest building in the area, so no matter where you were, you would be able to look up and see the spires and be reminded of God.

As I walked inside, I noticed just as much detail as the outside. The high ceiling, stone walls and the stained glass windows made everything feel grand. I couldn't help but feel small and insignificant in such a setting. The people who came into the cathedral all those years ago must have felt the same, or even more so, as this was a house of God and they were humble people wishing to renounce their sins and be accepted into heaven. It must have been an overwhelming experience entering the cathedral for the first time.

As I walked around taking photos, the feel of the Cathedral never escaped me. I thought about the time it must of taken to build and all the upkeep. A lot of care had gone into everything. While I was walking, the organ was playing. The music was echoing throughout the space, filling the large room and every inch of the Cathedral. It added to the awe-inspiring atmosphere.

After taking some more photos, I sat down and started drawing. The first thing to catch my eye was a small leaf like carving on a stone pillar on the edge of the wall. I noticed that even the corners, which can be easily overlooked in a normal building, were embellished here. I continued spotting small details, drawing them, and moving my eye onto something else. It wasn't difficult finding something to draw as there was so much to look at that captured my attention. However, there was so little time. My only regret was I didn't stop outside to do any drawing. If I didn't have a head cold, I would have done that. I think I'll be going back to Lichfield Cathedral at some point to do more drawings.