I’m still not sure if I’ve picked the right subject for my final project for my Architectural Watercolour course, but I’ll roll with it for now and I guess can always pick another one if this goes horribly wrong.

For this stage we had to create a loose pencil sketch with very little detail, and then start to sketch in some very rough details in pen and ink. Clearly I have gone far too heavy-handed with the detail, but I’m consoling myself that that’s OK because the only way to learn what will work is by getting it wrong a few times.

It’s interesting how the spontaneity of the thumbnail was much more attractive.

Since the last sketch, I have moved the 5 mph sign to the right of the composition and have added a pylon, which gives more sense of the landscape around the building, and also for me gives it a little story of some kind, that the electricity is flowing into the office, either in a mundane sort of a way in which it powers the office equipment, or a sinister way – perhaps it carries the evil energy of office life into it – fluroescent lights; beligerent photocopiers; the endless allure of the kettle.

And what of the number 5? Some numerological implication? Or a Prisoner vibe? Or just a bit of advice for everyone to slow down? Including numbers in paintings seems fun.

The other little detail I like is the white pedestrian figure on the pavement. It has a weird distortion to it and the feel of a chalk figure round a victim.