WHEN John Harrison arrived at Keighley Art Club he surprised us with news of his latest achievement, a regular feature in Dalesman magazine entitled Yorkshire Draw.

He will produce his style of strong buildings with ad hoc painted sections. A sharpness in John’s buildings matches the sharp ends of his moustache.

In his demonstration to the club, John displayed his pen and ink work by means of an overhead projector, showing every pencil and brush stroke.

A sign displayed a saying: “Beware of artists. They mix with all classes of society and are therefore the most dangerous”.

John circulated completed sketchbooks. Some sketches have been converted into full-size paintings.

Each year he issues a printed booklet of new drawings entitled “From Coast to Coast”.

An active urban sketcher, John meets with other artists at a variety of locations and is inspired by Yorkshire and the Lake District.

Usually artists prepare a pencil outline, adding paint and/or ink. John differs by sketching in ink, within a pencil-framed page, and adds random paint smoothly or with splatters.

He uses heavy 300g Saunders Waterstone’s “rough” paper with textured finish.

Having created his scene John zooms in on its chosen focal point, painting this in watercolours over ink. Other sections are left blank deliberately. Shadows and random touches are then added.

An ex-drummer then a graphic artist with technical drawing, John developed a subject matter that he says “must always be a building”.

He uses pens with waterproof ink, mostly 0.1 or 0.05 which are very fine.

John does not wet the paper, which is unusual, before painting the sky in a mix of Payne’s grey and cobalt blue.

Then he adds grass and hills, and green gold with a touch of blue. John prefers to mix his own greens, as ready-bought greens can be bright. Mostly he paints with a size 12 brush.

Roofs are often painted white, and when dry, light pen strokes are added to represent a few slates. Boundary wall stones are painted in the same way.

After the picture fully dries, shadows are added in areas of window lintels, roof eaves and gable ends.

The process was peppered with anecdotes, and John told us of his appearance on Sky Arts on TV.

Two hours were given per item, and he dropped his first effort on the ground,, but he attracted positive positive attention from the judge.

Keighley Art Club’s president Geoff Mitchell had also seen John presenting at The Spa in Bridlington.

John runs workshops in Ilkley and in Broadrake in the Yorkshire Dales, and aspires to one day appear at Ilkley Art Show.

He regularly appears at the annual Staithes Art Week, where the public views art in houses.

John now intends to develop his ideas in perspective and sketching in his workshops. Contact John on 07794 747884 for further information. His work is also at drawninyorkshire.com.

Keighley Art Club’s new programme is on our Facebook page. Visitors are welcome on payment of £3 per session.

Our exhibition at Cliff Castle Museum in Keighley, with Bingley’s art group, runs from March 2 to April 21 next year. Your support will be appreciated, as we have several new members.