Instagram story viewer> @benjrobards> Posts

Ben Robards

@benjrobards

391

followers

253

following

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

366 sketches completed. There were times when I didn’t think I could do it. In September, I was at least 25 days behind. But I worked hard and caught up, and honed a few techniques along the way. Here is my year in pictures…

#art #sketch #sketchbook #sketchdaily #pencildrawing #pencilsketch #drawingoftheday #drawingeveryday #drawingsketch by @benjrobards

68

8

3 years ago

by @benjrobards

9

1

2 days ago

Further footage emerges of the melting of Old St. Paul’s. taken in Ludgate Hill, London by @benjrobards

20

1

24 days ago

360 years ago this week, London was utterly engulfed in a four day fiery apocalypse. The inferno started meekly on Sept 2nd. By the evening of the 4th, the old St Paul’s Cathedral had caught fire and shortly thereafter, as John Evelyn wrote: the stones of the building were exploding like grenades and the huge heavy weight of lead in the roof was melting and raining down, and flowing in streams down Ludgate Hill.

Lead (Pb) - atomic number 82, 11.34 g/cm³, melting point 327.5°C.

Yesterday I walked to the river, procured old drain tiles, raised a pint to Pepys in The Anchor, visited the crypt of St Paul’s for purposes of research, and by night I did sketch it, and carve it from woode, and cast a model of that same church in that very lead. And then by candlelight smelted it by blow torch in our Clerkenwell garden, and watched that lead stream down over our own small London. And so to bed. (No parmezan was hurt in the makng of such moving images). #londonart #londonhistory #fireoflondon #pepys #johnevelyn by @benjrobards

32

1

a month ago

September 3rd 2026 - today’s work gradually coming together. by @benjrobards

8

0

a month ago

Colours of the Highlands. taken in Glen Dochart by @benjrobards

5

2

a month ago

Propagating different ferns from spores collected back in March 2025. Ferns have an interesting life-cycle, these are all at the gametophyte stage; they’ll later develop into the more recognisable adult diploid sporophyte. The last photo is a close-up of a prothallus, with tiny anchoring rhizoid hairs. One or two might grow into giant tree ferns if I’m lucky. #pteridology @soil.ninja #pteridomania #treeferns #ferns by @benjrobards

9

0

2 months ago

Various attempts to use a Camera Lucida to capture David Hockney’s likeness. As Hockney himself said, the technique is “difficult”, but the results can save a lot of time measuring, marking and re-marking. I certainly wouldn’t want to attempt capturing a live subject - the slightest movement from either viewer or subject results in de-registration - as can be seen in the fifth attempt where the right eye is too raised, and the right ear twisted. Used my lovely new Titanium Lumos from @tomsstudio for this, and of course both versions of the @neo.lucida by @benjrobards

20

1

3 months ago

Just before we stop talking about David Hockney, I must champion again his book that blew my mind 25 years ago. I was astonished by his conjecture, astonished that it hadn’t come from a dusty old academician, but from a working, practising artist. His assembly of evidence about artists’ use of optical devices in their preparations I found totally compelling. I gave my first edition to a close friend, and then immediately bought the second 2005 edition. His theories garnered considerable support but also provoked opposition and hostility. The ferocity of that debate against the Hockney-Falco thesis, as it became known, eluded me at the time, 2001 being well before the internet became such an efficient vector of invective. The huge majority of negativity came (as it usually does) from ill-informed gatekeepers, who hadn’t even studied the book. A little of it came from more credible opposition such as David Stork, but that was vigorously contested by Hockney’s collaborator, Charles Falco, during a long-running public spat. None of that criticism has yet dissuaded me of the insights that I found so brilliant in 2001. I use a camera lucida, and have found great promise within its constrained prism. I know a bit about painting, and a bit about optics. I know lenses, as I do perspective. To my mind, Hockney’s brilliant and bold thesis should be stated right up at the top of his achievements rather than relegated to a sheepish footnote. by @benjrobards

7

0

3 months ago

Nine-spotted moth - Amata nigricornis. Some way outside of its usual habitat here. taken in La Seconda Torre, Monte Titano, San Marino by @benjrobards

15

0

3 months ago

This evening’s mission:- to photograph all 24 of the extant Wren churches in the City. Took both the iPhone and the D750 w/ big Tamron 150-600mm to get the long shots. Hoping for good light so waited until 19.00 to start, was rewarded with gorgeous sunset hues and even a faint rainbow over St Stephen Walbrook. Mission accomplished by 21.45 (that’s about 7min per site including bike time), and so to #TheCockpit for a fine pint of Harvey’s Best. All of these stills as source material for forthcoming #ARTstuff. Here’s a few of the phone stills. by @benjrobards

23

4

3 months ago

A sweltering evening on my favourite London beach. A pint of Young’s from The Founder’s and a quick watercolour with a 40’year old paint set. Glorious! #londonart #arteveryday @foundersarms by @benjrobards

46

3

3 months ago