A Yorkshire Sketchbook: David Hockney (The RA Sketchbooks)

In recent years renowned artist David Hockney has returned to England to paint the landscape of his childhood in East Yorkshire. Although his passionate interest in new technologies has led him to develop a virtuosic drawing technique on the iPad, he has also traveled outdoors with a traditional sketchbook, an invaluable tool as he works quickly to capture the changing light and fleeting effects of the weather. Executed in watercolor and ink, these panoramic scenes have the spatial complexity of finished paintings—the broad sweep of sky or road, the patchwork tapestry of land—yet convey the immediacy of Hockney’s impressions. For those who know the East Yorkshire Wolds, the location of the sketches is unmistakable; for those who don’t, its features will come to life in these pages.