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Sketching outdoors - do I need permission
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Message
Posted
Hi,
Now that my art class has finished for the summer I am planning to use the time each week to practice outdoor sketching. Please can you tell me what is the etiquette on sketching people's houses. I don't mean setting up in their front garden, but for example painting a farm house from a public space. Is it polite to ask permission or is this just disturbing people unnecessarily. These sketches are just for me to practice, no commercial intent.
Thanks
Helen
Posted
Strictly all buildings are in the public domain and can be photographed or sketched without permission providing always the viewpoint has access from public land and you couldn't be challenged for trespassing. Also in such situations, issues of copyright do not arise. However, I would suggest it's a matter of common courtesy to ask permission from the owner before proceeding if you are painting or drawing a specific privately owned property. This doesn't apply if you are painting, for example, a street scene or, as I do, a village scene which includes several dwellings but if there is a prominent building in the foreground then it might be prudent to ask the owners permission first.
Always put yourself in the owners shoes - would you like it if someone sat outside your own house drawing it? I would guess not so just be sensitive to their feelings. You never know: having sought permission you might end up with a commission - it's happened to me.
Posted
Hello Helen. If you were sitting directly outside of someones property it possibly would be a good idea to ask . I have heard of people being accosted and asked what they are up to. Though if the property is in a general view I don't see why you should, I certainly never have.
Maybe if you look for a website called Urban Sketchers you may even find a group to go along with. I live in NorthWales and we have an active ongoing group we meet and draw in different venues , drink a lot of coffee and enjoy ourselves.
I think a lot depends on how far you are from a property. Saying that I sat just across the road from someones lovely front door and it really never entered my head to ask permission. In Portugal a week or so ago I did sit and draw a frontage it had lovely pots and a line of washing. It was only later I realised I had drawn and painted a lot of someones underwear.
Enjoy your sketching.
Posted
Getting quickly back on topic... I have never sought permission, nor do I intend to in the future and I have never encountered any problems. If it's a valuable addition to a painting then I put it in, good grief, it's only a building after all, what's the big deal? I don't sit outside someone's drive and paint their house, partly because that's not my thing and probably not inspiring enough but when I'm out sketching and painting I always include the local architecture, albeit usually from a short distance away but not always.
I suppose that most of the buildings that interest me are generally farms and various old cottages and barns etc, and it is never advisable to drive up to a farmhouse and knock on the door, the main reason is that farmer's are not the most sociable of people (in the main), and they always have dogs running loose which bite.
So Helen, play it by ear, get out there and paint and don't let trivialities and minor issues deter you. In the unlikely event that someone does have a moan at you (and I've never encountered it), you can always move on, I wouldn't mind you, I would stay put, but then that's me.
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