Realist Art in Oils, Watercolours and Ink Sketches by Dai Wynn
Sarlat Bar Tabac Presse
Freehand ink sketch of the café on the corner of rue Victor Hugo and rue des Mazels, Sarlat-la-Canéda, France. The sign on the awning says: “Bar, Tabac, Presses — Alcohol, Smokes, Newspapers”. Sarlat is the gateway to the Périgord Noir and the châteaux, fortresses, caves, and medieval villages along the Dordogne River. Sarlat is rightly famous for its old town centre, meticulously preserved and a bustling tourist hub. Dai Wynn drew this view from a photograph he took while staying in the town. The difficulty of removing camera lens distortion while retaining perspective is evident here. 29.7cm high by 42cm wide by 0.1cm deep approximately.
Keen eyes will have noticed that this newer version, entitled “Sarlat Bar Tabac Presse” is my attempt to rectify perspective issues and to include four people in the sketch. While perspective is always fraught, the camera lens adds astigmatism which I try to remove in my drawings.
