Sketching Harbours

The step-by-step guides in this series provide readers with all the information they need to master the art of drawing. All titles in the series include information on materials and techniques, with step-by-step drawings and advice on composition and perspective.

This is a highly visual and practical approach to drawing boats and harbours. The author, a professional artist, discusses various media and shows how to achieve a wide range of effects and to get your perspective right. An ideal book for the beginner.

During the 19th century, the engineering of ports and harbours became a large and specialised branch of the profession. This development began in ports in physically difficult locations and may be particularly identified with the growth of the Port of Liverpool. Stimulated by the arrival of ever-larger steamships and the heavy investment in port facilities that they demanded, it spread around much of the world. The opening papers give examples of what could be achieved in antiquity; the following ones set out the advances in design and technology from 1700 to the start of this century - and note some of the failures and recurrent problems. They also illustrate the critical importance of political and economic factors in determining what the engineers achieved.