Artist sketches all 16 Victoria line stops in 10-hour London journey
Daniel Te spent half an hour drawing near each stop and now hopes others will join him to sketch the Circle line.
Artist Daniel Te has sketched landmarks near all 16 stations on the Victoria line in a single 10-hour journey, discovering unfamiliar corners of London along the way.
The 27-year-old began at Brixton and spent half an hour drawing something near each station before finishing at Walthamstow Central. He now plans to tackle the Circle line, inviting others to join him.
“I think drawing landmarks helps create a more distinctive sense of what a place is exactly,” he said.
Daniel had not researched the stations beforehand, leaving the route to provide its own surprises. Near Highbury & Islington, he found a green plaque marking a former home of George Orwell.
“And that’s something that I never knew,” he said.
His favourite discovery was at Seven Sisters: “Seven Sisters was the most memorable, and I really like the origin story – it’s the symbol of the place, just seven trees in a circle.”
By the time he reached Walthamstow Central, fading daylight was making it difficult to see what he was drawing.
“I felt relieved, hungry, tired and satisfied. It was fulfilling, and I really liked the journey,” he said.
He bought a takeaway, went home and headed straight to sleep. Despite rising transport costs, the day’s travel cost him no more than £7.
Daniel moved to London from Portland, Oregon, in July, inspired by an interest in exploring European city planning. His Tube project gives him a reason to venture beyond familiar places.
“One of the reasons why I started doing tube sketching is that I wanted to see more of London and have an excuse to go out and about,” he said. “I really do love the process of just exploring every single destination.”
His travels have included Amsterdam, Vienna and Prague. He has also sketched Berlin’s S7 S-Bahn and the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.
Drawing in public brings encounters he enjoys: people stop to talk, watch or share their own art. On one occasion, a restaurant waiter told Daniel that he too was an artist, and the pair showed each other their work.
For his Circle line outing, Daniel is inviting people to meet at Farringdon station at 11am on 14 November. Participants can choose which stops they would like to cover, with Daniel planning to fill any gaps himself later.
“But I’d be tempted to do Paddington just to sketch the Paddington Bear statue,” he said.
The shared endeavour is becoming part of the project’s appeal. “I think it’s more of a communal activity than my own self-exploration,” he added.
Daniel has drawn inspiration from artists undertaking similar challenges, including sketching every pub in London. He hopes eventually to turn his drawings into a book or extend the project to other locations.