Exploring one pub at a time and drawing each one along the way

Frank Morris has a vital piece of kit when travelling around Bristol drawing pubs: a camping chair.

But on a recent weekday afternoon on Wellington Terrace in Clifton Village, some handy steps directly opposite the Portcullis pub made for an ideal vantage point with the chair this time remaining in Frank’s bag.

Since moving to Bristol at the start of 2023, Frank has been exploring different neighbourhoods by drawing pubs and sharing the results on Instagram.

His first illustration was of the Hillgrove in Kingsdown and since then other pubs he has drawn include the Plough in Easton, the Miners Arms in St Werburgh’s, the Bag of Nails at the foot of Jacob’s Wells Road and the Swan with Two Necks in St Jude’s.

Frank arrived in Bristol too late to remember Bass served straight from the barrel at the Swan With Two Necks

“Since as young as I can remember I have been most content with a pen in my hand,” says Frank, whose drawings of pubs can take up to 12 hours to draw and who always draws from real-life rather than from photographs.

The specific pen he now uses is a black Uniball pin 0.05 fine liner.

Frank first started drawing pubs during the first lockdown, deciding to draw outside as a way to get some fresh air and being attracted by the beautiful architecture of one of his local pubs at the time in London, the Assembly House in Kentish Town.

Frank at work opposite the Portcullis in Clifton Village

“I sat in front of the pub and drew in my sketchbook over a period of about three days, enjoying adding all the ornamental details of the facade, the textures of the bricks and reflections in the windows.

“One of the best parts of this first experience of drawing a pub was speaking to passers-by and other locals who also missed pubs dearly.

“It soon occurred to me that people were connecting with what I was doing because of the incredible cultural significance of pubs and their importance to our local communities.”

Frank draws all of his pubs from real life, incorporating passers-by within his illustration

Frank’s dream is to draw every pub in Bristol, although he admits that might be a little ambitious. He chooses what pubs to draw based on a variety of factors.

“If I have been to a pub and like the feel of it, I’ll draw it. Or since moving to Bristol, lots of friends and people on Instagram have offered me personal pub suggestions which have been really useful.

“By drawing pubs it has been a great way to discover Bristol and get to know the city.

“Bristol pubs have so much to offer and have a different feel to many of the ones I knew in London. There is a certain lawlessness to many Bristol pubs that I find particularly appealing.

“The parts of the drawing that I enjoy best are probably adding the incidental little details that I notice on that particular day.

“This could be friends chatting, someone having a quiet pint by themselves or a bird perched on top of a chimney.

“By adding these details and drawing exactly what I see, I also aim to make each drawing a kind of record of each pub in a time and place.”

The Miners Arms in St Werburgh’s with the spire of St Werburgh’s Church in the background

Follow Frank on Instagram for his latest illustrations: @frankspubdrawings

Main photo: Martin Booth; all illustrations: Frank Morris

This article originally appeared in the autumn edition of the Bristol24/7 quarterly magazine, currently being distributed across our city

Bristol24/7’s summer 2023 magazine is being distributed to pick up free across our city

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