Artist draws Bristol’s pubs to celebrate ‘one of the best things’ about Britain

An artist has said he aspires to create a book featuring his drawings of pubs in Bristol to celebrate the quintessential British establishment which he said is “one of the best things about this country”.

Frank Morris, 30, moved to Easton, Bristol, roughly two years ago from Kentish Town in north-west London.

During the Covid lockdown, he decided he needed some fresh air and wanted to draw outside.

Mr Morris’s drawing of The Old Bookshop in Bristol (Instagram/@frankspubdrawings/PA)

He was struck by the “beautiful” Victorian architecture of The Assembly House, his local pub at the time in Kentish Town, and drew it in his sketchbook over three days.

From there, he went on to draw around 19 further pubs in London before turning his attention to Bristol’s watering holes.

The Golden Guinea, The Old Bookshop and The Cornubia are just some of Bristol’s pubs he has replicated in ink.

“What I loved after drawing the first pub was speaking to all the passers-by who were interested in the drawing and were telling me things about the pub and that gave me the buzz and motivation to find more pubs and continue drawing them,” Mr Morris told the PA news agency.

“I’ve drawn around 30, and counting, in Bristol and I have an ambition to one day get a book published on Bristol pubs featuring my art and local history.

Mr Morris’s drawing of The Golden Guinea in Bristol (Instagram/@frankspubdrawings/PA)

“I’ve been in Bristol for just over two years now and you think you’ve found all your favourite pubs and then you realise around the corner, tucked away, there’s another amazing pub you haven’t discovered yet.

“It’s also a fun way to discover the city.”

Mr Morris can often be found walking around the city with a fisherman stool in tow so he can find an optimum spot to begin the drawing process, which he documents on Instagram via the account @frankspubdrawings.

“I sit in front of the pub, usually on the other side of the pavement, and try to get a good angle,” he said.

“I use a 0.1mm pen and do a quick thumbnail sketch, usually on an A4 paper, and then basically take my time and try to get the proportions by eye, freehand, and normally do it over two sittings.”

Mr Morris can take anywhere between five and 10 hours to draw each pub (Instagram/@frankspubdrawings/PA)

Mr Morris said it can take anywhere between five and 10 hours to complete each drawing, but it can take longer if it rains or unexpected things happen, including a van parking in front of his subject of choice.

He decides which pubs to draw through a mix of ways, including getting commissions from pub staff, asking for recommendations from Instagram or depicting establishments which take his fancy.

Mr Morris tries to include personal touches to his art wherever possible.

“I’ve got to work on some really lovely commissions over the last few years,” he said.

“Quite a common one is first date spots and I offer to, if they want, in a subtle way, to add them in the drawing.

“They’ll send me photos of them and then maybe hidden through a window I’ll add their silhouette, which has been really sweet.

Mr Morris’s drawing of The Old Duke in Bristol (Instagram/@frankspubdrawings/PA)

“Recently, I also drew The Cornubia and I met the landlord Jackie as she was leaving and she loved the drawing as I got her dog in it.”

Mr Morris said he has noticed some differences between the pubs he has illustrated in London and Bristol.

“Bristol has a really big graffiti culture, so it’s not uncommon for pubs to be covered in amazing murals, which I think is really special and adds to the character of this city,” he said.

“London has a lot of really old Victorian pubs or brickwork.”

At a time when the pub industry is facing a lot of changes and upheaval, Mr Morris said he feels his project is even more paramount as a means of championing the significant impact they have on British society.

“When you’re drawing the pubs and speaking with passers-by and bar staff, it really highlights how important pubs are to local communities,” he said.

Mr Morris’s drawing of The Cornubia in Bristol (Instagram/@frankspubdrawings/PA)

“I think around 400 pubs in England and Wales closed in 2024 due to things like the cost-of-living crisis and Covid, and my project is all about celebrating pubs and how we should cherish them while they’re here as I’ve drawn a few pubs which have now sadly closed.

“Like a lot of people, I love pubs – I think they’re probably one of the best things about this country.

“They’re like small microcosms with their own little quirks and there’s so much history in each pub you go to.”

Mr Morris’s work can be found on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/franksillustrations