Heart MCR Run - Part of the Manchester Arena Bombing commemorations. 22nd May 2018.
All my GPS drawings.
(Apart from the ones that didn’t turn out as well as planned.)
Freddie Mercury “Rage Pose Meme.” From inspiration, to Strava GPX, to final art piece.
GPS Drawing may sound simple, and it can be if you have an overdeveloped pareidolia, see a picture on a map and run, cycle, drive or swim the route.
But if you want to create a specific image, like a map, flag, or recognisable celebrity, for example it becomes exponentially harder the more detail you add as canals, motorways, shopping malls and football stadiums get in the way.
To help me get around this I’ve developed a style where draw the whole image, then strategically remove lines until it is more impressionistic leaving the viewer to fill in the full picture. A good example is the Freddie Mercury “Rage Pose Meme” drawing, Santa and Pig.
Drawing Techniques
Following Roads and Paths - For most of my drawings I plan the route to follow features that are on the map.
Freehand Drawing - This is where I run on open ground, sometimes using trees and other landmarks as reference points, which means I can draw long curved lines or add more intricate details. Footballs (sic) Coming Home, Ox, and Valentines Heart are good examples.
Freehand GPS Drawings
Creating GPS Drawings
I plan my drawings using Open Street Map and Plot-a-Route. This allows me to adjust the route, add details, avoid motorways and canals and also plan supply and toilet stops if needed.
Though other artists cycle, drive, or even swim I run all my routes. I use a Garmin GPS watch (and my phone as backup) to record a track.
I share my drawings using the Strava app and Instagram then turn some of them into stand alone art pieces starting with Thunderforest maps, then changing colours to create striking images.
Heart MCR Run - Part of the Manchester Arena Bombing commemorations. 22nd May 2018.
Press and Media
Contact me by email nathan@nathanrae.co.uk or 07891 605962.
Any publication has permission to publish and share any artwork on this page with the following conditions:
1. The signature or watermarked @nathanraegps is shown and not removed
2. A link to this page or www.facebook.com/nathanraegps is included in any post, article, blog, and in the description of any video.
Rhapsody Parts 1, 2, and 3 - Inspired by Queen and the Bohemian Rhapsody movie.
Rhapsody Part 1 - I Want To Ride My Bicycle
21st August 2018
Rhapsody Part 2 - I Want To Break Free
31st August 2018
Rhapsody Part 2.5 - Build You Own Boat
Rhapsody Part 3 - Just Freddie
23th September 2018
Christmas Images
GPS Doodles
Comparing the GPS accuracy of my phone to my Garmin watch.
Running in circles like this get’s you lots of weird look from sunbathers and picnic-ers.
Inspired by wrapping string around pegs on a board. GPS isn’t accurate enough though!
My first GPS drawing “I Love Chorlton Runners.”
I ran this after seeing Anthony Hoyte’s Snowman in London.