Construction in Portland's Pearl

It's me again, this time doing something different with some inspiration from other Urban Sketchers:  I used tips from Inma Serrano's workshop at the Barcelona symposium. She had us draw buildings by starting with paint first. I thought about Inma's gorgeous monster buildings and  didn't care if mine were accurate or not. Instead, I tried to get the feel of the scene. I took Gail Wong's suggestion of using a bigger brush  (in this case a flat one) for a looser look.  After painting, I added the ink and some of the details.

It was a lot of fun sketching like this. I wasn't concerned with how many windows there were or how precise the balconies looked---or anything else. I wasn't really thinking very much at all, just  adding paint and then lines. It was very refreshing and I think I'll try some more of these. They may help me get over my summer slump:)

Portlanders, if you're in the mood for drawing construction, I'd suggest you head for The Fields. There are at least three blocks filled with cranes, drills,  rebar and more. You may want to take ear plugs. Happy sketching!