PDX/urbansketchers May sketchcrawl at Tillicum Crossing.

So good to see many new and regular sketchers show up for our monthly sketchcrawl. The weather cooperated and we had good temps and no rain...the wind did pick up a bit and cause a few fluttering of sketch book pages but like all good sketchers we persevered.

Here is a group shot of sketchers and their sketches.

These were my two contributions to the day

As you can see I was fascinated with this big grey building that looked to me like it was out of a Star Wars film...ready to walk off among us!
And only a modicum of a bow to a bridge....this Ross Island in the background.

Bridges are Portland

The last couple of sketchcrawls in Portland have been located around bridges....and we love our bridges here in Portland!

The Tillicum Bridge is Portland's newest; dedicated to pedestrian, bike and public transportation only. It is a beautiful modern bridge and much admired by us all. On this day though I was interested in some of the new architecture and sculpture that has sprung up on the west-side.

watercolor, rainbow pencil, Kuretake brush pen

watercolor with Kuretake brush pen

watercolor, Kuretake brush pen, white acrylic One4all pen

Finally I turned to the bridge...the sun had highlighted some of its cables to a brilliant white. I wish I was able to do it justice but it is a challenging subject. I suspect that I will try again however....!

watercolor on Moleskine with white acrylic One4all pen

Our latest sketchcrawl was in solidarity with our Portland sketchers who are at the the USK Chicago Symposium. A small but determined group of Portland sketchers gathered at Union Station to sketch the pedestrian bridge there.

watercolor and Kuretake brush pen

watercolor on Moleskine sketchbook

Tillicum Crossing sketches

I have been watching this bridge being built for the last couple of years but this is the first time I have been close enough to sketch it.
I thought I'd try something a little different. The first sketch was with my regular approach; ink and watercolor and the other two are watercolor only (the last one in a larger format sketchbook).
This was a challenging subject no matter what approach....but fun too.
All three sketches were all from the same view point.

non waterproof ink and watercolor

watercolor

watercolor (8"x23")

The View from KQAC

Here is one more, just to prove I do get into Portland now and then. We did the tour of the new KQAC studios in the building they now share with the Portland Opera. They have fantastic views of the river, and of the new Tillicum Bridge, still under construction. I did a quick view of a man in a little wheeled cart suspended next to one of the large concrete things (pylons?).

Sepia micron (that was actually a mistake; I grabbed a pen from the box when I left the house, and it turned out to be sepia), watercolor, and a little white ink.

SusanLayne