Here's a few assorted cityscapes from the past year or so that I've gotten around to painting or sketching.



Passing through Paterson, New Jersey, I had the chance to observe some of the crumbling urban decay it is being plagued by. Boarded up vacant buildings and gang graffiti are heavy throughout the once formerly vibrant manufacturing city. It was like every street corner had a story to tell.


A scene from downtown St.Catharines. Older architectural buildings mix with early morning warm winter light for a misty-like quality.


Oil study of some really unique old buildings from a lookout point in Porto, Portugal at sunset. I was in awe of the variety of textures and crumbling bricks. View more art at jasondwyer.ca

On a trip this summer to Porto this summer, I discovered why it is such a popular tourist destination in Portgual. Aside from the port wine of course, the heritage Ribeira and surrounding area is just packed with scenic lookouts over the water and the city. It was almost an overabundance of spectacular old buildings to take in, to sketch and to photograph. Here are some of the sketches I managed to get when not busy stuffing my face full of olives.

My last post got me interested in looking back through some sketchbooks for drawings I've done while travelling. I came across an interesting mix of locations and styles and subjects, though there aren't as many travel sketches as I'd like. I blame the delicate balance of actually finding the time on a trip to sit down and draw something decent and having the option of snapping a photo to work on something later. Sketches are usually better, but just not always possible. Everytime I flip through Craig Thompson's European travel diary Carnet De Voyage it reassures me it's worth the time though. Here are from top left: airport sketch, NYC transit sketch, Cuban pianist, San Fran lookout, Times Square, beach study, Mykonos, Cuba resort, Havana window