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.
In my short trek across Europe I managed to squeeze in some quick sketches. Packing Amsterdam, Paris and London into a span of under nine days didn't seem to leave much time for doodling, despite the ample material. Mostly I was just dashing off a quick brush doodle without much detail, before moving on to the next spot. Overall, cafes and pubs were filled with tempting subjects, as was the architecture (minus all the windows), not to mention inspiration from world famous museums that had me itching to draw. A British waitress even asked me, Simon style, if I was doing some "drawering".
Being in the middle of planning a trip and appreciating the beauty of the European rail system, I think that this old drawing is fitting. Sometimes I marvel at the patience of previous projects. I pretty much avoid things requiring rulers at all costs, yet at some point I managed to produce an inked technical train station drawing complete with marker rendering. There are parts of it that are sloppy, but I doubt I'd have the patience to work out something like this today. Tastes and interests change, and I guess I'd just prefer to be on the train instead and snap a pretty picture.
















