Calle in Cádiz

View looking down a calle toward the dome of the cathedral in Cádiz, Spain during a walking tour. Impressionistic marker and watercolor tint painting depicting the vibrant colors of the façades. The woman in the foreground had a bold-patterned shawl. The perspective is slightly off. Original size: approx. 5 in. by 6 in. Done April, 2022.

 

Greatest Hits

Coming up to six months since I established this blog, I thought that the audience might like to know which posts have been viewed the most. The view of the Tuileries from Place de la Concorde in Paris (top sketch) has received the most hits, followed closely by the sketch of Paris' L'Arc de Triomphe (middle sketch). The most hits in one day goes to the watercolor of Bunny's Liquors in Urbana, IL (bottom sketch). Now, how does one explain the audience's interest? Some of it has to do with the subject matter of the sketches, I suppose; or it might be the medium that the drawing was done in; or it could be the style of the sketching technique. In order to make it easier to find a type of sketch or technique or media, I recently added more labeling gadgets.

Superdawg Drive-In

Sketch (really more of a scribble) of the Superdawg Drive-In, Chicago. Original size: 3" by 8", felt tip marker on tracing paper with the image color reversed using Paint Shop Pro, done March, 2012.

Bunny's Liquors

Now, I am going to post a few earlier watercolors. Here is a view of Bunny's Package Liquors in Urbana, IL: approximately 16" by 14" original size, done on site, Spring, 1970.

Russell's Barbecue

Before there was a McDonald's, there was Russell's. Serving barbecue sandwiches since 1930, Ray Kroc probably sold this establishment Multi-Mixers way before he sold them to the McDonald brothers. For me, the building evokes a monumental Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style house, several of which are nearby: the simple volumes, the broad low-pitched roof with overhanging eaves, the horizontal bands of windows and wall materials. Felt tip marker on tracing paper, approximately 6" by 8" original size, drawn on site, March, 2012.

Rue de Montreuil

Although this sketch is spare in detail, it exudes the feeling of France for me. A storefront along a street in the neighborhood where I used to live. 6" by 9" original size, felt tip marker and dry marker on paper, done January, 1972.

Boulevard Saint-Michel

A sketch in front and under the awning of the papeterie Gibert Jeune on the Boulevard Saint-Michel in the Latin Quarter of Paris. Drawn on site in October, 1971; felt tip marker on tracing paper. Original size: approximately 5" by 4 1/2". As an aside, all of my tracing paper drawings were done on a sketch pad called a Croquis-Échelle Canson. This pad had a printed grid that I could tuck under the sheet of trace in order to assist in scaling and proportion.