From Capitol Hill

Last weekend the sketchers split up--about half went to the state capitol across the Des Moines River, east of downtown. The hill is maybe 50 feet higher than the downtown (west) side of the river, so the view are long and panoramic. I sat under a mature shade tree at the entrance to the capitol building and sketched a view of the cityscape. From where I sat the land that slopes down to the river is panted with flowering shrubs and an arboretum of native trees. From the bottom, the ground rises to a stepped plaza fronting the building. 

"View of Des Moines," wc/ink on paper

You could say that my approach to these sketches is primarily illustraional and I wouldn't argue. Certainly these sketches are planned, with deliberate compositional choices, value ranges, and detail. Some painters, regardless of medium, go for the spontaneous stroke of paint, happy accidents and unexpected changes. It occurs to me that such an approach can lead to wonderful results or abject disasters, so I prefer planning. 

This work was done in my usual work flow: graphite drawing, watercolor wash-in. ink high lighting or emphasizing.