Bridges

I'm quite into drawing bridges at the moment. I like the strong shadows they form. I particularly like the common garden variety that just go about doing their boring jobs on every freeway in the country.


Everyday on the way home from work I end up sitting in my car waiting at that nasty intersection on Liesbeek Parkway under the N2 bridge. The shapes and patterns it forms fascinates me. I have been desperate to sketch it for a while, but could never quite see myself sitting under it next to the homeless guy and the tow-trucks. So, (do I confess it?) I took a photo and then sketched it.


Here are two bridges I found in an old sketchpad that I carried around Spain and France. This fancy old bridge in Paris excites me less than the big ugly concrete ones above. Perhaps because it doesn't need to be sketched or turned into anything - it speaks for itself.


And this one in a sad old town on the border between Spain and France includes one of my other all time favourites - railway lines. I remember I was immediately drawn to the strong dark shadows of the arches.