Porto Sketchbook

[By Eduardo Salavisa in Porto, Portugal] How to draw Porto? How to draw a city that has so much to see and, specially, after so many excellent sketchers have done it? (see the example of Paulo Mendes Drawings here). Following, for example, the teachings of architect Siva Vieira: “of just seeing what immediately attracts me, of walking randomly, without a map and with an absurd sense of discovery”.

It was in this spirit that, for a few days, with a a small sketchbook, I walked through the streets, ran the subway and tram, talked to people, went to restaurants and cafés. The sketches are fast done with a pen and watercolour.

The result is a book, the “Porto Sketchbook”, with 70 drawings (on double page) and two texts (translated in four languages), and an exhibition (starts at 13th of July at 9.30 pm until the end of the month) in Mira Forum Gallery, in Porto, Campanhã, a non central area with a new cultural vibe. 

Below two drawings – the building where the Symposium will take place, and the Clérigos Tower (one of the city icons) – and the book cover.