These two works were done primarily from life but also touched up back in the studio.  I did the wharf picture on site using colored pencil and watercolor.  I redrew it on toned paper that night, using my sketch and photo references.  I was really interested in getting the geometry of the buildings and the dark squares balanced.  The view of the harbor started on a gloomy day when it wasn’t really practical to draw outdoors.  From the  5th floor window I could see the wharf area and the large parking deck in the foreground.  I wanted to get the sweep of the harbor on the paper without resorting to shrinking it to a horizontal band.  I compressed the view and decided to include the parking deck (albeit without cars).  When I brought it to critique I was encouraged to continue working on the values and achieve more contrast.  I went back to work on it the next day but the weather had changed and it was no longer gray and overcast.  I decided to change the water and sky to the blues I saw.  I do still like the parking deck.