I drove down to the Port of Tacoma this morning and found the scene I had been looking for.  It was easy to concentrate on the subject, as it was before 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and there was only the barest of activity.  I had complete privacy, and as far as I know,  nobody saw me clamoring  around looking like an idiot as I sized up the scene.

 I'm not particularly happy with the sketch.  There are errors that I could have easily avoided if I took more time to choose the right technique to avoid obliterating important detail (for example, Vashon Island in the distance, the shadow patterns in the water, and the chain, which needed to be absolutely vertical to anchor the ship to the bottom of the page).  However, I'm purposely putting down what I see as fast as I can, and the more I practice, the more I'll be able to make good decisions on the fly.

There are a lot of dramatic views in the port. I've driven around down there quite a bit and thought about the opportunities, but until I recently christened my new sketchbook with my East Coast trip, I was stymied.  On my list is to capture the crazy semi truck activity, which should be challenging due to the noise and congestion.  I really don't like getting in anyone's way.