The Austin Bat Bridge

My partner and I traveled to Austin to see the famous bat bridge at dusk. Each year, millions of bats fly out from under the bridge to feed, and the sight draws huge crowds of people who gather along the riverbank and on the bridge to watch . We found a quiet spot on the bank of the Austin river, and while waiting I pulled out my sketchbook.

Once again I underestimated the difficulty of sketching in the last light of the day. The light changed so quickly, even more than at midday, and I also had the added challenge of capturing the perspective of the bridge with limited visibility. At the time I was not bothered. I focused on the structure of the bridge first, adding the light later when I felt I had enough detail. I even suggested a few people on the bridge. Their proportions were off, but that was fine. There were so many of them that my brain insisted on making them appear larger than life. The one detail I wish I had not omitted were the boats and kayaks in the river. I was too afraid of motion at this time.

Black and white charcoal on toned paper. About 1 h sketch.