Watercolor of the Palácio de Cristal Fountain
2025-04-15
Watercolor of the Palácio de Cristal Fountain, that was my first illustration of the season. It came after a winter of being stuck at home for days on end. Without getting to any of the parks I love so much here in Porto.
We went out for lunch. In the end, we decided to stay there the whole afternoon. It was nice and cool, with that good sun still in the air, and the view over the Douro kept asking us to stay a bit longer.
While we talked, I opened my sketchbook and started drawing that fountain. Pen first, then watercolor. That’s how I finished this watercolor of the Palácio de Cristal fountain, sitting under one of the olive trees next to it, listening to the water running and the leaves rustling in the wind.
The Palácio de Cristal Gardens
These gardens were designed back in the 1860s, by a German landscape architect, Émile David. The idea was to wrap around the old Palácio de Cristal building.
Not much is left of the original palace today. But the fountains, the statues, and the viewpoints over the Douro are all still there, just the way we hoped to find them.
Watercolor of the Palácio de Cristal Fountain, Live
I recorded a short video of the process for Instagram. I don’t do that so often these days. I’d end up spending more time worrying about the camera and the light than actually enjoying the moment.
After recording all the stories along the way, I put it all together into a reel over on Instagram. If you made it this far, go comment on the reel and say you read the post all the way to the end. Yes, that’s an easter egg, and there’s a little prize for anyone who plays along.
But I’ve been preferring it this way, doing urban sketching without so much pressure of time or camera. Just sitting down, drawing, and letting the afternoon happen, with or without video. This watercolor of the Palácio de Cristal fountain is only the first of many watercolors I’ll still make around here this year.