The Aldred Building
Posted: April 26, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized 13 CommentsThere’s much more to The Aldred Building than what’s in my sketch. In fact some say it was Montreal’s first skyscraper — or at the very least the first Art Deco building — but from my vantage point looking down the hill in Chinatown I could only see the top of it. Plus, the buiding was backlit so I couldn’t make out much of the detailing in the limestone but the buildings in front of it created some interesting overlapping rectangles. I hope to get back into town one of these days to sketch it again.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Which pen do you use, Shari?
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For this I used a Platinum Carbon pen. I really like it. The nib is quite flexible and responsive.
http://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Carbon-Desk-Fountain-Pen-Super-Fine-1-Carbon-Ink-Cartridge/pd/3851
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The details of the building are not critical, but your comment on the overlapping rectangles is exactly the sort of observation/teaching I have come to expect from your postings. Thanks so much for being you, Shari.
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Thank you Lee. Every time I sketch in Old Montreal (which is where this building is located) I think about the chilly day we spent there when you visited.
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Excellent watercolor !
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Thanks Mark!
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That’s my favorite building in Montreal, a hidden Art Deco jem.
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It is a gem George. I still have to get closer so I can sketch more of it. I need to seek out a good view but it is a beauty!
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I respond to the colors in this….I love a punch of red, the earthy yellow…and blue sky.
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Thanks Rebecca. I think I added more colour than the scene required but this is a funny paper. It is more of a drawing paper so I’m never quite sure how much to pile on.
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isn’t this the building that is a copy of the Empire State building
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Hello Shari
I really like your paintings and appreciate you share them with us.
Just a little question : how do you obtain the beige (like sand) color in the low part of the biggest building ?
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Hi Ludovic,
Thanks for writing. Those sand colours are so hard to obtain. Usually what I do is start with a puddle of diluted raw sienna. Into that I usually add a bit of Alizarin Crimson and maybe some Cobalt Blue, both transparent colours. You can see that there’s quite a bit of red in the mix but you don’t want to put an opaque red like Cadmium. If the colour is too strong, just dilute it a bit and test it on a scrap of paper. It will always dry a little lighter.
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