Sometimes I start drawing something like what you see above and stop. Stop and erase! This kind of thing in my sketchbook doesn't really work, because the scope is a bit too big, and it takes too long to draw, and I feel I need to spend more time getting the perspective right - for a few reasons I avoid doing it in the sketchbook.
But actually, this is just the sort of thing I should be "exploring" in a sketchbook - those crazy nutbar, super ambitious drawings that may never get anywhere - put 'em in the sketchbook, mess around with them, play with them, go wild, if it doesn't work, well... how many people are going to look at your sketchbook and say "Hmm.... perspective's off and that one guy looks too big. SUBSTANDARD, not interested, moving on." Nobody. Well, very few people.
What I like about this one is the scope, the view, the sheer size of the vision. I can see for (at least) a mile. I might go back and add more heavy black lines to define the depth a bit more, but I think it works as is. I also like how the light sources are just indistinct balls of circles. I love the bridges (would really like to walk across them, find some bodega or some place, sit, have a drink... getting off track) and as my lovely Christine said, the mix of old (perhaps primitive) and new is really neat. I also like how even though very little of it is shaded, you still get an idea of the light.
Not bad, Mr. Wood. Let's see more of that.
Not bad, Mr. Wood. Let's see more of that.