Little did I know
While drawing you can do whatever you like, even replace a royal palace with a pond.
It was a crisp afternoon, and autumn was just starting to colour the city trees. As I walked past one of the many souvenir shops, I felt the brisk breeze typical of that spot of the street, the air taking a turn from the big open square in front of me to get into the narrower path full of shops and tourists sitting at tables enjoying expensive and fake sangria. I liked that part of the city as well; the buildings facing the palace reminded me of a more northern city, although there was no reason why I would think that. Their aesthetic was pretty similar to all those others around the city, just a bit fancier. Sitting on one of the cement seats, a couple was hugging each other in what looked to be a very sweet and comfortable position. Little did I know it would have become my favourite position to have chats with my partner many years later, on a sofa in an Irish suburb. I closed the zip of my new puffer jacket, bought just the day before as I underestimated the winter temperatures in Madrid while packing, walked past the couple holding each other in that very yet unfamiliar position, and headed towards Plaza De España to see if there was a spot for one for lunch in the Chinese restaurant underground the square.
Today, as I was looking for an idea to do a quick sketch, I came across the photo of the couple on that early autumn afternoon, in that now very familiar position. I used it to sketch them quickly, and since drawing allows us to make everything possible, I put them in front of a pond this time. The breeze must be even crisper there.
I have shared a time lapse process of this sketch, you can see it on my Instagram.