Washington DC: National Mall Sketchcrawl

I decided to spend my final day in DC doing a self-guided National Mall sketchcrawl, starting at the Lincoln Memorial!

After painting inside the memorial itself, I sat myself down on one of the top steps, leaning against a pillar, to paint the view of the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument.

I walked the length of the reflecting pool to the WW2 Memorial We had missed the other night, and was loving the light on all the details! It hadn't been on my sketch list, but seemed worth a sit.

Since I had spent quite a while out in the sun, I made two decisions. 1: I needed ice cream. 2: I should probably go inside a museum for a bit. The first was resolved quickly as there were many trucks and vendors available, the second I had to make a choice regarding which one! There's so many options in that part of the mall! I decided on the Air and Space Museum and painted a couple of planes before being kicked out at closing time.

I didn't have time for it this time, but the Museum of the American Indian is definitely on my list for next time. The building is gorgeous so I at least got in an exterior sketch this time!

After a little more walking, I reached the Capitol Building! I decided to do this view of the Grant Memorial I had seen on our tour, and had to climb up on a wall to get a seat with the right angle! I also adjusted the lighting to be more similar to how I saw it the first time.

Last, after dinner with a friend I returned to the Capitol for one final sketch.

The next morning before leaving via Union Station, I sketched the Station itself. I had been hoping to paint the outside of the station at night, but I guess it's good to leave something for future visits!