Moin, Moin!

While out trudging through the snow this afternoon a local passed and greeted me with a hearty ''Moin'', this is the usual salutation in this area of northern Germany and in Hamburg you say ''Moin, moin”, here in Oldenburg the double ''moin'' is considered to be being too chatty and if you say “Moin” in the South they will look at you as if you’re from Mars! Having moved around Germany a lot you have to get used to the local variations. Everything from ''Servus'' to “Grüß Gott'', ''Moinsen'' or ''Habe die Ehre'' as a greeting are possible, with loads more still, there are so many different dialects here, it’s amazing. 

Let’s head back to Hamburg today with a hearty ''Moin, moin'' and my finished sketches of the City Hall!

This sketch has taken donkeys! And it made me think a lot about perspective; I realised that the tilted surface of my drawing desk is making my perspective skew whiff! Eeek, next time I take on perspective like this I'm definitely going to have to check my perspective on a flat surface before I get stuck into all of the details. The right hand side of the building and windows are bit wonky ( the tops of the windows, give the impression that it’s falling over I think).

 Tackling perspective like this is daunting especially with so many diddly bits, it probably is better to pop in more pencil help  lines (horizontal/perpendicular) in the first place than to realise later (as I have) that the window alignment isn’t right, but this is the rub. Do you want an architecturally correct plan drawing or a loose sketch? I prefer a looser approach but sometimes the wonk annoys me ..... on the whole I'm still pleased with the results. It’s a fabulous building and one I could draw again and again. 

Here’s the other page with the Hygieia fountain from the inner courtyard.....! 

Moin, moin Hamburg, you are such a pretty city, you've stolen my heart!