Converging Steel

Very chilly and windy when I sketched this in downtown Muncie, Indiana, so I stayed in my mobile studio (VW). Muncie was once a hotbed of New York Central rail traffic and for some annoyed motorists it still is today, though under a different logo. Double-track main line for CSX and two converging Norfolk Southern lines is the reason. One NSRR line heads west to Frankfort, Indiana, site of my earlier posts on 19 March.

The communication poles, rail signals and converging tracks attracted my attention. Then I noticed an old freight depot in the distance right in the middle of the scene. The old New York Central depot once stood behind the tree. You will have to go to (conveniently located 60 miles away) Indianapolis if you want a rail ticket, however. Another Muncie depot thrives on the former Chesapeake & Ohio line, but no rail ticket there either. It has been completely restored and houses an office for the Muncie Cardinal Greenway rail-trail system.

Rail Tails from Richmond

Some time ago I arrived in Richmond, Indiana to seek out interesting subjects. I was taken by the spark of color in this small rail yard. From the red barrels, the classic Purina checkerboard, to the green box car, I found my spot. Notice the foreground rails lead into the center of the sketch, right up to the yellow trimmed platform and the rusty barrel. Your eye moves from the foreground rails into the center and over to the Purina tower providing compositional balance and movement.

Below is a detail of overlapping marker colors that add texture. Permanent markers can give a watercolor effect when lighter or neutral colors are laid on top of one another. Be careful not to overdo it and bring every single color. A good complement of earth tones, grays, a couple of blues, a red and yellow should do until you get back home. Something that fits into a small zippered vinyl or leather case, not unlike one a banker might use, is ideal. A digital camera is a good idea if your time is a premium. Viewing later on the LCD screen probably is sufficient as a reminder of color or an important detail.