Favela

One of my sketches from near the end of the Brazil trip. This favela (according to Google Maps, Favela Morro dos Cabritos...I never asked the name of it while I was there) was right next door to my friend's condo where I stayed in Copacabana for most of my visit. 

While working on T-shirt designs for the Rocinha Media School, in Rio de Janeiro's largest favela Rocinha, I found a certain zen in drawing the crazy stacked buildings of the favela communities. I'd just pick a point to start from, put pen to paper, and draw outward from that point. No pencil underdrawing, no straightedge...it wasn't important that my favela sketches looked 100% photographically accurate, but that they captured the structured madness that is the favela. These buildings have been built up over decades on top of each other, painted bright colors, added on to...it seems almost everyone has satellite TV...there's always laundry out to dry and amazing cooking smells in the air. 

I want to do a whole series of favela drawings, larger and more detailed than this, but the same basic concept and approach...freehand pen sketches of sprawling, stacked buildings. With all their satellite dishes. Hey, you think maybe I could make a friend in the favela who'd let me come over and watch "Game of Thrones"? 

(This would of course require me living in Rio.)

(I am totally OK with that.)