The first site I chose to see and sketch on my first day in Copenhagen, Denmark was perhaps it’s most popular tourist attraction. Yet in my Lonely Guide, it is not even in the Top Experiences in the Danish capital. In fact some guidebooks say skip it entirely and go elsewhere. When people first see it, they are often underwhelmed by how small she is. Her name: “The Little Mermaid”.

I guess the word “little” is in the title so it really shouldn’t be a big surprise at the underwhelming nature of the statue.

I walked from the Metro station and after a 15 minute ramble, I knew I was getting close because there were more and more people and more parked tour buses. When I first got to the statue I could not see it because of all the picture snapped hordes in front of the statue.

So I took out my sketchbook.

I have to admit that I had previsualized the sketch. I wanted to try and capture how popular this statue really was and it is visited by both land and water. I wanted to try and capture that chaotic, frothing at the mouth, European tourism. Think of the crowds surrounding the diminutive Mona Lisa.

In the final sketch (featured sketch) I have exaggerated the size of the statue while minimizing the size of her worshippers.

And once I visited the statue, I was not disappointed. The crowds ebbed and flowed like the tide. Snapping pictures or taking a selfie and then retreating back to the comfort of their idling tour bus.

So I had set the bar rather low and from here, Copenhagen could only become more amazing.

And it certainly was!