This article is about House portraits pen & ink by artist Stephen F. Condren for Realtor closing gifts, which are for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. There is no better way to express your gratitude to your clients than giving them a house portrait. The gift that keeps on giving is a house portrait simply because it is a constant source of referrals for you, their Realtor.
The house portrait is a personal gift that will hang on the walls of your client’s home and be shown to all their family, friends, and neighbors offering you endless referrals! As the years pass your gift of the house portrait will be there and you will always be remembered.
This article is about Philadelphia skyline art watercolors, which are for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. Watercolor of Philadelphia are a joy to do for it is such a beautiful city. Watercolors work well with architectural subjects as they incorporate lines as well as paint to make the work of art. Since Philadelphia has such a large and detailed skyline there is much to work with for the artist. The pen & inks of the drawing part of the watercolor bring out the details of the work of art. After the ink is in place I go over the paper with tones of color to bring out the needs tones of the subject.
As you can see from the watercolor above, the fine lines of the pen & ink can be seen on the smallest details of the gazebo. This is why pen & inks work so well with watercolor. The brush of the watercolor is good but no match for the exactitude of the ink line. There is some space for hatching and cross-hatching but with the added support of the watercolor there is no need to do much. If you look at the gazebo you can see a small amount of hatching between the Classical pillars that support the structure.
Philadelphia Skyline Art Watercolors Tones
The watercolors make excellent sunsets for the backdrop of the skyline. As you can see from the watercolor above the greenery from FDR Park blend in nicely with the yellows from the setting sun. The tone of the buildings in the skyline are earthen and compliment the landscape. It is prudent at all times to mix tones that work together and compliment each other. If I were to employ brash tones on the surface of the buildings then they would not be in harmony with the park or the sky. Blues and greens work well together and the best mix for shadows are red and blue.
This article is about Philadelphia skyline pen & inks, which are for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. The city of Philadelphia sends itself handsomely to pen & inks as it has a very robust skyline. Outside of Manhattan Island, Philadelphia has the second largest skyline on the east coast! The fine architectural history and ornamentation on many of the cities building are a treasure.
Delineation
The city of Philadelphia is very old and thus has a vast range of architecture form colonial times to the present. All in all there is a lot of details and ornamentation in the architecture of the city that come out beautifully with pen & inks.
Perspective
Architectural subjects are the most natural subject when it comes to perspective drawings. Though the cityscapes and skyline pen & inks that I execute here are not perspective drawings in the strict sense of the word. An excellent example of my perspective drawings are my famous renderings of the Loeb Mansion from the Leopold and Loeb murder trial of Chicago in 1924, see below.
All of the skyline pen & inks that I offer here are done freehand with 2-point perspective in mind.
Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Inks Landscape
The Philadelphia skyline pen & inks landscape starts with FDR Park, a landmark city park that has been a model to the nation since its inception early in the 20th Century. The boathouse and gazebo have been designated on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It is sites like these that make pen & inks an excellent medium to create urban and skyline drawings with.
This article is about Philadelphia skyline drawings and prints, which are for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. Drawing can be done with lead pencil or charcoal. The later is more difficult in that the lines are rough and soft so that it does not leave crisp delineations. However, the other side of charcoals is their rich tone and unsurpassed granular tones. Complimenting charcoal is lead, for lead has the same tonal qualities but offers the precision of pen & inks. The lead of the pencil is so very natural when it touches the paper that you feel it was all meant to be. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #172Z ~ Order Here.
Delineation
When I draw with lead pencil I general do a very light sketch first, very light. After this I then go to the center of the paper and start to align all of the elements of the scene on to the paper. This is a rather geometric task but has to be done to align everything. When working with architectural subject this is imperative. After all of the elements have been aligned I then start the process of “sculpting out” the image of the major structures in the skyline. Once I have these in place then I can proceed to delineation of the main buildings and use contour lines where necessary. I generally do not use contour lines excessively as they can flatten your images. Finally, when the delineation is complete I work in the shade and shadows.
Shade & Shadows
The best way to acquire good tonal range with pencil and charcoal is through slow and gradual pressure on the pencil to the paper so as to increase pressure. With the pressure comes a darker line that can be gently smeared to cast shadows and shading. Unlike pen & inks where you make use of hatching and cross-hating to cast all of your shading and shadows. Make shade and shadows with pencil can be similar for sure, but then you can gradually apply pressure and rub it along the paper to a wider range. This is something that you cannot do with pen & inks, for the are strictly and on/off standard.
This article is about Philadelphia skyline art and prints, which are for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans.The city of brotherly love and the beginning of our great nation, this is Philadelphia! I grew up always loving this great city. I was, and still am, a lover of Classical music, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy was unsurpassed. When I was 16 I did a 40″ x 40″ oil canvas of him, and it is still hanging in my home to this day.
Architecture
The city of Philadelphia is a vast metropolis dedicated to the spirit of progress. This hold especially true for it’s urban planning and development. FDR Park is a model inner city park that has set the standard for the rest of the United States. Running along the Schuylkill River FDR Park is a haven from the hustle and bustle of this giant city. In the background loom the towering skyscrapers the make up the world famous Philadelphia skyline.
Philadelphia Skyline Art Categories
I have produced the skylines of Philadelphia skyline art into three categories: Drawings, Pen & Inks, and Watercolors.
I have always been at home with a pencil in my hand. There is a poetry with the drawing of an image that you see directly. It is just you and the pencil, like a poet jotting down verses. The elements of the scene naturally come out of my mind and on to the paper through the pencil. The lead is soft and hard, thus you can use it to make various degrees of light and dark for shade and shadows.
The pen in my hand is second nature to me. There is something about pen & ink that I cannot explain except that it is second nature to me. I very much enjoy the process of moving the pen along the paper and have the ink gently follow out on to the paper, it is almost magical.
The translucent quality of watercolor naturally lend themselves to architectural subjects. The beauty with watercolors is that it give you the best of both worlds, the linear and color. Architectural subjects are very well suited to watercolors as you can draw out the fine details with pen & ink or pencil and then go over the drawing with water.
Chicago skyline drawings #170Z, by artist Stephen F. Condren, SAIC, BFA, of Condren Galleries. Prints & Scans Of This Figure Drawing #364Z ~ Order Here.
Chicago Skyline
The drawing of Chicago from Lake Michigan is best, because it is the most famous view. Chicago is the third largest city in the country, because it fell behind in population to Los Angeles. The city is famous for its skyline, because it has very tall buildings. Chicago has some building over 100 stories tall, because they hold more people. The tallest building in Chicago is Willis Tower, because it has 109 floors. The city of Chicago has parks on the waterfront, because it was kept free of harbors.
Color Pencil Drawings
Chicago skyline drawings come in color pencils, because that is the demand. Doing watercolor with color pencil is good, because it give depth to the rendering. Most people like skyline art in color, because it looks organic. Pen & ink drawings are popular, because they have sharp lines. Pen & ink drawing do not show color, because they are done with black ink. Skyline drawing look good framed, because you can give them as gifts. Realtors like framed skyline drawings, because they are used for closing gifts. The most popular Realtor closing gifts are framed, because the gift is ready to give.
This article is about Chicago skyline drawings and prints, which is for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. The drawing above is a color pencil drawing of the Chicago skyline. The drawing is more formal in character than the lead pencil drawing below. The reason for this in this case is due to the integration of color. If I were so be quick and bold as I am in the lead pencil sketch below I will lose coloration. To the left is the setting sun behind Willis Tower with the most intense use of line work. There is a bit of a compromise in detailing as the scrambling of lines that are competing for a voice in the crowed space.
The use of color pencils instead of watercolor and definitely oils has a very refined affect on skyline works of art. The quick study just above shows the poetry of lead on paper. The lead is quick, spontaneous, and precise. When I have the pencil in my hand I am at one with the paper and the image flows from me. The joy of drawing jumps out at you from the image just above. I move my hand quickly and freely to capture the image and there is not a moment to lose. The darkest tones are behind Willis Tower and the evening sky shout for joy with jubilant cross-hatched lines.
Chicago Skyline Drawings In Perspective
The case for perspective drawing come to fore when working with linear forms. The most common form of perspective that is used in architectural drawings is that of the 2-Point Perspective. This simply means that he drawing lines meet at the sift and right side of the horizon line in the picture plane. This is what you have here in both drawings that are shown.
This article is about the Chicago skyline pen & inks, which is for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. No other medium better expresses the landscape of a city than pen & inks. The elements of a skyline are architectural and thus lend themselves to delineation. The clean clear lines show all the intricate details of the buildings. The get the proper tones of shade and shadow hatching and cross-hatching is employed.
Hatching and Cross-Hatching For Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks
Since pen & inks do not make use of water to cast shadows the use of hatching is employed to provide this affect. Hatching is the process of carefully moving the pen & ink lines closely together all parallel to each other. This “screen” or “grid” is the matrix of the shade and shadowing process. The darker that you want the background to be the closer you make the lines. When you want to make things very dark such as in a sunset or night scene you make use of cross-hatching. This is where you drawing the pen & ink lines perpendicular to each other. This makes a screen like affect on the drawing and is very effective.
Architecture for Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks
The subject of skylines is architecture and the line is the backbone of this great topic. The pen & inks better than any other medium bring out the boldness of the cities great architecture. Pencils are excellent but they lack the boldness. Watercolors and oils are good as well but fall short when it come to delineation. It is the power and strength of the pen & inks that set the stage for outstanding architectural renderings and illustrations. When you have sections of a scene that require a lot of fine detail the pen & inks come to the rescue. With razor like accuracy the pen & inks zoom in on the details that you are seeking and produce them with clarity.
This article is about Chicago skyline watercolor John Hancock Center, which is for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. At the center of the watercolor stands the Palmolive Building and the Drake Hotel below it. However, the giant on the scene is the world famous John Hancock Center. Sadly however, the name has been dropped from the building and is up for sale. The current designation for the building is 875 N. Michigan Avenue.
Color Pencils
The watercolor is a mix of brushed watercolor paint and color pencils. I have made a point of leaving the lines to show clearly. Like a pen & ink, the colored lines offering us color rather than black ink.
This article is about the Chicago skyline watercolor #166Z of the near north side at sunset is taken from the south, which is for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. The main focus of the watercolor is east Randolph Street. This amazing short road only goes east a few blocks from Michigan Avenue out into the lake. However, this short strip probably has the highest proportion of tall buildings per block than any other city including Manhattan Island.
