This article is about Chicago skyline watercolors and prints, which is for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. Prints & Scans Of This Chicago Skyline Watercolor #363Z ~ Order Here.
Chicago Skyline Watercolors
Watercolor are a wonderful medium to do skylines with. The greatest quality of watercolors are their ability to carry pigment through water giving a transparent effect. This effect makes it easy to introduce pen & ink and pencil lines to the a work of art. In the case of skyline painting this is especially true due to the architectural nature of the subject. Buildings require delineation and thus watercolor permit this access of lines.
Scale & Perspective
In general, the scale of most watercolor, no matter what genre are small. This is because you are working with fine lines and providing a lot of detail in a small about of space. Imagine, if you will, having the Sistine Chapel executed in watercolors with the same detailed. You would not be able to see anything, it would all look like a blur. This is where perspective comes into play, due to the fine detail you have to accommodate the space of the viewer. Providing watercolors in a scale that can be handles or easily looked is the best code of practice.
Light
As with all works of art, light is crucial. One of the most important elements of watercolor painting is freshness. When you put the brush to the paper you have to work it the way that you want and quickly. If you do not, then the work of art becomes murky and looks worked or over tooled, something to be avoided at all costs.
This article is about Paul Manafort’s jail boss in Virginia say “No special privileges” pen & ink drawing, 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. It looks as though Mr. Manafort will not live to see the end of his prison sentence since he is 69 years old. Needles to say being close to Donald Trump has it’s price to pay. Where is Mr. Trump now when Manafort most earnestly needs him?
Pen & ink drawing of Paul Manafort by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Delineation
The line work for this drawing is very light because Mr. Manafort is older.
This article is about Chicago skyline art, 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. I have categorized my Chicago skyline art into four groups: Watercolors, Pen & Inks, Drawings, and Oils.
Watercolors lend themselves naturally to architectural themes. This genre is the most popular and they sell very well. The beauty of watercolors is the fact that they are translucent and thus let other mediums show through. In the case of skyline art this is an excellent thing because of the linear nature of architectural draftsmanship. Thus with watercolor you get the best of both worlds. You have the fine line detail of the pen & inks and the robust special dimension of the watercolors making a wonderful offering.
Pen & inks are my favorite medium to use for skylines. I am immediately at home when I have the pen & ink in my hands. There is just something magical and pure about the way ink moves from the pen and onto the paper. Also, when it comes to creating architectural works of art the delineation of the ink is a perfect compliment to the subject.
When I hold a pencil in my hand I feel as though I am a poet. The pencil is like magic for me, it just lets me put down what I am thinking immediately.
Oils of the Chicago skyline can be a daunting task. There is so much architectural activity along side a lake that is as large as a sea, that it is hard to capture. No other medium is stronger than oils. When you compare the image of the skyline oil that you see before you with the others on this page you can see it’s strength.
This article is about Atlanta skyline watercolors, 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. Watercolors are a very popular medium for cityscapes and skyline paintings, drawings, and prints. Since watercolors are translucent they work very well with pencil and pen & inks to delineate architectural elements.
Pen & Inks With Atlanta Skyline Watercolors
Pen & inks are the best compliment to watercolors because they offer a sharp and clear line. When the time calls for it, you can water down the ink to make it lighter and then make use of more hatching for shadows.
Pen & ink skyline drawing of midtown Atlanta in Piedmont Park overlooking Lake Clara Meer by artist Stephen F. Condren.
As you can see from the watercolor above the ink nice works in the details of the structures while the watercolor give a balanced tone to the work of art. Since both works above are on Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park it is easy to compare them. The pen & ink below without doubt show the beauty of the park, the pen strokes are small and gently reflect the water. A unique feature of Piedmont Park is that it has a very large lake (Clara Meer) right in midtown. No other major city such as Manhattan, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Dallas have such a large body within the city boundaries.
This article is about Atlanta 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. Pen & inks are second nature to me. It is always a difficult task for me to choose between pencil or pen & inks. I love them both so very much and they are so very different. The quality that I like so very much about pen & inks is their exactness and precision. I just love the flow of ink going from my pen onto the paper, it is so graceful.
Atlanta Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing of midtown at night in Piedmont Park by artist Stephen F. Condren.
As you can see from the two pen & inks here of Lake Clara Meer at Piedmont Park, both the color of the ink and the time of day have tremendous impact on the works of art. The day time drawing above is done in brown ink and nice shows the cityscape behind the trees. The tower skyscrapers are very prominent in the rendering. However, in the night scene just below the skyscrapers take on a different role. Rather than giant security guards watching over the lake, they are now a backdrop to the evening light.
Hatching
The one common feature to both drawing is the use of hatching and cross-hatching to give contour and provide proper shade and shadowing to the images. When you look at the area below the trees along the shore line you can see that there is an extensive use of cross-hatching to bring out the darker tones needed for the night time shading of the lake. Also, behind the center of the drawing the image of the skyscrapers is made more dramatic with the fine outlining of the cross-hatched line that make the evening sky. If I were to use a paint brush to do the same the outcome would be entirely different. Pen & ink lines lend themselves naturally to architectural subjects.
This article is about Atlanta skyline drawings #160Z, and this is an article post, written by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, at Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering prints and JPEG & PDF scans, which are on sale at low discount prices. Because Atlanta skyline drawings are great, their prints are great!
Atlanta skyline drawings by artist Stephen F. Condren. The city of Atlanta offers a lot, from theaters and art to a would class business center. The robust skyline of Atlanta compliments the strong economic base of this queenly and gracious city. When I think of Atlanta I think of the Swan Mansion, only the finest! The drawings of the Atlanta are truly Atlanta skyline art.
I have categorized the drawing of Atlanta’s skyline by region and time of day. So there are drawings of midtown and Piedmont Park as well at midtown at night.
Atlanta skyline pencil drawing of downtown at night by artist Stephen F. Condren.
As you can see from the drawing above the image is of downtown Atlanta at night. I enjoy doing the night time drawings because they bring out a different atmosphere than the standard day time drawings. I especially like the use of hatching and cross-hatching to bring out the shade and shadows as well as develop the contour of the buildings.
Atlanta skyline drawing of midtown at Piedmont Park by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Atlanta Skyline Drawings Of Piedmont Park
One of the great treasures of Atlanta, and there are many, is Piedmont Park. Located in the heart of midtown Atlanta, Piedmont Park boast a robust skyline compliment by Lake Clara Meer.
This article is about Atlanta skyline art, 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 city of Atlanta is rich in history and also rich with architecture. Often called the “Manhattan of the south”, Atlanta boast a prominent cityscape.
As an artist I work with four mediums for doing skylines: Watercolor, Pen & Ink, Pencil, and Oils.
Atlanta Skyline Art In Watercolor
Watercolor skyline painting of midtown Atlanta in Piedmont Park at sunset by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Watercolors nicely lend themselves to architectural subjects since they are translucient and let the delineation of the pen & inks and pencil show through. This is especially important when dealing with precise architectural details. As with oils, I look working with sunsets a lot with watercolors. The one think that you have to be careful of is how demanding they are. Watercolors, unlick oils, are very unforgiving. One you put the brush down that is it, you only have moments to work out your image. Oils on the other hand will let you scrape off the entire section and start over again!
Atlanta Skyline Art In Pen & Inks
Atlanta Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing of midtown at Piedmont Park overlooking Lake Clara Meer by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Pen & inks more than any other medium lend themselves so naturally to architecture due to the sharp crisp ink lines. These lines clearly bring out all of the architectural details. To make shade and shadows I make use of hatch lines and cross hatching for darker tones.
Atlanta Skyline Art In Pencil
Atlanta skyline drawing of downtown at night by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Pencil much like pen & ink lends itself to linear subjects. I have always enjoyed working with pencil and charcoals, I especially like to work them with night scenes.
Atlanta Skyline Art In Oils
Atlanta Skyline Oils At Night by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Oils are the most difficult medium to apply in architectural subjects. I will say that no medium is stronger than oils. The greatest quality that oil give are the wonderful blending of the texture of the pigment. The rich, thick oil is ideal for doing sunsets and Barbizon like artwork. The weakest part of oils and skyline is the lack of delineation. I use vague outlines of high contrasting pigments to give the contour of the structures. It take great skill and acumen to bring out the images of the buildings without losing the integrity of their various structures and end up with muddy looking sticks!
Enrico Caruso pen & ink drawing, 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. Enrico Caruso has been a legend of opera houses all over the world since he set foot on the stage in LaScala Opera house (Teatro alla Scala). Caruso was at the peak of his career when the phonograph was in its infancy. Fortunately for advanced audio technology of today we can get a very good handle on what his voice was really like. The old wax cylinders were filled with static and other extraneous sounds that affected the tonal quality of Caruso’s voice. However, with current digital technology we are able to “clean up” the old wax cylinders of the unwanted sounds and make his voice come alive. Caruso is a celebrity of today and yesterday!
There are a number of online sites that will let you download Caruso’s amazing voice. The clarity is amazing and it only makes me wish that he were alive today so that we could properly record is voice for posterity.
Delineation
The line work for this drawing is very light so as not to accentuate Mr. Caruso’s weight.
This article is about house portraits for Realtor closing gifts, 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. Though residences in multi-unit structures have been the subject of house portraits, by in large the single family home is the defacto model. Most often the house portrait is given by a Realtor to his/her clients as a closing gift. This has proven to be a very successful and popular gift by the Realtor in securing future leads and referrals.Order House Portraits Here.
Architectural Renderings
House portraits are casual works of art and they are not Architectural Renderings by any measure. A masterful example of Architectural Renderings are my renderings of the Loeb Mansion, which can be seen below that is in the permanent collection of the Chicago History Museum. The purpose of an architectural rendering is to convey in exacting terms to an architect or committee what the proposed structure will look like. There is little to no room for “artistic license” for these offerings. As you can see in the Loeb Mansion below, the use of Two Point Perspective was employed and thus all of the lines for the vanishing point recede either to the left or right vanishing point on the horizon line. This is a very technical and tedious kind of drawing and take an enormous amount of time and energy.
Architectural rendering of the Loeb mansion.
Realtors
By in large most of my clients are Realtors that give the house portraits to their clients at closing. The most common protocol for ordering a house portrait is to place the order on-line then email to me the MLS link of the house. If there is no MLS link any photo will do. I usually request a few images of the home, from the left, right, and center. If possible a nice close up view of the entry is good to have as well.
Perspective
I always contact the Realtor when I receive the images or photos and go over them with him/her to make necessary adjustment to the image. For example, if there are unsightly poles, cars, or toys in the photos I recommend removal of these objects. Also, the angle and position of the house in the frame is discussed. Some homes lend themselves to being seen or “painted” from a certain angle or perspective which I seek to use. Without doubt any trash canisters or debris of any kind is removed without question.
Genres
The two most popular genres that I have chosen to do for house portraits are watercolors and pen & ink. Below is a brief outline of the two classes.
Watercolor House Portraits
Watercolors are the most popular house portraits.
Watercolor house portrait.
Very fresh and light are the watercolor house portraits which have proved to be the most popular genre of house portraits that I do. I start out all of my house portrait renderings with a light pencil sketch of the home. After I have put down the sketch I examine it to check out the proportions of the dwelling in relation to the landscape and the scale of the picture plane. Once that I have determined my satisfaction with the layout I then detail fine places on the rendering that will need attention.
After the final pencil draft I then get out my India ink and pen and commence with the rendering. Usually the first thing that I do is the sky for it sets the tone of the work of art. My pallet has a set mix of color that I have prepared for the renderings. In the case of the sky colors I use a mix of cerulean, cobalt, and Prussian blues. Depending on the photo I balance the intensity of the tones to match the photographs or other images provided.
Pen & Ink House Portraits
Pen & inks make very good and exact house portraits
House portrait in pen & ink.
Though I greatly watercolor house portraits, there is an elegant robust beauty to the pen & ink renderings. There is an exactness that you get with the pen & inks that you do not get with the watercolors. Generally speaking, the pen & inks are more robust and stronger as the delineation brings out all of the architectural detailing of the dwelling.
Townhomes
House portraits for townhomes make a wonderful closing gift as you can see for the image below.
Townhome watercolor house portrait.
Ranch Homes
Ranches make for an excellent house portrait for closing gifts and housewarmings.
Ranch watercolor house portrait.
Ranches are of course a very popular style of home and as you can see for the image above they make a lovely image for any house portrait.
Conclusion
No matter what style or age of a home is, the most cherished of all closing and settlement gifts are House Portraits, the gift that keeps on giving!
This article is about Bill Cosby as celebrity art, in pen & ink, 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. Bill Cosby has been sentenced for three months for assaulting Andrea Constand. Mr. Cosby has fired his entire legal time. This Bill Cosby pen & ink drawing is truly celebrity art.
Pen & ink drawing of Bill Cosby by portrait artist Stephen F. Condren.
