Art and Art related topics by artist and architectural illustrator, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, with JPEG & PDF scans and prints for Fine Art articles #002Q.
Color pencil drawing of the Chicago skyline at sunset overlooking Lake Michigan by artist Stephen F. Condren.
With honor, this article is about American Legion Drawing #297Z and prints of Veterans at American Legion Post 867, Mundelein, Illinois, and written by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. Congratulations American Legion Post 867!
The pencil drawing below is a very quick study of my follow Veterans at American Legion Post 867, in Mundelein. This time was near the close of our weekly coffee and so I quickly jotted down the images that were before me. You can see Arty still sitting and reading at the table, while others are gathering for their last few words before leaving.
There was not enough time to get an account of their faces or facial expressions, but I did have time to capture the mood. When I first thought about this drawing I was not going to do it because I knew that people were already up and leaving. With so short of an amount of time, I thought that it would not be worth proceeding. However, the spirit moved me, and I picked up my pencil and started to draw!
Rendering
I am so glad that I did take the time to do the drawing, for in those last few minutes I captured a moment in history now forever gone. The drawing is full of life and character, with movement all about it.
The best drawings are not necessarily the finished, polished renderings, but often times the quick studies.
Pencil drawing of American Legion members of Post 867.
Scans
JPEG & PDF
Scans of American Legion drawing #297Z are available in JPEG or PDF formats for making prints, note cards, or posters.
Condren Galleries Ltd. For American Legion Drawing #297Z
Fine Arts Gallery
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of American Legion drawing.
Stephen F. Condren For American Legion Drawing #297Z
Artist
As an artist I have made American Legion drawing a staple of my pencil drawing works.
Alt Image Tag
American Legion drawing #297Z pen & ink drawing with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren at Condren Galleries.
With honor, this article is about American Legion Drawing #296Z and prints of Veterans at American Legion Post 867, Mundelein, Illinois, and written by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. Congratulations American Legion Post 867!
The pencil drawing is of my Veteran colleagues at American Legion Post 867. We gather every Wednesday morning from 8:00 unto 10:00 AM for coffee and camaraderie. While we are conversing, I take my pencil and paper and draw.
It is not my desire to draw all the details of the scene or the room. My focus or intention is on the moving figures. In the drawing, which you can see below, I had to draft the first impressions immediately. This can be seen by the very fine, light swirling lines underneath the darker lines. There are there to catch the size, scale, and proportion of the figures.
Movement
Since the figures are moving I have to act quickly to catch their features. The person looking away from us is Marty talking with Fred. Behind Fred, reading a paper, and wearing a ball cap, at the table is Arty. I have made use of contour lines to capture the figures of the gentlemen and then set them against a backdrop of rapid shadow lines.
Pencil drawing of American Legion members of Post 867.
Pen & Ink Drawing
Stylus Sketch
The pen & ink drawing
Watercolor
Painting
The watercolor rendering.
Scans
JPEG & PDF
Scans of American Legion drawing #296Z are available in JPEG or PDF formats for making prints, note cards, or posters.
Condren Galleries Ltd. for American Legion Drawing #296Z
Fine Arts Gallery
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of American Legion drawing.
Stephen F. Condren for American Legion Drawing #296Z
Artist
As an artist I have made American Legion drawing.
Alt Image Tag
American Legion drawing #296Z pen & ink drawing with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren at Condren Galleries.
This article is about the Grayslake Arts Alliance art exhibit called May Fest #291Z, written by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. Congratulations Grayslake Arts Alliance!
May Fest was hosted by the Heritage Center of Grayslake, Illinois. Because the Heritage Center is right downtown on Hawley Street next door to the Grayslake Fire Prevention District, it is easily accessed by the entire community.
Grayslake Arts Alliance
May Fest was sponsored by the Grayslake Arts Alliance. Because the site is provided to us by the Village of Grayslake, we extend to the city our gratitude. The time of the exhibit was from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM. Most importantly, the weather was beautiful.
May Fest #291Z
The weather could not have been better as we were blessed with sunshine and balmy weather all afternoon. People from all over Grayslake came to see what was new here at the exhibit and also to take in the good music that complimented the fine snacks offered just inside the Heritage Center. Because many of the Alliance members were in attendance along with patrons, the show had personal meaning.
1. Artist Aruna N. Sarode standing with completed oil painting of Heritage Center.
Aruna N. Sarode
Among the members that were present, we had artist Aruna N. Sarode, do a plein-air oil painting of the Heritage Center right before us. Because of Aruna’s attention to detail and amazing speed astonished those of us that had the honor to see her at work. Thank you Aruna!
Analysis
Let us look carefully at this finely executed work of art. Because as an astute artist, Aruna has properly prepared her canvas board for this out side painting. Because Aruna knew that this will be done on the spot and therefore with brevity, she approaches the oil with expertise.
Canvas Board
Immediately in photo #2, you can see that she has use the correct tones to prepare the canvas board. This mix of ochre, red, and yellow are clearly seen. These tones will be the foundation of the painting. The warmth of the ochre will support the blues and greens in the sky that is above the image of the Heritage Center.
In photo #3, you can see that now that she has set down the background, so Aruna is free to build the foundation of the painting from the lower section of the canvas board. The strong yellows nicely enhance the bottom section of the oil, and follow true to the colors of the music canopy that she is in the process of capturing.
Water Tower
With supreme stealth, Aruna has detailed the structure of the water tower behind the Heritage Center. Aruna has captured this image with great success. I say this with good reason, for any object that is so salient in the composition of work of art, has to be very carefully crafted. The water tower is a difficult object to successfully incorporate into the imagery of the cityscape that she is creating.
Shade & Shadows
Because the water tower is very different form the structure of the Heritage Center and it sticks out like a soar thumb. Most importantly, this is not the case here, as Aruna has masterfully incorporated this difficult object into the composition of the painting. Because the shade and shadows of the water tower are delicately painted, they are a delight to behold.
Color
Aruna’s supreme achievement with this oil painting is her thorough understanding of the use of color. Unlike so many artists, Aruna does not utilize local color. That is: the sky is blue, the grass is green, and the flowers are red. A true master of color knows how to properly blend the color so that all of the tones are seen in every part of the painting, and that is exactly what Aruna has accomplished here.
Summary
When all is said and done, you have before you a masterly crafted work of art. This work of art is an artistic success and Aruna is to be commended.
2. Artist Aruna N. Sarode paints for May Fest.
3. Artist Aruna N. Sarode paints for May Fest.
4. View of Aruna N. Sarode’s paints and brushes for May Fest
5. Artist Aruna N. Sarode paints for May Fest.
6. Artist Aruna N. Sarode paints for May Fest.7. Greeters for the Heritage Center8. Patrons of May Fest viewing artwork.9. May Fest Food Offerings.10. Artwork on display at May Fest.11. Artwork on display at May Fest.12. Artwork on display at May Fest.13. Artwork on display at May Fest.14. Artwork on display at May Fest.15. Artwork on display at May Fest.16. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.17. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.18. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.19. May Fest 2019.20. May Fest 2019.21. May Fest 2019.
22. May Fest 2019.
23. The Beauties of May Fest!
24. The Beauties of May Fest!
25. Artist Stephen F. Condren by his artwork at May Fest.
26. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
27. Artwork on display at May Fest.
28. Artwork panel showcasing current works at May Fest.
29. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
30. Ernest Schweit, President of the Grayslake Arts Alliance, stands by his photography.
31. May Fest 2019.
31. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
32. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
33. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
34. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
36. Artwork panels showcasing current works at May Fest.
37. May Fest 2019.
Scans
Images for May Fest #291Z
JPEG & PDF
Scans of May Fest #291Z are available in JPEG or PDF formats for making prints, note cards, or posters.
Condren Galleries Ltd. for May Fest #291Z
May Fest #291Z
Fine Arts Gallery
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of watercolor house portrait #291Z, because it promotes the arts. Because the weather was good many people came to the art fair. Most importantly, May Fest help local artist display their works of art.
Stephen F. Condren for May Fest #291Z
Artist
Most importantly, as an artist I pleased to be a part of May Fest #291Z. Because drawings of city scenes has been a long time passion of mine since childhood. Most importantly, I like doing the drawings right on the spot and not from photos.
This article is about May Fest Rendering #292Z, written by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. The drawing is done with a 6B lead which comes with JPEG & PDF scans for making prints, note cards, and stationery. Congratulations May Fest!
Each spring the Grayslake Arts Alliance has an exhibit of members works in the early part of May. Hence the name of “May Fest” has been coined for this exhibit. There were approximately 200 people in attendance to the fine event. There was music and food for all that came.
Heritage Center
May Fest is held at the Heritage Center in downtown Grayslake, adjacent the Village Municipal Museum and the Grays Lake Fire Protection District.
Pencil Drawing For May Fest #292Z
Clinker Stylus Sketch
The pencil drawing is done from in front of the Heritage Center. The angle of perspective is looking at the Village Municipal History Museum westward down Hawley Street. Directly in front of the museum is the Municipal Bell mounted on a wheel rack. In front of the bell is a small boy leaning on and playing with the bell. Since the boy was moving I only had a few moments to capture him before he vanished off to the playground.
Time Of Day
Mid-Afternoon Setting Sun For May Fest Rendering #292Z
The time of day was in mid-afternoon and the rays of the sun were casting shadows of the art displays on the ground. If you look carefully at the display panels in the drawing you can see the shade and shadows of the panels on the grounds, angling to the right.
In all the drawing took about 15 to 20 minutes to draw as I had to stop at points, and wait for people to move so that I could see the site.
Pencil drawing of the Heritage Center for May Fest 2019.
Scans
JPEG & PDF Scans for May Fest rendering #292Z
Scans of May Fest rendering #292Z are available in JPEG or PDF formats for making prints, note cards, or posters.
Condren Galleries Ltd. for watercolor house portrait #000Z
Fine Arts Gallery
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of May Fest rendering #292Z.
Stephen F. Condren for May Fest rendering #292Z
Artist
As an artist I have made May Fest rendering #292Z a staple of my architectural rendering works.
Alt Image Tag
May Fest rendering #292Z pen & ink drawing with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren at Condren Galleries.
This drawing is based upon the famous 1922 German film of the vampire Count Orlok by Friederich Wilhelm Murnau. The film was based on the famous novel of Dracula by Bram Stoker. However, due to copyright issues the film was banned in Germany and many of the original copies were destroyed.
Intent
My intention for this drawing is to bring out the character of Count Orlok and not to copy a photograph. If there is anything that is more boring or lame for an artist to do, it is to copy photos. The practice of copying photos is excellent when learning how to develop drawing skills, but it is only the excercise, not the art.
Count Orlok From Nosferatu By F. W. Murnau
Pencil Drawing For Nosferatu Pencil Drawing #277Z
Clinker Stylus Sketch
The pencil drawing of the count was first done very lightly and then as I progressed I used hatching and cross-hatching to bring in more detail. In the drawing below you can see the lighter sketch below the hatching.
Nosferatu Drawing By Stephen F. Condren
Pen & Ink Drawing
Stylus Sketch
The pencil drawing below I have increased the hatching and delineated the contour lines of the face and hand. Because of the intense cross-hatching near the edge of Count Orolk’s face, there is an added mood of suspense to the image. The cross-hatching is nice for making prints because lines show up very clearly on reproductions.
Nosferatu Drawing By Stephen F. Condren
Scans
JPEG & PDF
Scans of Nosferatu pencil drawing #277Z are available in JPEG or PDF formats for making prints, note cards, or posters.
Condren Galleries For Nosferatu Pencil Drawing #277Z
Fine Arts Gallery
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of Nosferatu drawing #277Z.
Stephen F. Condren For Nosferatu Pencil Drawing #277Z
Artist
As an artist I have made drawing like that of Nosferatu #277Z a staple of my work.
Alt Image Tag
Nosferatu pencil drawing #277Z and prints by artist Stephen F. Condren at Condren Galleries.
This article is about my childhood home on Bennett Avenue #260Z in the Jackson Park Highlands, Chicago. Written by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. I was raised up as a child at our lovely and gracious home at 6841 S. Bennet Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60649. Our home was and still is, located in the Jackson Park Highlands. The Jackson Park Highlands is an landmark estate neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, and is the step child of mansion district of Kenwood.
History
The house was built in 1913 next door to one of the developers of the Highlands, Mr. Roberts. The house is just under 5,000 square feet and has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. The exterior dimensions are 45 feet wide and 75 feet long.
Interior
All of the rooms are enormous which included a morning room, which was in the front of the house. Access to the morning room was through the living room then through the dining room. Morning rooms are always adjacent the dining room for kitchen services. Of course, next to the dining room was the butler’s pantry for all the china and table settings. Past the butler’s pantry was a large kitchen with very ample pantry. Going straight through the kitchen you entered the game room. This was a very large room designed to hold a pool table and card tables. This room has a direct access to the back inner porch that lead to the garage and back yard.
The living and dining room were separated by a large set of sliding glass doors. The entrance to the house from the street was on the south side of the house and was a small suite off of the central block of the structure. Upon entering the suite you were in the marble vestibule, and looking to the left were three large encased glass panels, the first being the door to the entrance hall.
The entrance hall was vast and straight ahead was a grand wooden staircase. As you entered the hall to the right with the library and to the left was the living room. All of the room throughout the house was done in the finest mahogany wood. Two large massive beams wrought across the ceilings of the entrance hall, the living room, and the dining room. These beams were joined to very thick wooden moldings that encased the ceiling and mounted it to the walls. The fireplace in the living room was a massive wood structure.
Lots
When then house was built back in 1913, when the Jackson Park Highlands was developed, all the homes were designed with garden lots. That meaning that each home had a separate lost next to it for privacy. In some cases homes had two or more such lots. Mrs. Roberts house has seven city lots and is the largest in all the Highlands! Mrs. Roberts home is dead center in the Highlands as this was the home of the builder. Having a place at the center was the most prestigious because you were far from the perimeter of the neighborhood and thus most quiet. Our home was right next door and dead center as well.
Just after the First World War, our garden lot was sold off and a home had been built on it, this was the home of the Lemonthal’s. The Howett’s, Michael Howlett, Secretary of State, who live four doors down from us had a garden lot on each side of their home. I was a classmate of Robert Howlett at St. Philip Neri, As the Howlett’s and my parents were old family friends. My grand parents, Dr. & Mrs. Francis Leo Condren stood up at their wedding.
South Side
Prairie Avenue
Kenwood
Hyde Park
Jackson Park Highlands
Beverly
The south side of Chicago is the best planned and designed part of Chicago. Grandeur was always the tone of any development of the south side of Chicago. Only in the south side are there grand boulevards and parkways. It is only in the south side that you have center park trolley lines.
The growth and development of a city the size and scale of Chicago is very complicated in imbued with ambiguities. It is my task here to highlight upper strata communities of the south side of Chicago, and more particularly, to focus on the dwellings in these communities. Side commentaries on expected social behavior given at appropriate times.
Prairie Avenue
The community of south Prairie Avenue is where the history of high society in Chicago starts. However, it should be noted that this was not the first area of “upper crust”. Downtown Michigan Avenue and Wabash Avenue were the very first areas of fine home construction. However, these areas were not developed as a community as we think of at later times. These homes were mixed in between all sorts of sites, from taverns and shops, to book shops and barbers. The development of segregated communities for “better living” start on the south side with Prairie Avenue, and later with Potter Palmer on the near north side, on Belleview and Lake Shore Drive.
This article is about Chicago Skyline #742B is a cityscape, which is for sale at discount with prints by artist Stephen F. Condren, SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering JPEG & PDF scans. The view is taken from Lincoln Park across the pond from the Lincoln Park Zoo. The line work here is clean and clear. I have made it my goal to grasp the images of the skyline in terms of pure for and not attempting to replicate the buildings. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #246Z ~ Order Here.
Architecture
The buildings form a bar code of the city and that is how I want to express this imagery. Together with the landscape and pond the image is strong and tells you everything that you want to know about the scene without demanding to see every detail. Chicago is famous for it’s innovative architecture and the John Hancock Center is one of those great innovations.
This article is about Chicago skyline #856B is a pen & ink cityscape drawing of the Chicago Loop at night time. The main focus of this pen & ink drawing is to capture the feeling of the city at night. This is done by permitting the glow of the light from the streets to show. The night time sky is effectively captured by the cross-hatching lines of ink.
This article is about Chicago skyline pen & ink drawing of the near north side, 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.
This article is about Skyline art cityscapes, 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. Cityscapes Of The Chicago skyline 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. The city of broad shoulders rests on the shores or Lake Michigan at the center of the United States.
