Category: Skylines

Skylines art by artist and architectural illustrator, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, with JPEG & PDF scan and prints of Skylines art #020Q.

Atlanta skyline night pen & ink drawing
Atlanta Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing at night by artist Stephen F. Condren.
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Philadelphia Skyline Art #171Z

Philadelphia skyline watercolor

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.

Drawings of Philadelphia Skyline Art

Philadelphia charcoal skyline drawing along the Schuylkill River.
Charcoal skyline drawing of downtown Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River by artist Stephen F. Condren.

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.

Pen & Inks of Philadelphia Skyline Art

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing on the Schuylkill River.
Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing of the downtown district along the banks of the Schuylkill River by artist Stephen F. Condren.

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.

Watercolors of Philadelphia Skyline Art

Philadelphia skyline watercolor painting of skyscrapers at sunset.
Philadelphia Skyline Watercolor at sunset by artist Stephen F. Condren.

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.

Skyline Art Link

Skyline art

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Philadelphia skyline watercolors, Philadelphia skyline drawings, Philadelphia skyline watercolor painting at sunset

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Color Pencil Drawing At Sunset #170Z

Chicago skyline #2453A pen & ink watercolor at sunset overlooking Burnham Harbor and the Loop with large clouds.

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.

Chicago skyline drawings

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Chicago Downtown Skyline Pen & Ink Sketch #253Z

Chicago skyline at sunset, 

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

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Chicago Skyline Drawings #169Z

Chicago skyline #2453A pen & ink watercolor at sunset overlooking Burnham Harbor and the Loop with large clouds.

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.

Lead Pencil Drawings

Chicago skyline pencil drawing of downtown at night.
Pencil drawing of Chicago skyline at sunset by artist Stephen F. Condren.

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.

Chicago Skyline Art Link

Chicago skyline art

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Chicago skyline color pencil drawing at sunset, Skyline art, Chicago skyline drawing with John Hancock Center

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks #168Z

Chicago skyline #871A brown pen & ink cityscape drawing of east Randolph skyscrapers.

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.

Chicago Skyline Art Link

Chicago skyline art

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Chicago skyline drawings, Chicago skyline of the near north side,

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Of The Near North Side #167Z

Chicago skyline #2460A pen & ink, color pencil, cityscape watercolor at sunset of the near north side and the John Hancock Center.

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.

Chicago Skyline Watercolors Link

Chicago skyline watercolors

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Chicago skyline at sunset, Chicago skyline pencil drawing at sunset,

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline At Sunset #166Z

Chicago skyline watercolor of the near north side at sunset.

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.

Chicago Skyline Watercolors Link

Chicago skyline watercolors

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Chicago skyline watercolor sunset painting, Chicago skyline pencil drawing at sunset, Chicago skyline watercolor painting at sunset

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Watercolors #165Z

Chicago skyline #599A pen & ink cityscape watercolor with view of North Lake Shore Drive.

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.

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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.

Chicago Skyline Art Link

Chicago Skyline Art

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Chicago skyline at sunset, Chicago skyline of the near north side, Chicago skyline watercolor painting

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Art #163Z

Chicago skyline #1449A pen & ink cityscape watercolor reflecting in the waters of Lake Michigan with views of the near north side

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 Of Chicago Skyline Art

Chicago skyline watercolor painting of near north side at sunset.
Chicago skyline watercolor at sunset.

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 Of Chicago Skyline Art

Chicago skyline pen & ink drawing on Lake Shore Drive with John Hancock Center.
Chicago skyline pen & ink drawing.

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.

Drawings Of Chicago Skyline Art

Chicago skyline pencil drawing of downtown at night.
Pencil drawing of Chicago skyline.

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 Chicago Skyline Art

Chicago skyline oil painting at sunset
Oil painting of Chicago skyline at sunset.

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.

Skyline Art Link:

Skyline Art

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Chicago skyline watercolors, Chicago skyline pen & inks, Chicago brown pen & ink drawing of near north side, Chicago skyline drawing with John Hancock Center

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Atlanta Skyline Watercolors #162Z

Atlanta skyline #867A sunset cityscape watercolor is popular because of it's view of Piedmont Park.

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. 

Atlanta skyline watercolors and brown pen & ink drawing
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.

Atlanta Skyline Art Link:

Atlanta Skyline Art

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Atlanta watercolor sunset of Piedmont Park, Atlanta skyline watercolor painting of Piedmont Park, Atlanta skyline watercolor of Piedmont Park

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Atlanta Skyline Pen & Inks #161Z

Atlanta skyline #822A pen & ink black line drawing is popular because of it's view of downtown.

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
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.

Atlanta Skyline Art Link Is Below:

Skyline Art Of Atlanta

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA