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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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Streeterville #051Z

Chicago skyline #850A pen & ink cityscape drawing is popular because of it's view of Streeterville.

This article is about Chicago skyline #051Z Pen & Ink Drawing Of Streeterville, 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 is my brown pen & ink drawing of the Chicago, Illinois, skyline viewing Streeterville, and the John Hancock Center.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Streeterville #850. Key points in this drawing are as follows:

  • Brown Pen & Ink.
  • Composition.
  • Delineation.
  1. Brown Pen & Ink: I have chosen brown ink rather than black to offer a different feeling to the site. Brown ink offers a softer touch than black and is not so stark. This scene is not so demanding or high contrast or dramatic lighting. All of the line work is even and smooth as are the skyscrapers.
  2. Composition: I like having the John Hancock Center in the middle of the composition and then have the other structures gently cascade off from each side. The fact that the John Hancock center is so thin makes this a natural line recession. A large bulky structure would offer no flexibility of line or symmetry.
  3. Delineation: The line work is all very even, there is almost no darkening area of shade and shadows with cross hatched lines. The light is up and clear so it does not push over into dark regions to shadow deeply.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of East Randolph Street #050Z

Chicago skyline pen & ink drawing of east Randolph skyscrapers.

This article is about Chicago skyline #050Z Pen & Ink Drawing Of East Randolph Street, 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 is my pen & ink drawing of the Chicago, Illinois, skyline at east Randolph Street.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of East Randolph Street #778. Key points of the drawing are as follows:

  • High Contrast.
  • Pen & Ink.
  • Elevation.
  1. High Contrast: What makes this drawing a success is properly utilizing negative space to give form to the images of the skyscrapers. Note how strongly and with great stealth the right side of the Aon Center anchor’s the center of the drawing giving it tremendous support. Because of this bold vertical line everything else falls into place.
  2. Pen & Ink: Nothing could better do the job of offering high contract images that pen & ink, if the very nature of it is “on and off”. In other words there is no in between when it comes to ink. You must use hatches and different line weights. To do pen & ink washes would be introducing a whole new topic which is not in the scope of this work.
  3. Elevation: I have chosen a low elevation so as to accommodate the height of the office towers. The view is looking north from Burnham Harbor, though this alignment of skyscrapers is long and thin it yields a massive cluster of office towers.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #049Z

Chicago skyline pen & ink drawing of east Randolph Street 777.

This article is about Chicago skyline #049Z pen & ink elevation drawing in perspective, 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. Most importantly this article is about my pen & ink drawing of east Randolph Street in Chicago, Illinois. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #049Z ~ Order Here.

Chicago Skyline Drawing. Key points in the drawing are as follows:

  • Elevation.
  • Pen & Ink.
  • Contrast.
  1. Elevation: Because I have chosen a low elevation for the horizon line it will accommodate the height of the tall buildings. Because these are some of the tallest buildings in the world including Trump Tower, Aon Center, Two Prudential Plaza, and the John Hancock Center.
  2. Pen & Ink: Because the drawing is done with pen & ink that accommodate a high contrast in the imagery that I was looking for. A good amount of hatching is utilized in this drawing so as to keep the images architectonic in form. I have omitted all clouds so as to focus on the structures.
  3. Contrast: Most importantly, I am particularly pleased with the Prudential Building and the Aon Center. Because the beautiful white space enhances the structure of these giant. It must be understood that high contract must be used as an accent and not the rule for a drawing, that is why I have not reaped this used of negative space throughout the drawing.

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Chicago skyline pen & ink elevation drawing of east Randolph.

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Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #048Z

Chicago skyline pen & ink drawing of east Randolph Street.

This article is about Chicago skyline #048Z Pen & Ink Drawing #776, 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 is my pen & ink drawing of the Chicago, Illinois, skyline at east Randolph Street.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #776. Key features of this work of art are as follows:

  • Pen & Ink.
  • Elevation.
  1. Pen & Ink: The drawing is making use of black pen & ink and put down on paper in terms of using hatch lines to make the forms of the buildings. There is a heavy use of line work in this drawing leaving little room for “air”. The detailing of the skyscrapers has a complimenting affect on the cityscape all together. Bold lines are not seen here, but rather many fine lines that make up the bold look.
  2. Elevation: The elevation of this pen & ink drawing is low on the horizon line and looking north from Burham Harbor towards Randolph Street. The horizon is foreshortened here and you have both east Randolph Street and Lake Shore Drive under the trees in front of the skyscrapers. Among the skyscrapers you have Trump Tower, the Prudential Building, Two Prudential Plaza, the Aon Center, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower, the Outer Drive East, and the John Hancock Center, an impressive array of very tall buildings in a very small space!

Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Near North Side #045Z

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Near North Side.

This article is about Chicago skyline #045Z Pen & Ink Drawing Of 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 is my pen & ink drawing of the Chicago, Illinois, skyline at the near north side.

Key points to this drawing are as follows:

  • Hatching.

  • Elevation.

  • Subject.

  1. Hatching: This drawing has a lot of hatching and cross hatching in it. Generally I like to reserve cross hatching for intensification of shade and shadow. In this drawing there is of course shadowing, but I have also used my hatching to create the structures. If you look at the John Hancock Center, I have omitted the famous “X” for the exoskeleton and used simple vertical hatch lines. Likewise with the Water Tower Place just behind and to the life, I have use a series of gentle cross hating lines. These hatches are clearly not shade and shadow but rather structural.
  2. Elevation: The elevation of the drawing is low in comparison to the heights of the buildings in it. The view is from the lake near Lincoln Park and gives a good representation of Streeterville, the beloved neighborhood of the near north side.
  3. Subject: The John Hancock Center is the real subject of this drawing. All of the other building are a “supporting cast” to the scene. Even the titanic Willis Tower is dwarfed by the John Hancock Center in the view due to its distance and recess in the vanishing line plane.

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #044Z

Chicago skyline #757A pen & ink cityscape drawing with intense shading and cross-hatching.

This article is about Chicago skyline #044Z 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. This is about my pen & ink drawing of the Chicago, Illinois, skyline as seen from North Lake Shore Drive.

Image of a chain link with text.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #757. Key elements to the drawing are as follows:

  • Location.
  • Light.
  • Horizon.
  1. Location: The location of the drawing is looking south from Lincoln Park to the near north side of Chicago. It must be understood that this is not the Chicago “Loop” or central business district. Rather, it is more like a “midtown” if you will. This area caters more to hotels, restaurants, and shops. The John Hancock Center is the dominant image in the drawing and it is surrounded by a cluster of smaller, yet tall buildings. To the east of the John Hancock Center is the famous east lake shore drive, tagged as being one of the highest per capita neighbor hoods in the country.
  2. Light: The light is open and full letting the viewer see everything. I have omitted clouds because there were just a few stratus clouds that did not yield and shadowing effect on the scene. The cross hatching is firm and abundant as much of the area is in shade.
  3. Horizon: I have placed the horizon near the base of the drawing so that the John Hancock Center will not be “crushed down” from the top of the picture plane.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #043Z

Chicago skyline #740A pen & ink cityscape drawing with a tree lined view of North Lake Shore Drive.

This article is about Chicago skyline #043Z 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. This is about my pen & ink drawing of the Chicago, Illinois, skyline.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing #740. Key points in the drawing are as follows:

  • Time of day.
  • Location.
  • Light.
  1. Time of day: It is later in a summer afternoon. At this time you can see most of everything. I am not one that likes overcast days, though Chicago is famous for them. Rather, I prefer clear days with lots of light to see as much as I can. In general I prefer the afternoon sun.
  2. Location: North Lake Shore Drive looking south to the downtown and more specifically to Streeterville, where the John Hancock Center looms over ominously. This is an outline sketch that puts the elements of the cityscape together. I wanted the John Hancock Center to hold command of the scene and then use the tree line of  Lake Shore Drive to soften the images to the left.
  3. Light: Since we are in the afternoon this makes the lighting full thus making it good for me to get a good view of all the details of the scene.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of 600 North Lake Shore Drive #042Z

Chicago skyline #207A pen & ink city scene drawing with a view of North Lake Shore Drive.

This article is about Chicago skyline #042Z Pen & Ink Drawing Of 600 North Lake Shore Drive , 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 in an article on my pen & ink drawing of 600 North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of 600 North Lake Shore Drive #207. These are the key points of this article.

  • Time of day.
  • Lake Shore Drive.
  • Perspective.
  1. Time of day: This pen & ink drawing of 600 N. Lake Shore Drive was done in the afternoon. The sky is clear and the sun is bright making for an excellent day to draw. Since it is a sunny day I am able to clearly draw all the details o the building for I can see everything. My focus is on the two main buildings and then I have gently lightened the detail of the adjacent buildings so that they do not take away from the subject. This trees in the foreground ad a soft touch to a concrete and steel subject.
  2. Lake Shore Drive: The location of this building is on Chicago’s North Lake Shore Drive, directly across from Chicago Navy Pier. Lake Shore Drive is famous for it’s towering skyscrapers, beautiful vistas of Lake Michigan, and luxury residences. This area of Lake Shore Drive is a mix commercial, residential, and educational structures. Chicago Navy Pier is directly across the street and just up the drive are a number of hospitals, clinics, and educational institutions.
  3. Perspective: I have made use of 2-Point Perspective in the creation of this drawing. The left side vanishing point is not far off of the paper whereas the right vanishing point is quite a bit to the right side. If you look carefully at the drawing you can see the alignment of the rays to the respective points. I have done with my eye rather than with T-Square and ruler as I am doing a drawing and not an architectural rendering.

Chicago Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Chicago skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Philadelphia Skyline Watercolor Painting At Sunset #040Z

Philadelphia skyline watercolor painting of skyscrapers at sunset.

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #040Z Watercolor Painting At Sunset, 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 is my watercolor painting of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline at sunset.

Philadelphia Skyline Watercolor Painting At Sunset #792. Key points of this painting are as follows:

  • Time of day.
  • Watercolor paint.
  • Horizon line.
  1. Time of day: It is dusk and the sun is preparing to set. This is the time of day that the sky takes on it’s greatest range of colors. However, since this time is at the end of the day you are dealing with a short window of time to accomplish your task of capturing the colors and cloud formation that you need. It is amazing in how just a few moments the color of the sky can greatly change, thus you have to be prepared to paint quickly.
  2. Watercolor paint: I have chosen watercolor paint rather than quash or oils because of the fresh and lucent appearance that it offers and also because of this lucent quality watercolor works will with pen & ink, not clouding up the integrity of the ink pigment.
  3. Horizon line: The horizon line is low in this painting because I want the sky to set the tone of the work of art. The skyline is beautifully rendered when it has such a gracious and warm backdrop to give it support.

Philadelphia Skyline Watercolors Link

Philadelphia skyline watercolors

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Philadelphia Skyline Watercolor Painting At Sunset #039Z

Philadelphia skyline watercolor

This article is abut Philadelphia skyline #039Z Watercolor Painting At Sunset, 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 is my watercolor painting of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline at sunset. The downtown of Philadephia offers one of the finest city centers in the country, for it has a vast array of hotels, shops, night clubs, and museums. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the finest art museums in the United States and has an encyclopedic scope of a collection. Prints & Scans Of This Watercolor #039Z ~ Order Here.

Key elements to this painting are as follows:

  • The focus.
  • Perspective.
  • Time of day.
  1. The focus: The focus naturally is the downtown of Philadelphia, which boast one of the most robust skylines in the United States. I have carefully executed the delineation of the pen & ink detailing of the buildings that make up the skyline. I had to do enough line work to give credibility to the appearance of the structures, while at the same time not detail too much so as to let the watercolor have it’s turn at expressing the scene.
  2. Perspective: This scene is done in One Point Perspective, a method of drafting that has all the lines that are parallel to the picture plane vanish to the viewer eye on the horizon line. This perspective works will for this scene for the height of the buildings is more significant than their girth. Though you cannot directly see the vanishing points as you would on a drafting table or CAD screen, you can still understand the substance of the structures because of the One Point Perspective.
  3. Time of day: It is sunset and the beauty of the sun is now showing at it’s best. Directly below the skyscrapers is FDR Park with lush landscaping making for natural beauty in the heart of the city. To my delight is the Classical Gazebo in the bottom right corner of the painting. I have detailed the structure of the gazebo in such a way as to let is show off the Classical theme that the park offers. I am very pleased with the handling of the hatching for the shade and shadows of the building.

Philadelphia Skyline Watercolors Link

Philadelphia skyline watercolors

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA