Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing With FDR Park #038Z

Philadelphia skyline drawings

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #038ZĀ Charcoal Drawing with FDR Park, 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 my charcoal pencil drawing of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline.

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing with FDR Park #803. The following are important characteristics of the work of art:

  1. The drawing is done with charcoal pencil.
  2. The focus of the drawing is the dominion of the skyscrapers over the scene.
  3. The use of soft and light tones in the shading and shadowing of the drawing.

This drawing is done with soft leaded charcoal pencils that have been sharpened with a simple small artist’s sharpener that I keep with my drawing supplies. I have used charcoal rather than regular studio drawing pencils because of the soft line that is leaves with morsels of charcoal crumbs which can be seen close up. Also, the line is darker than that of standard lead pencils.

The focus of the drawing is of course, the skyscrapers of downtown Philadelphia. Here we see a strongly gather cluster of buildings juxtaposed with one another to form an elegant and gracious city scene.

Below in FDR Park, the Classical gazebo can be clearly seen, nestled in with the trees and landscape. In this drawing I have made a point not to intensify the shade and shadows around the gazebo because any darkness in that peripheral area will take away from the main focus of the drawing with are the towering skyscrapers. Rather, I have nicely shaded the gazebo in a tonal range that compliments the large trees to the left side and center of the drawing. In that way I have balance the “table” so to speak that this cityscape had a firm platform to that it can rest upon.

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #037Z

Philadelphia charcoal skyline drawing along the Schuylkill River.

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #037ZĀ Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown, 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 my charcoal pencil drawing of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #037Z ~ Order Here.

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #802. The key points of the drawing are as follows:

  1. The use of charcoal pencil.
  2. The use of 2-point perspective.
  3. Building structural detailing.

The use of charcoal pencil had added a soft touch to the bold Philadelphia skyline. The line work give a gentle distribution of tones and line weight throughout the drawing. There is almost no use of hatching of any kind, but rather even fine single strokes that are applied carefully one next to the other so as to yield firmness and strength to a very strong skyline. Few cities in the United States can boast of such bold and robust cityscape.

The use of 2-point perspective can easily be seen here. The vanishing point of the left side is far off from the surface of the picture plane, whereas the vanishing point of the right side is within view but still off of the picture plane. The right side vanishing point is the dominant one as it permits us to see into the elements of the city.

The gathering of the skyscrapers into this formidable cluster clearly bespeaks strength and grandeur. When you sit back and just look at the drawing you can see how firmly the city rest upon the banks of the Schuylkill River.

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing of Downtown & FDR Park #036Z

Philadelphia skyline #799A charcoal cityscape drawing is popular because of the gazebo in FDR Park.

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #036ZĀ Charcoal Drawing of Downtown & FDR Park, 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 the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #036Z ~ Order Here.

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing of Downtown & FDR Park #799. The key features of the work of art are as follows:

  1. The bold outline forms created by charcoal.
  2. The tight cluster of skyscrapers.
  3. Shade and shadows.

The most striking element of this drawing are the soft bold lines created by the charcoal pencil. I highlighted the background of the Classical Gazebo, or “folly” as the Brits would call it, to give depth of field to the park which supports the towering skyline.

The four skyscrapers that loom over FDR Park stand as guardians of this great city that is the birthplace of freedom and democracy in our great nation.

The only use of cross hatching employed in this drawing is that of the shade and shadow behind the gazebo, otherwise the bold contour lines of the office buildings are rendered in solid form with firm single strokes from the charcoal pencil.

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #035Z

Philadelphia skyline #798A charcoal cityscape drawing is popular because of the beauty of FDR Park.

This article is about Philadelphia Skyline #035ZĀ Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown, 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 charcoal drawing of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #035Z ~ Order Here.

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #798. Key features of this drawing are as follows.

  1. The drawing is done in charcoal pencil.
  2. The skyscrapers and not the landscape are the focus.
  3. No cross hatching is done.

The most important element of this charcoal drawing is the line work. This is the entire reason for the drawing. It was my task to bring out the images of Philadelphia in charcoal, which is softer in appearance then other mediums such as pen & ink, pencil, or stylus.

The landscape of FDR Park is the setting for the cluster of towering skyscrapers that dominate the Philadelphia skyline. The bold and solid line weight of the charcoal enhance the dominion of these towering giants.

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #034Z

Philadelphia skyline charcoal drawing of downtown skyscrapers.

Philadelphia Skyline #034ZĀ Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown, 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 charcoal drawing of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, downtown skyline. Prints & Scans Of This Skyline Drawing #034Z ~ Order Here.

Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #797. Key point to this drawing are as follows.

  1. The absence of clouds and foreground.
  2. Monolithic cluster.
  3. Soft lines.

It is my intention with this drawing to make a strong and bold drawing of the Philadelphia skyline by focusing my attention on the structures. Charcoal lends itself to this kind of drawing because of the soft and dark text of the coal, it leave granules at every point, thus making it very difficult to execute for it is ever so easy smear and ruin the drawing.

What is most interesting to me with regards to the grouping of the buildings is how together they form a cluster of crystals and the wonderful soft lines of charcoal lend themselves to this organic material.

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Downtown #033Z

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing From FDR Park with gazebo.

This article is about Philadelphia Skyline #033ZĀ Pen & Ink Drawing Of Downtown, 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 drawing of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline and FDR Park. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #033Z ~ Order Here.

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Downtown #790. Key points in the drawing are:

  1. The use of brown ink.
  2. Cross hatching.
  3. Building contour lines.

In this lovely drawing of Philadelphia I have made an effort to carefully detail both the landscape and the skyscrapers that tower behind FDR Park. When doing this I made use of cross hatching to get the full range of tones given off my shade and shadows of both the landscape and the buildings. I am very pleased with how well the hatching brings out the charm of the Classical structure in the bottom right side of the drawing.

The drawing of the trees is very full and rich which is essential in visually supporting the skyscrapers that jut out from behind them. There is a strong sense of continuity throughout the drawings that makes the viewer want to come back to look and see what other things can be seen in the drawing.

Philadelphia Skyline #033ZĀ Pen & Inks Link

Philadelphia skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Ink Drawing Of Downtown #032Z

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Inks

Original and prints of Philadelphia Skyline #789B are here.

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #032ZĀ pen & ink drawing of downtown, 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 my pen & ink drawing of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, skyline.

Philadelphia skyline pen & ink drawing of downtown #789. To do such a drawing I suggest the following:

  1. Have high quality permanent ink and excellent pens or styluses.
  2. Choose a vantage point that take in the desired angle of the site.
  3. Look at the horizon line and make sure that it is not in the center of your drawing.

This drawing is of the central downtown district on the Schuylkill River. This is my favorite drawing of Philadelphia, it is one of those drawing where all of the elements that I was seeking came together.

The brown ink is a plus for this image, it nicely compliments the flow of the Schuylkill River with it’s “brown trees” along the shore line. Most of the line work is straight and I have used very little cross hatching as the lighting of the day does not place demands for shade and shadows.

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Inks Link

Philadelphia skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on

Atlanta Skyline Watercolor Of Downtown At Night #031Z

Atlanta skyline night watercolor downtown

This is about Atlanta skyline #031ZĀ night watercolor downtown., 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 my watercolor painting of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, at night. Prints & Scans Of This Watercolor #031Z ~ Order Here.

Skyline Watercolor Of Downtown Key Points:

  1. Take extra art supplies and food with a blanket.
  2. Study the city lights and take in all their ranges of color.
  3. Look at the buildings as figures rather than structures

A most difficult task indeed, doing a watercolor of the city at night, but it is done. The one thing that I had to watch out for at all time was the loss of detail in the watercolor washes. In other words, as I applied the washes of color to the paper I had to do it in such a way as to keep the lines clear and not muddied over. It is amazing how even a light clear stroke can cloud up a pen & ink line!

It is all about lights and street lights to be exact. With the son far gone you need the source of the street and traffic lights to illuminate your skyline by reflecting their shine onto and around the building. The light of course pours into the sky but this is very difficult to catch because in the process you can muddy up details of the structure to capture a vapor. It is sort of like stepping on dollars to pick up dimes. Just go with the flow of light as you see it and then put it down on paper, do not be concerned with be so exact and precise ~ this is what watercolors are all about!

Atlanta Skyline Watercolors Link:

Atlanta Skyline Watercolors

Posted on

Atlanta Skyline Sunset Watercolor Of Piedmont Park #030Z

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

This article is about Atlanta skyline #030ZĀ sunset watercolor, 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 my sunset watercolor paint of Piedmont Park in midtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Skyline Sunset Watercolor Key Points:

  1. Sunset
  2. Water
  3. Pen & inks

This watercolor is a joy and reflects my feeling about the great and wonderful city of Atlanta. I wanted the color of the sky to be the dominant element of this watercolor from the start. Therefore, I had to diminish the detailing of the landscape and skyscrapers so as not to draw attention to them. The looser the better because nothing in this seen is looser than the gases of the atmosphere which is man manifest in the vast colors of the setting sun.

Elements

It is all about color and space not line. If you think of opera you will know that the musicians are the support element of the opera and the voice is the main element. Though the orchestral themes can be very powerful and grand they should never upstage the voices on stage. The same holds true in this context of watercolor painting. It is my intention to have the watercolor, especially in sky, be the voice of the painting, and that the line that form the buildings and landscape is the orchestra.

Atlanta Skyline Watercolors Link:

Atlanta Skyline Watercolors

Posted on

Atlanta Watercolor Sunset Of Piedmont Park #029Z

Atlanta watercolor sunset Piedmont Park

This article is about Atlanta skyline #029ZĀ watercolor sunset Piedmont, 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 my red pen & ink night time watercolor of Piedmont Park, midtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta Watercolor Sunset Of Piedmont Park Key Points:

  1. Delineation
  2. Blue colors
  3. Skyline

This watercolor was difficult to execute do to the fact that the water of Lake Clara Meed becomes the same tone as the evening sky. Thus, I had to work more with the ink to bring out the contour of the buildings in the background and the structure of the trees and bushes on the shore. I used extra ink via cross hatching along the shore’s edge to delineate the land from the water.

The bottom third of the watercolor is devoted to the lagoon. I have made the blue of the water a bit darker than the sky since it has no luminosity from the city lights to ease the darkness.

If you look carefully you can see that directly behind the buildings the sky is lightest and then as you move your eyes upward the sky darkens into the clouds. This is all due to the city light in the background and from downtown Atlanta, which is not so far off.

Atlanta Skyline Watercolors Link:

Atlanta Skyline Watercolors

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA