Category: Philadelphia Drawings

Philadelphia skyline drawings by artist and architectural illustrator, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, with JPEG & PDF scan and prints of Philadelphia skyline drawings #036Q.

Philadelphia skyline charcoal drawing from FDR Park with gazebo.
Charcoal skyline drawing of downtown Philadelphia in FDR Park by artist Stephen F. Condren.
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Philadelphia Skyline Drawings #172Z

Philadelphia skyline drawings

This article is about Philadelphia skyline drawings 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. Drawing can be done with lead pencil or charcoal. The later is more difficult in that the lines are rough and soft so that it does not leave crisp delineations. However, the other side of charcoals is their rich tone and unsurpassed granular tones. Complimenting charcoal is lead, for lead has the same tonal qualities but offers the precision of pen & inks. The lead of the pencil is so very natural when it touches the paper that you feel it was all meant to be. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #172Z ~ Order Here.

Delineation

When I draw with lead pencil I general do a very light sketch first, very light. After this I then go to the center of the paper and start to align all of the elements of the scene on to the paper. This is a rather geometric task but has to be done to align everything. When working with architectural subject this is imperative. After all of the elements have been aligned I then start the process of “sculpting out” the image of the major structures in the skyline. Once I have these in place then I can proceed to delineation of the main buildings and use contour lines where necessary. I generally do not use contour lines excessively as they can flatten your images. Finally, when the delineation is complete I work in the shade and shadows.

Shade & Shadows

The best way to acquire good tonal range with pencil and charcoal is through slow and gradual pressure on the pencil to the paper so as to increase pressure. With the pressure comes a darker line that can be gently smeared to cast shadows and shading. Unlike pen & inks where you make use of hatching and cross-hating to cast all of your shading and shadows. Make shade and shadows with pencil can be similar for sure, but then you can gradually apply pressure and rub it along the paper to a wider range. This is something that you cannot do with pen & inks, for the are strictly and on/off standard.

Philadelphia Skyline Art Link

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Philadelphia skyline pen & ink drawing of downtown, Philadelphia skyline pen & inks

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

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Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing With FDR Park #038Z

Philadelphia skyline drawings

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #038Z 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

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Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #037Z

Philadelphia charcoal skyline drawing along the Schuylkill River.

This article is about Philadelphia skyline #037Z 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

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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 #036Z 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

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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 #035Z 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

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Philadelphia Skyline Charcoal Drawing Of Downtown #034Z

Philadelphia skyline charcoal drawing of downtown skyscrapers.

Philadelphia Skyline #034Z 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