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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