Tag: Philadelphia Downtown Drawings And Prints #113K

Philadelphia downtown #113K drawings is an article about central metropolis sketches, downtown Philadelphia, written by artist Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, at Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, offering prints and JPEG & PDF scans, which are on sale at low discount prices.

Philadelphia skyline charcoal drawing from FDR Park with gazebo.
Charcoal skyline drawing of downtown Philadelphia in FDR Park by artist Stephen F. Condren.

Because Philadelphia is a large city, it has a very big downtown.

Posted on by

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Inks #173Z

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Inks

This article is about Philadelphia skyline pen & inks, 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 Philadelphia sends itself handsomely to pen & inks as it has a very robust skyline. Outside of Manhattan Island, Philadelphia has the second largest skyline on the east coast! The fine architectural history and ornamentation on many of the cities building are a treasure.

Delineation

The city of Philadelphia is very old and thus has a vast range of architecture form colonial times to the present. All in all there is a lot of details and ornamentation in the architecture of the city that come out beautifully with pen & inks.

Perspective

Architectural subjects are the most natural subject when it comes to perspective drawings. Though the cityscapes and skyline pen & inks that I execute here are not perspective drawings in the strict sense of the word. An excellent example of my perspective drawings are my famous renderings of the Loeb Mansion from the Leopold and Loeb murder trial of Chicago in 1924, see below.

Loeb mansion from the Leopold-Loeb murder case.
Pencil architectural rendering of the Loeb mansion of the Leopold and Loeb murder case of 1924 in Chicago. The mansion was at 5017 S. Ellis Avenue in the Kenwood/Hyde Park district of Chicago. This rendering was done by artist Stephen F. Condren for Condren Galleries product SKU# 5000.

All of the skyline pen & inks that I offer here are done freehand with 2-point perspective in mind.

Philadelphia Skyline Pen & Inks Landscape

The Philadelphia skyline pen & inks landscape starts with FDR Park, a landmark city park that has been a model to the nation since its inception early in the 20th Century. The boathouse and gazebo have been designated on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It is sites like these that make pen & inks an excellent medium to create urban and skyline drawings with.

Philadelphia Skyline Art Link

Philadelphia skyline art, Philadelphia skyline drawings of downtown, Philadelphia skyline pen & ink drawing of downtown

Related Links

Philadelphia skyline drawings,

Stephen F. Condren ~ Artist

312-303-0207

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ~ BFA

Posted on by

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

Philadelphia skyline art

Related Links

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

Posted on by

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

Related Links

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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