Tuesday, August 26, 2008

471 West 21st Street

Preparing for the Washington Square Outdoor Art Show this weekend in NYC. I started the painting as a very loose watercolor, but after the initial washes and layout (image below) I thought that the subject matter would benefit from a tighter approach. Using a reference photo, I started over and used drafting tools to recreate the fascade accurately.



I layed out the brick with a bright red wash, and then used a white colored pencil to draw the mortar lines. The white pencil is a subtle mask, picking up some of the pigment from the later washes for the shadows of the dappled sunlight. I especially like the solidity of the railing. I layed on a very dark blue/black and then lifted out the highlights with a damp brush to get the dimensionality.

Original Sketch




Here's the tag line:

"Well preserved Greek Revival house is located on Chelsea Square, across from the Theological Seminary. Built in 1853, it has maintained its original detailing, including the brownstone bracketed entablautre over the doorway, double hung windows, paneled doors and cast iron fence."

Purchase Info


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