Thursday, March 31, 2011

Saint Louis Courthouse

Here’s a pencil drawing I did of the old courthouse in Saint Louis, from my hotel window.  It was a cold day, and across the street there were billows of steam pumping out of some ducts.


I was excited by the atmospherics, because the steam added life and mystery to what otherwise would have been a fairly ordinary architectural study. But I had to make sure to draw the whole structure and measure everything out before I covered it up. Some parts of the drawing are erased with a kneaded eraser.
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9 comments:

  1. Zacharie LeBarMarch 31, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    That's one of my favorite studies you've done. Amazing how selectively removing details can add such atmosphere to a piece. Gives me something to reach for. Thank you.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 31, 2011 at 1:54 PM

    I love the character in this. It's like you said, the atmospherics give it a story without which it'd just be a regular old perspective drawing. Thanks for posting!

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  3. KessieMarch 31, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    I think the whole thing winds up with a bit of steampunk feel to it. All it needs is a few gratuitous gears sticking out of the courthouse roof. :-)

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  4. RaydancerMarch 31, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    That's great! I've seen that building many times from the top of the arch. Did you do any other studies while in St. Louis?

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  5. Natalia M.March 31, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    What an amazing vantage point! I was pretty confused for a moment until I read that little written note at the top. Not a sort of drawing you usually see of a building.

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  6. JZinoMarch 31, 2011 at 6:14 PM

    I hope I can draw that good when I grow up! lol

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  7. lumographiaMarch 31, 2011 at 7:51 PM

    This is incredibly complex. How do you work out the perspective on something like this?

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  8. James GurneyApril 1, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    Thanks, everybody.

    Lumo--It's three point perspective, so I had to measure the slopes and lightly draw a grid of perspective lines.

    RayDancer--I sketched my cab driver, "Piano Slim" on the same trip. I did a post about him recently. Saint Louis is a great city for sketching!

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  9. HarrisonApril 3, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    Great sketch:)

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