When in Berlin I am always fascinated by the architectural styles of the buildings -
Berlin pastel pencil
Often around the quieter streets on either side of the Kurfurstendam I would take lots of photographs of the buildings as I marveled at the wonderful apartments. Some years ago when I was able I also sometimes took my little drawing pad and managed quick sketches of the places I saw, usually as an aide memoir if you will, so that once back home I might decide to do an illustration or painting from the rough sketch.
This particular one caught my eye, in fact the whole street was pretty good for me and I photographed this rather smart corner end of the block.
Berlin architecture
Later on (much later actually) I found the sketch book and I have an awful lot of them scattered around in various drawers and shelves and having also found an old set of pastel stick pencils I decided to have a go and this is the result. Kept it pretty true to the photo and applied just a few gentle colors to it as in purely monochrome the fact that it was framed by the tall trees was somewhat wasted, so color was needed to bring it alive. I’m fairly happy with the way it’s turned out. In fact the illustration to me is so much more alive than the photograph – every time!
No work of art but a nice illustration and funnily, although very different subjects of course, I can still see the resemblance technique wise to the old portrait sketches I did more than fifty years ago. Quite scary I suppose and a bit like handwriting – it tends to be recognizable however disguised – as over the years I’ve drawn, sketched and painted in all sorts of styles and found new methods and yes, techniques, of managing the art of hand to canvas, but that underlying unconscious skill or signature is a better word if you like, is still there.
I remember I did a few of these in my time as illustrations to books and articles, you know the sort of thing at the beginning of a chapter – hardly noticed, but someone does them! You find them in all sorts of articles – what I call “article illustrations” – they’re there and often compliment, explain and more correctly “illustrate” the article, but which rarely are given credit. I realized early on that credit due is credit due – today we’re perhaps more aware and I always like the artist given a simple credit line – “illustrations by . . . . .”
It can make it all worth while.
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- Berlin architecture
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- Berlin pastel pencil
I’ll look out a few more of these and if they’re any good. . . . I’ll maybe post some.
Quick Gallery – click images to view
