Architecture: The Anchor of Hope College, Holland, Michigan

This is the last architecture drawing I did, using photo references.  Obviously, I did it last fall, when the leaves were still on the trees.

This is from the campus of Hope College, in Holland, Michigan.  If you have ever been there, you'll recognize the top of the campus anchor, with the chapel in the distance.

I liked the composition of taking something small and putting it in the extreme foreground, so it appeared huge, and then having something huge appear in the background, so it seemed much smaller.

I did this piece, from start to finish, in one sitting.  It took about two hours.  I used two pencils, mostly an Ebony pencil, and then a Blackwing for the darkest darks.  I think this might be the first large pencil drawing (18 x 24) that I have ever done.

I think I might like to do more with pencil in the future.  Like charcoal, though, it is so fragile.  You have to spray the heck out of it with fixative so that it doesn't smear when you close the pad or move it from place to place.

Still, I like the black and white basics.  Working like this is helping me learn values, that's for sure.