Kemper Street No. 1

[Jon Roark]

The first of two, these are drawings of an old train station in town, built around 1917. Saw its heyday in WWII, lapsed into disrepair, and now has been renovated into a showpiece, with original cobblestone streets leading down the hill to the station. These drawings were done as a donation to a Habitat for Humanity calendar fundraiser several years ago and I had forgotten I even had them. I found them stuffed in a tube stacked in my basement.

[Jon Roark]

Forgot to say, these are both about 8 x 10 inches done with crow quill points on bristol board. Probably about 6-8 hours of work in each.

[kitaye]

Originally posted by Jon Roark
Forgot to say, these are both about 8 x 10 inches done with crow quill points on bristol board. Probably about 6-8 hours of work in each.

These are excellent. The first one almost has a woodcut feel to it while the 2nd one looks like a draftman did it. Very nice.

What is a crow quill pen? Is it actually a crow feather cut to create a dip pen?

[Jon Roark]

No Crow Quills are very small steel points, made by Hunt in the USA. They have their own size handle and the point slides into a hole at the end. It is a dip into the inkwell type point, but the point is the oldstyle in that it can spread apart for a more expressive line than a technical pen can allow. Technical pens can only allow one width of line all the time, this type of point changes the line with changes in pressure. But you do have to dip it, and I find myself holding a piece of paper towel to clean the point of builtup ink. Even so, I much prefer this type of point to any technical pen.

[NorahT]

Beautiful pen work - a real pleasure - thanks for posting

[artdude]

An EXCELLENT ink rending Jon You handle the crow quill pens very well. Very nice line work and contrasts in this. I like the stream of light comming through the hand rail on to the building. Am I jealous.....YES!!!

[sassybird]

I am a sucker for texture. I work it into my work as much as possible, oftimes pushing the envelope, but it draws the eye.
You have a good hand in bringing texture into your work.

Before I draw something I usually go and run my hands over the object(s); bricks, stones, weathered boards etc.... It helps me to know the subject better. Do you practice this idosycrasy also?

[Jon Roark]

I like going to this particular spot because the past is so alive there. I remember standing with my wife one freezing night on the upper porch with rain blowing in our faces and the lights on the porch blowing to and fro. The roof was in disrepair that night and water was dripping through onto us and I remember we talked about how it was like some film noir movie set with this lonesome train whistle blowing and the water falling on these round pan shaped light covers while we looked down on the tracks waiting for a relative to arrive. So, in a sense, yes, I do touch all this stuff, but maybe in a slightly different way.

[gnu]

Those lights and shades are fabulous, looking again, I can see why the downward strokes on some of the brick work.. subtle shading, had to look back a bit to catch it.
the detail in this is amazing thanks for the treat & challenge

[RuthT]

Great inkwork - the detail is incredible.

When I first saw it I thought 'Alfred Hitchcock movie'

[dolors]

This is really good. I like the perspective, the light and shadows.Also excellent composition.