When my daughter sent me a remarkable photo she took while traveling by train through the density of Manhattan, I felt inspired to crop the photo and offer it to the drawing group to interpret with pen and ink. Did they hesitate? No! Sometimes, a big challenge is welcome…and they met the challenge where I simply abbreviated the complex scene and only had spent one short session with the prompt image. My drawing partners took the studious and dedicated route and it shows:
The overview: a cropped version of the original photo shown above on the left inspired my two drawing buddies to capture the dramatic geometry and window grids of the distant buildings while selectively rendering varied graffiti in the foreground. Below, after the crisp black and white pen and ink drawing was completed and copied, two successfully colored versions could be created.
From the deliniated clouds to the individual bricks at the very bottom of this drawing, one can enjoy the shapes that make up a very complex cityscape.
Softer skyline color in this version created an effective contrast between the soaring Manhattan buildings and the mega-sized graffiti lower down.
My very quick sketch: I blame my slacker approach to my own "assignment" on the fact that I had more than one other major art project that eclipsed my time at this point in my life. I do kind of like the movement of the sketch down the page, though.
Skillful use of color and shading in this drawing enhance the depth and angles of the buildings. A paler palette used on the skyscrapers draws the eye skyward while the more saturated colors pull us into the bold, graffiti facades of the foreground.
Credits: Thank you, Emily Asher, for the photo! And to my two partners in our now-15 year history of meeting on Tuesday mornings, year 'round, congratulations on your absolutely beautiful work on The Manhattan Project, Pacific NW Style. I think you should consider sending your artwork to The New Yorker. I'll keep my own tucked away in my sketchbook.
Jocelyn Curry 
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