Maison à Tour, Briançon Cité Vauban, 2018. Pen and crayon on Canson paper, 50 cm x 65 cm.
This large monochrome drawing was commissioned by the owner/ director of Briançon Cité Vauban Appartements in November 2017. It all started with a cappuccino at the Patisserie Turin…
Cappuccinos and cake at Patisserie Turin, Briançon.
Followed by a photoshoot in bright sunshine…
Maison à Tour, colour photo by Susan Lomas, 2017
I was immediately fascinated by the steep walls and stairways. And yes, part of the building was indeed cylindrical, hence the name! I also noticed that from a certain viewpoint one could see both towers of the Collegiale church, one of Briancon’s most iconic buildings. Being a fan of Venetian artists such Canaletto and Piranese I couldn’t wait to get started!
To get the best composition I stole an idea from David Hockney who started producing collages of photos in the 1980s. I printed out three particular photos on A4 paper and joined them together to create a picture which included all the most important elements. As the holiday rentals company own the basement, ground floor and first floor of the building and the lovely “terrasse” I wanted to emphasise that part of the building.
I decided to make an A3 preparatory drawing from the photo collage to study the architecture and to try out various shading techniques, including ink washes.
Maison à Tour photo collage and preparatory drawings, December 2017.
As I didn’t want the paper to buckle and bend I decided to use permanent black pens and colour pencil shading for the final drawing. An unusual combination, but it worked out fine.
Maison à Tour, 2018. Ink and pencil crayon,, 50 cm x 65 cm.
Here is the finished drawing with a pearl grey mount and a taupe-coloured wood frame. Professional framing by Le Refuge du Cadre, Briançon:
Maison à Tour, by Susan Lomas 2018. With mount and frame.
One satisfied customer, one happy artist! Hopefully lots of other people will enjoy looking at this picture too as it will be hung inside the holiday apartments. My client recently sent me a photograph of the business cards they had printed using digital artwork based on my drawing. I think the results are splendid!
Maison à Tour business cards 2020
A3 size black and white prints of Maison à Tour are now available. Professional printing by Photo Francou of Briançon. Price for unframed print: 15 € plus postage and packing (where you live will affect this). Please use the contact form to place your order via www.SusanLomas.com
Maison à Tour, A3 print with frame
