This drawing of the Roman Pantheon, and its companion of the Pantheon's interior, are in my opinion the best drawings I've ever done, at least so far. I had ideal conditions to draw and did both on the same day. This one depicts the ornate, magnificent capital of one of the columns in the portico. The circular Roman Pantheon, designed by the architect emperor Hadrian, is one of humanity's greatest treasures and it has been standing for almost 2000 years! You cannot come to Rome and not visit it.
More ideal conditions involved my pen and paper. In 1976, just a couple of months before I was to leave Rome, I discovered the needle-pointed Rapidograph drawing pen. I could now draw on-site without having to use ink from a bottle. It was better than the earlier Pelikan Graphos which dropped ink. The Rapidograph used a "Special Brown" ink made just for it. Together with a thick, somewhat absorbent sketchbook paper, I could get a full page of details with a clear, "antique" line. (I still have this Rapidograph pen but I've long since replaced it with the much more portable Pitt sepia drawing pen.)
I sat on a cold stone seat to do this column and it took me at least an hour to do it. I didn't use a ruler or any other straight-edge. When I was done I picked up my sketchbook and went inside the Pantheon to continue drawing.
Pelikan "Special Brown" drawing ink with Rapidograph tech pen on sketchbook page, 6" x 9", spring 1976.
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