BORBAY

I was fortunate enough to have close friend and professional photographer Greg McMahon join me for day three (1, 2) of the Woolworth Painting. As always, WhenTech‘s 34th floor view wouldn’t quit. The result, a five hour session which will be recapped, stroke-for-stroke, after the jump.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, and found yourself groping in the darkness for a light-switch you have flipped a thousand times? This is how painting a night scene feels.

Bringing some structure to the Woolworth Building, finally painting with some lights.

Adding some darknes to the buildings in the background – when you truthfully analyze the light, or lack thereof, the brightest brights are in alarming places.

Bringing the windows into the equation, dark on dark. Still, not a drop of black has been added to this canvas.

Details are exciting, particularly when you begin to nail down the appropriate tones. It’s like waking up in a cold sweat thinking you dreamt Christmas in July, when you realize it is actually December 24th and Home Alone (favorite quote, not an insult to you) is on TV.

Duking it out with the brick buildings in the background, trying to make that which is in the distance recede.

Warm lights… too Halloween orange for now, but that will change with another round of warm windows on top.

Adding the bizarrely lime green windows in the slatted building directly behind the Woolworth.

McMahon captures the ambiance of the space.

Focusing hard, or hardly focusing – you decide.

When you paint up 34 stories above the ground, you have the luxury of sitting down without changing the perspective.

Another McMahon special – here is looking forward to making the final strokes on this piece. Painting at night is a challenge, but I am feeling the result will turn out. Good luck to the WhenTech team in Chicago!