Sketching the San Francisco City Hall – a drawing tutorial by Dan Hogman

Our columnist Dan Hogman finds his muse in San Francisco’s spectacular City Hall in this tutorial. In a few quick strokes, he reveals a view of the building’s dreamy white marble colonnaded front, classical pedimented roof and the monumental dome that peeks from behind. Getting married under this dome - tallest in the entire United States - is a dream come true for many, given the opulence and the monumentality of the structure, and it being likened to the heart of the city.

The City Hall that stands in its pristine glory today has seen a difficult past where a series of earthquakes over the last century had shook its foundation and reduced it to pieces. After many interventions of building and rebuilding, this Beaux-Arts monument is now well-protected and continues to inspire with its grandeur and openness.

On the inside, a soaring rotunda and a grand staircase steal the show. The ambience within the space is elevated by pinkish-gold Tennessee marble cladding that beautifully reflects light on its surface, making it one of the reasons why the weddings that take place here are dream-come-true!

Hogman brings us the face of the building, which to say the least, appears breathtaking in the brevity. A glimpse of what looks like a shot from little late in the morning, the depth and the details of the façade come alive in the frame, making us all the more wanting to teleport to San Fran in real time.

For more videos by Dan Hogman, click here.