Cityscape Art
Like Landscapes, But Different
Cityscape art is clearly different from landscapes in that there’s very little (if any) nature involved. The primary focus of cityscapes is the city, buildings, structures of all sorts. There’s a higher possibility for people to be in a cityscape, but similar to landscapes, people aren’t usually the primary focus. The buildings are.
Cityscape art, like landscapes, were something I didn’t think I had to learn to do. After all, my primary focus was drawing animals.
But like I mentioned in my last post, Landscape Art, my art teacher made a valid point by stating that drawing figures is fine, but what happens when you need to put them in an environment?
One of my bucket list items is to create a comic book. Most superheroes save the day in populated areas. And populated areas mean cities. Okay, so I guess he had a point.
Here are some you might know…
Some famous cityscape artists include Maximilien Luce, Camille Pissaro, Gustave Caillebotte, and Claude Monet.
Personally (and strangely), I prefer sketched cityscapes (pen or pencil) rather than painted ones. I’m not sure why. Maybe because the portability of sketchbooks makes me think of travel. Not that all cityscapes are done by travelers, but that’s the notion that’s in my head…the lone traveler in a foreign land, sitting outside of a café sketching the buildings around him. I guess there’s a bit of a romantic in me.
One of my favorite modern-day cityscape artists is Stephen Wiltshire, an autistic savant who can take a 20-minute helicopter ride over major cities like, London or New York City and then draw what he saw later with amazing accuracy, down to the number of floors and windows each building has.
Some other artists I came across during my research worthy of note can be found on Instagram @golfnarat , Amber Petch (@doodles.by.amber), and Ajao Ade Lawal (@skenkious_arts). While they create a variety of different artworks, I was drawn to the style of cityscapes they create. They evoked that sense of the traveling artist that I mentioned before.
Artist David Bonazzi has stated that he normally doesn’t travel with a sketchbook, but was encouraged to do so by his girlfriend on a trip to the US. You can read the story and see some of his work here.
Do you draw/paint cityscapes? Or do you have a favorite cityscape artist? Share by commenting below. And if you like what you’re reading, please subscribe at mnaitodesigns.com/blog where you’ll also get these posts way earlier than you get them here. I promise I won’t clog up your inbox with loads of junk. I post weekly on Wednesday. Or, if you prefer, follow me on social media.
As always, I appreciate you!
