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…

Maximilien Luce, The Port of Rotterdam, Evening, 1908

Camille Pisarro, Place du Thretre Francais: Sun Effect, 1898

Gustave Caillebotte, A Balcony in Paris, 1881

Claude Monet, The Rue Montorgeuil 30th of June, 1878

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.

Stephen Wiltshire, Aerial View of London

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.

@golfnarat

Amber Petch (@doodles.by.amber)

Ajao Ade Lawal (@skenkious_arts)

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.

Davide Bonazzi

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. 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.

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