From memory a landscape.
Part of my research and enquiry is devoted to techniques and understanding contemporary practice. Stephen Wiltshire has an outstanding talent for drawing lifelike, accurate representations of cities. I recently visited his gallery in London’s Royal Opera Arcade to observe his detailed and masterful cityscapes firsthand and to find out a little more about him.
Stephen Wiltshire is best known for his detailed skylines, some are drawn entirely from memory, he has also drawn purely imaginary metropolises, as illustrated within in his book Cities (1989). What I love most about his work is his skill as a draughtsman and ability to convey complex perspectives with ease. He captures the character of a building, beautifully demonstrated in his book Floating Cities (1991), which features elaborate drawings of Venice, Amsterdam, Leningrad and Moscow.
Through Stephens work I’ve been introduced to Richard Estes who produces photorealist paintings of reflective, clean, and inanimate city landscapes. I’m caught between wanting to remain as an illustrator working in black and white, and wanted to develop technicolour landscapes.
References
STEPHEN WILTSHIRE. (2017) [Online] Available at http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk [Accessed Oct – Dec 2017]
WILTSHIRE, S. (1991) Floating Cities. First Edition edition. London: Michael Joseph
WILTSHIRE, S. (1989) Cities. First Edition edition. London: J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd
ARTSPACE. (2017) Richard Estes. [Online] Available at https://www.artspace.com/richard-estes [Accessed 10/11/2017]
Images ©Stephen Wiltshire
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