Hello! Welcome back to another one of my creative experiments. Today we’re talking about illustrating architecture, a vast subject that I’ve been wanting to dip my illustrator toes into. Adding thoughtfully considered architectural detail can lend a rich layer to the storytelling of an illustration. Quite literally, it builds a world. And yet, for years I have avoided this in my own work, always leaning more towards nature-based environments. I love architecture, and I love architecture in illustration. Both my parents are architects and I grew up watching them draw by hand — a huge reason I became an artist, I am sure. But I’ve never gravitated towards drawing buildings in my own work; buildings have never held the same fascination for me as people do… I could draw only people and characters for the rest of my life and be happy!
Some tiny architectural sketches by my mom :)
BUT! I also want to grow as an artist, and I want my characters to have places to live, diverse worlds to walk through. I was curious what would happen if I combined my appreciation of architecture with the strange mystical botanical references I tend to draw inspiration from; and curiosity is always a good place to start, no matter what you’re trying to draw! Nothing left to do but dive in.
Inspiration, References and Sketching
I will admit, once I decided I wanted to make an illustration with architectural details, I had a moment of panic. I do not have an arsenal of buildings in my head the way I do with characters, so I needed reference. But I had no idea where to start. How to choose from all the architectural styles in the world?? To sooth and distract myself, I started looking through other illustrators’ work who use architecture in interesting ways. Here are some favorites:
Artist links: Ewa Poklewska Koziello; stills from Luna the Shadow Dust by Lantern Studio; stills from The Secret of Kells feature film by Cartoon Saloon; artwork from The Arrival by Shaun Tan; and Vanessa Gillings.
What I love about these pieces is that the artists are clearly observing real buildings and spaces, but they are also lending their unique voices to the images, iterating on the shape, scale and placement of architectural details in a way that creates a new place, one that is imagined but feels real. The buildings/spaces they draw reflect their own lived experiences.
At this point, I remembered that I have some Pinterest boards and saved instagram posts that might be useful for reference. I combed through, starting to get inspired. Unsurprisingly, I had saved a lot of tree houses (literally as close to nature as architecture can get), but I also noticed I had gravitated towards folk art, Spanish style bungalows covered in plants, and a lot of weathered wood and tile. Seeing these images I felt a wave of nostalgia — I grew up mostly in northern California, where stucco houses, hippy kitchens and dreamy bougainvillea are very common.
My Places & Spaces Pinterest board
Nostalgia felt like a good place to start from, so I began sketching some of the photos. I wasn’t sure yet if I wanted to create an illustration of an exterior or interior space, but I found myself enjoying observing the buildings’ details and interpreting them in my own drawing style.
Eventually an idea for an illustration sprang to mind, and I sketched it out quickly, this time pulling in more of the California Spanish style architecture. A little fox-like character took shape; She is toting a suitcase and I imagined she might be arriving at a friends home for a weekend stay.
From here I thought I might make a pair of illustrations: the fox knocking at the outside of the door, and the friend inside, opening the door to greet her. Somehow I ended up with a giant crow woman as the other character, perhaps a grandmotherly figure or a wise elder you might go to for advice.
I began thinking of the old hippy women I have known in Berkeley or Sebastopol or similar norcal towns, living in houses like this filled with plants and textiles and trinkets from their storied pasts. The crow woman and her little house were speaking to me more than the exterior fox sketch, so I decided to continue with Crow Woman for the final illustration. I took a picture of the rough sketch and transferred it to my ipad for a final sketch.
Crow Woman, final sketch
Final Art
I struggled a bit with the color and line treatment for this one. No matter how many illustrations I make I often feel like I’m reinventing my process each time. And I always hit a mid-point where I absolutely hate the work and can’t imagine how it will get finished or how I will ever like it. Here’s what that milestone looked like for this piece:
The messy middle
The colors just weren’t singing, it felt stiff and boring. I questioned whether I should even write this blog post. I questioned my whole illustration style. I reminded myself that I have these feelings every time I make an illustration, and I took a break. After some time away from the image, I was able to see much more clearly what I wanted to change, and I managed to move forward.
The Crow Woman final!
I’m pleased with the final piece! I love how the space is telling a story, one that references my own experiences. The place could very easily be real, I’ve been in houses like this. It’s also very much imagined—I have never encountered a Crow Woman in real life… though I have known characters like her.
Hope you enjoyed this creative experiment, and thanks for reading all the way to the end!
Patreon Perks!
For a deeper look at the nuts-and-bolts process of this illustration, check out the companion post on my Patreon, where I narrate my procreate timelapse video and discuss my approach to color.