This incredible video by London-based illustrator and artist Patrick Vale is a great example of Creating Amazing.
[vimeo width=”700″ height=”400″]http://vimeo.com/42635813#[/vimeo]Titled Empire State of Pen, it showcases Vale’s effort in producing a highly detailed and accurate New York cityscape and was filmed on an iPhone.
He says: “I do a lot of cityscape drawings and people often can’t get their head around the fact I draw them freehand, so I thought I’d timelapse the process to show the drawing building up, mistakes and all.
“I set up my iPhone on a rostrum held together by gaffer tape and away I went. I used an app called iMotion HD, which is great – although I had to export about 1,200 frames every half-hour, which slowed up the process.
“The great thing about having all the frames is that you can then play with the speed in the edit and this can communicate the energy and vibrancy of a bustling city like NYC. The Charles Mingus piece Moanin’ really helps this along, with the intensity of the drawing and music track building in unison.”
The end result (a coloured version of which is below) has an amazing sense of place and shows some of New York’s most recognisable architecture, including the Flatiron building as well as the Brooklyn and Verrazzano bridges, while the Big Apple sprawls out toward New Jersey in the distance.
Originally from Bristol, Vale studied at Central St Martins art school in London. He has been working as an illustrator for the past six years and has become well known for his vast cityscapes. This has led to him forming close relationships with architects’ studios, in addition to his regular illustration commissions.
Take a look at Patrick Vale’s stunning London and Florence cityscapes below. If you want to know more, you can find Patrick Vale on Facebook, on Twitter @patrickavale or through his official website.
