Design
Drawing the Intricate Details of City Life By Hand
Illustrator Jenni Sparks discusses her lively, unique renderings of New York and London.
In a world of digital renderings and computer graphics, illustrator Jenni Sparks prefers to draw cities by hand. This past spring, just in time for the Olympics, Sparks completed a wonderfully intricate hand-drawn map of London. Earlier this month she duplicated that feat for New York, capturing most of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
Sparks takes a pop art approach to her cities — they have a lively, almost cartoonish tone — but she doesn't sacrifice precision in the process. The 24-year-old Londoner spent three months researching and drawing her New York map. Both works are available for purchase through Evermade, which commissioned them and helped to develop the concept.