I am starting to move “up” the Sydney poster. I recently completed Chifley Tower. As I began my first skyscraper, I kept looking back at my Chicago poster and I noticed how simplistic I made some of the skyscrapers like Trump Tower and Willis (Sears) Tower. My general goal for this illustration is to get detailed enough so that you can recognize the building and it looks like I put some work into it. So, Chifley Tower has a lot of windows that are not like other skyscraper windows. I made sure to highlight that on the right side of the building. On the larger glass portion of the building, I did not worry about showing every piece of metal that went between each window, but I did not want it to be just a simple grid. That is why I have that smaller line at the top of each window. Also, I am concerned it is a little wide at the bottom, but since I am in the beginning stages of creating this poster, I will wait to see if I want to change it.

On another note, the one issue with working on a city that I am not familiar with is choosing the buildings and structures. I know that the taller buildings are not always the most famous or iconic, so I had to guess for the most part when choosing which buildings to illustrate. I just hope I made the right choice…

The Sydney poster is off and running! Above, you will see my first completed attraction. This is actually the entrance to an amusement park in Sydney called Luna Park. It is something that I did not go to while in Australia a few years back, but it seems to be a very iconic structure. The top of the entrance actually says “Luna Park”, but I figured it needed a change for my illustration.

For whatever reason, I decided to start with a very detailed building. I guess I felt like I needed to jump into this illustration head first. When I did the Chicago poster, I started with the ferris wheel. I am finding that I really enjoy this kind of illustration. While I told myself that I did not necessarily want to be known for making just “city” illustrations, they seem to fit my style comfortably. Part of me feels like I need to continue to sharpen my skills as I design and create more “experimental” landscapes. The Chicago poster and this poster will certainly be very referential with a twist. The trick will be making something that is not as familiar as a city become an illustration that really sets me apart.