3D Sketchbook Drawings of Famous Landmarks Pop Off the Page

Italian artist Pietro Cataudella takes urban sketching to the next level by combining his architectural drawings of famous landmarks with photos of their real-life surroundings. The project, called CityLiveSketch, features a series of 3D drawings that seem to jump from the artist’s journals like pages in a pop-up book.

Cataudella began his project in 2014 while living in his hometown, Sicily. Since then, he’s traveled all over Europe to create 3D depictions of some of the world’s most iconic buildings, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Tower Bridge in London. The artist creates each hybrid image by drawing only parts of the architectural structures in his travel sketchbook. He then holds up his drawings to the scene, lining them up with the real buildings to take a photo, and then merges them together digitally. His highly-detailed pen drawings blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape to create the illusion that the buildings are part-real, part-sketch.

Cataudella explains, “The project is a combination of my passions for drawing, photography and travel. The goal is to show beauty in a different way, using only my skills, creativity and imagination.” Surprisingly, Cataudella has never had any formal training. He adds, “I never studied illustration, architecture, or other related disciplines, my works are the result of hard work, passion and desire to improve myself.”

You can see more of Cataudella’s illustrated landscapes on Instagram.

Italian artist Pietro Cataudella combines his architectural drawings of famous landmarks with photos of their real-life surroundings.

The project, called CityLiveSketch, features a series of 3D drawings that seem to jump from the artist’s journals like pages in a pop-up book.

A post shared by CityLiveSketch (@citylivesketch) on

In some pieces, the artist adds his own playful twist.

A post shared by CityLiveSketch (@citylivesketch) on

A post shared by CityLiveSketch (@citylivesketch) on

Pietro Cataudella / CityLiveSketch: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

All images via Pietro Cataudella / CityLiveSketch.

h/t: [Travel and Leisure]

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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