Every artist has a story

"Life is architecture and architecture is the mirror of life." -I.M. Pei

Every artist has a story, so let me share mine.

... How did I start? I accidentally started sketching in 2008 after my first trip to London while I was going through my photos I took while walking down the streets. I remember it was a vivid experience: I was so inspired by the spectacular views, architecture, vibes, people. That moment I was studying government management in Russia and never imagined where this first sketching attempt would bring me. I didn't take art course & I believe that observation, imagination, and traveling helped to learn how to express myself.

When I need inspiration I always look at these photos below: these are the views from London. One made in 2008 and the second one in 2013. This progress always reminds me about the "keep discovering" idea.

... Why black and white? I think this technique helps me to show all the importance of the lines and details. Moreover, a combination of black and white is classic, it is simple and it is like a conversation between these two colors: calm and understandable for everyone. These two colors simply can be integrated into any particular space and will be always eye-catching pieces on the wall.

... Why architecture? We live, fell in love, love, travel, cry, smile happily, get inspired, get the answers, find new dreams, making dreams come true, learn new things, living a special period of life, create special memories ... And all this happens mostly in different cities around the world, in different houses and streets, coffee shops, restaurants, museums... Architecture and buildings around you - is the way how the city communicates and creates this particular atmosphere. And I am showing people the incredible beauty surrounding them in their cities.

... How do I create? I love only a "unique drawing" approach - I do not make prints. There are no duplicates and for me it is valuable to preserve handmade drawing techniques. I use an ink pen, pencil, watercolor markers, and sometimes charcoal to create highly detailed drawings.. As for the scale, I like panoramic views, single - house portraits, street views, single elements drawings (like doorб window or street lamp etc.). My drawings are usually created in A4 (21.0 x 29.7 cm) or A5 (21 x 14.8 cm), but I plan to start practicing bigger formats as well. I usually use my own photos as a reference, or I use references that I find online. I love to know the story of the place I draw: architecture style, design, architect.

... What is next? My drawings are one of the ways how I can make the spaces around us more beautiful and meaningful. I hope to have a chance to create art collections that will make people smile and think about important things. I hope to create a drawing collection one day of the rare buildings, that could disappear, but this will be the next story :)