ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATION COMMISSION : TOWER BRIDGE
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“Working on our commission with Katherine was a pleasure. She was very clear about timescales, options, and prices at the outset. Throughout the process she kept us informed and involved with regular updates on progress.
We were delighted with the finished drawings, and especially the option to hone in on different features of the architecture. This helped us to show the details that give the building its character but which are often overshadowed by its ubiquity.” Rob Woollard Retail Manager and Buyer, Tower Bridge |
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I’ve always been fascinated by Tower Bridge. In fact, my cityscape, featuring the bridge, has been stocked by the Tower Bridge gift shop since the summer of 2021.
In 2022, however, I was delighted that Tower Bridge commissioned me to draw a large architectural line drawing focusing on their iconic British landmark. This included four architectural details zooming right in on some of the smaller, often overlooked, features. These included the top of the famous towers, the beautiful windows, the boiler which powers the opening of the bridge and one of the gargoyles that projects from the smaller towers. I produced a series of prints which are available here as well as a special limited edition print available exclusively from Tower Bridge. It was an absolute pleasure to draw such an iconic British landmark. The process of creating my architectural line drawings To kick off the project, I visited this wonderful building to discuss what drawings they had in mind. The team were keen to have a variety of pen and ink drawings that could be turned into prints for the gift shop. On my visit, I was guided around the bridge, taking photos of every possible element I could turn into drawings (there were many!). |
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After returning home, I put together a proposal document, outlining the different architectural drawings I could create. The Tower Bridge team chose their five favourites.
They asked me to craft a set of architectural pen and ink drawings, including a new large-scale drawing of the bridge. Plus, a set of smaller postcard-sized drawings, zooming in on some of the often overlooked, intricate architectural details. My final pen and ink art pieces included: the top of the famous towers, the beautiful windows, the boiler which powers the opening of the bridge and one of the gargoyles on the smaller towers. |
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After finishing the architectural pen drawings, I put together a series of proposals for different print options. Some were standalone drawings, while others showcased several architectural details on one print. I also created a large limited edition piece of 100 print runs which is exclusive to Tower Bridge.
Overall, this commission took around two months from my first visit to the completed drawings. Plus another month to develop the print designs and get everything printed, mounted and sent to the Tower Bridge gift shop. |
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The final, stunning designs articulate areas of Tower Bridge's architecture which are not usually the most visible parts.
I’m pleased to say the prints are selling well in the gift shop and I’ve had multiple re-orders. “We were delighted with the finished drawings, and especially the option to hone in on different features of the architecture. This helped us to show the details that give the building its character but which are often overshadowed by its ubiquity.” Rob Woollard Retail Manager and Buyer, Tower Bridge |
