Beautiful Illustrations of Architecture Around the World: An Interview With Jess Croker

One of Wanderarti’s goals is to introduce up and coming artists who traverse this beautiful planet creating artwork as they do so. Today, I’d like you to meet Jess Croker, a recent illustration graduate who expertly uses watercolours to sketch out famous buildings around the world. You can find more of her work on her site and, if you have any further questions, leave a comment below. 

Buildings tell visitors a lot about a place, including what architectural styles were popular in which eras, what religions are prominent, and what the locals value. What inspired you to paint some of the most well-known buildings in the world?

I’ve always been interested in travel and architecture within illustration, and at first I decided to paint some of my favourite destinations from my old photographs, before expanding to some of the world’s most beautiful and most diverse buildings.

Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

The paintings you have created so far show a diverse range of architectural styles from all over the world. Do you have a favourite style or era of architecture or a favourite building that you have seen on your travels?

I particularly admired the style of architecture in Russia — the colours were beautiful especially in the snowy weather. I also visited Barcelona for the first time over the summer and the Sagrada Familia completely took my breath away. There was so many different elements and detail in the design of the church, I would love to go back when it’s completed.

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Let’s talk more about the process. How do you go about creating these paintings? Do you paint them on-site or take photos and make brief sketches to work from later on?

I usually make several sketches on site plus I take a few photos to use as reference later. However I recently painted a church in my town as a wedding present for a friend which I did completely on site — I definitely prefer working on site (weather permitting!).

How would you describe your painting style and what or who do you think is the biggest influencer of this?

My work is incredibly detailed and intricate, but also quite expressive with the bold colours and splashes of ink and watercolour. I really like Emma Dibben‘s use of watercolour plus Julia Rothman‘s building designs, both these illustrators are huge influences on my work. I am also a big fan of the “golden age” illustrators for their traditional style and use of detail, including Arthur Rackham and Kay Nielsen.

St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

Your paintings are really well executed and eye-catching. How do you think the medium you use relates to the subject?

I love to work with buildings and subjects generally that have a lot of detail because watercolour and ink allows the detail to be shown while its not necessarily restrictive either. I also have a dip pen which I use with ink for most of my line work.

Lastly, which destination on your travels has been the most inspirational for your art and in what way?

The most inspirational destination I’ve been to was probably Paris a couple of years ago. This was simply because it was my first trip where I focused solely on drawing, and there was so much to look at. The Notre Dame cathedral was a particular favourite.

Taj Mahal, India

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