Tribute to Bradford

I've had this image floating around in my head for a few weeks now and I've finally put pencil to paper. As it's often said, nothing is original, and this image is no exception. I think I first thought about drawing the city of Bradford after seeing this painting by Jane Fielder hanging in the Starbucks on Centenary Square. I love it's simple shapes and bold colours, reminiscent of Lowry.

The colours for this illustration come from the yellow limestone and grey concrete that create the city. Architecturally, Bradford is pretty amazing. Everyday I notice some tiny detail I've never seen before in the ornate classical design of many of the buildings. There's a fair bit of brutalist concrete, but even the 'alien spaceship' design of the currently vacant Highpoint building has it's charms.

The best thing about Bradford though has got to be the people. Most people are pretty friendly really, kind of down to earth and self-effacing. There's something about the city of Bradford that cuts through any air of pretension. I miss it when I'm staying in any big, metropolitan city. Plus the curries are the best you'll get in the UK!