Black-and-white draft and color version of the panoramic pen drawing of Nantong by Zhu Jia. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Zhu Jia, a renowned young artist and hand-drawing expert from Nantong, has completed the color version of the panoramic pen drawing about the city, highlighting the contrast between the old city's charm and the new city's scenery.

Zhu, born in 1990, has been creating the "Impressions of Nantong" series of pen drawings since 2015, depicting both new and old landmarks such as the Bell Tower, Sijie Block, and Nantong Grand Theater.

The new drawing, measuring 1 meter wide by 0.5 meters high, began in Nov 2024. The work is a reinterpretation of aerial photographs by photographer He Wangwei, covering a real-world distance of over 30 kilometers. The painting starts at Beihao Bridge and features Guangxiao Tower, Wenfeng Tower, and Zhiyun Tower, alongside detailed depictions of landmarks like the old alleys of Sijie Block, which hold memories for generations of Nantong residents.

The creator said that the black-and-white draft was finalized in January this year, and the coloring process took nearly six months. Compared to the line drawing, the coloring posed a greater challenge, as it did not strictly adhere to the original photographs. Instead, it skillfully managed the interplay of light and shadow, using cool purple tones for the darker areas and warm colors for the highlights, significantly enhancing the artwork's vividness and texture.

According to Zhu, although AI can produce artwork efficiently, it struggles to replicate the unique warmth of hand-drawn cityscapes. He expressed his intention to shift his creative perspective by incorporating iconic features that showcase Nantong's development, such as high-speed trains and Yangtze River ships, into his future artwork.