The Kid Should See This

Artist Stephen Wiltshire draws New York City from memory

Watch more with these video collections:

New York City is drawn from memory on a 19 foot (5.8 meter) long paper byΒ Stephen Wiltshire, a British artist with autism. His incredible skill, drawing any city’s skyline from memory after observing it from above, takes him to cities all over the globe. From The New York TimesLike a Skyline Is Etched in His Head:

β€œI always memorize by helicopter,” he said on Tuesday, pausing from detailing the corners of a street on the Brooklyn side of the Williamsburg Bridge.

Mr. Wiltshire sees and draws. It is how he connects. Until age 5, he had never uttered a word. One day, his kindergarten class at a school for autistic children in London went on a field trip.

When they came back, he spoke.

β€œHe said, β€˜Paper,’ ” his sister, Annette Wiltshire, said. β€œThe teacher asked him to say it again. He said it. Then they asked him to say something else, and he said, β€˜Pen.’ ”

With pen and paper in hand, he drew what he had seen that day. In time, a clever teacher taught him the alphabet by associating each letter with a place he had drawn β€” β€œa” for Albert Hall, β€œb” for Buckingham Palace, and so on.

What did he use for β€œz”?

Mr. Wiltshire looked puzzled.

β€œZ β€” that’s the same as zed,” his sister interjected, pronouncing the letter the British way.

β€œZed,” Mr. Wiltshire said. β€œThat was the zoo.”

stephen wiltshire draws new york city from memory
Wiltshire was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to art in 2006. Read more about him and his work at stephenwiltshire.co.uk.

Watch more videos about all kinds of drawing.

🌈 Watch these videos next...

Watch Chuck Jones draw Bugs Bunny

Rion Nakaya

The intricate, temporary chalk animals of Philippe Baudelocque

Rion Nakaya

The Artist Who Couldn’t Draw

Rion Nakaya

The AgIC marker draws circuits with conductive ink

Rion Nakaya

Teeny Weeny Challenge: How Small Can I Draw?!

Rion Nakaya

Stephen Wiltshire draws a Mexico City panorama from memory

Rion Nakaya

Step into the Page – Disney animator Glen Keane draws in VR

Rion Nakaya

Rosemary Mosco, creator of “Seriously Silly Science Cartoons”

Rion Nakaya

Reincarnation by Chie Miyazaki

Rion Nakaya

Get smart curated videos delivered to your inbox.