City skylines seem to be popular pieces of art to hang in your home. Originally, our Chicago skyline metal wall art came into being from a custom order. An attorney in Washington, DC grew up in Chicago. He and his wife love the city, and he wanted to see it every day in his office. The Pittsburgh skyline graces walls of several homes in and around Pittsburgh. Cleveland became the newest skyline this Christmas.
Chicago Skyline Metal Wall Art
The original product SMW339 Chicago Skyline is described as follows: “Challenges always exist when you’re trying to capture a city skyline and create the depth and texture of a city. Especially when that city is someone’s beloved hometown. This city skyline is two layered and depicts the sunrise shining on the front row of buildings. Trees line the waterfront and the buildings reflect in Lake Michigan. In the two larger photos, you can see the variations of water color as your viewing angle changes. The patinas change as the day and lighting conditions change.”
How do you capture the essence of a city skyline using a flat piece of 16 gauge steel? We looked at several photographs to figure out how we could layer the buildings to achieve dimension. The water would also add interest and perspective to the piece.
When designing a piece, you walk a fine line between literal and artistic interpretation. We use our patinas for the majority of our work. The variations the steel presents when interacting with the patina are unique to each piece. In this case, Mike airbrushed the water with stains. Patinas were used to create the building reflections.
The Mechanics
When creating a piece this size (finished piece is 72″ wide x 25″ high), the devil is in the details. What patinas to use and how to apply them. How to attach the offsets. What is the hang weight and what will it be mounted on (studs in walls and mounting brackets). Are there any special shipping requirements. Should special grinding techniques be used. And the list goes on. All welding must be finished before the final grinding is done. Depending on the size, applying patinas can be quite a lengthy process.
We mention these things because they all impact labor costs. Since this piece is larger than most, it takes more time to complete. It’s not just the steel cost that comes into play. The artistry and sheer physical nature of it is time consuming.
Size Matters
Yes, it does. We receive frequent emails about the cost of the Chicago skyline metal wall art. Sometimes we hear back from people. More often than not, we don’t. As we frequently kid with each other – we don’t speak Chinese. These items aren’t mass produced. Each piece is completed when we receive an order. And, they are never the same. That’s what made by hand means. The larger the piece, the more it’s going to cost.
Ask Questions
If you have questions about what goes into creating our metal art, please ask. We’re more than happy to talk to you about it. We charge a flat rate per square foot, but we also include any additional labor costs in our quote. We’ve been told that we should raise our prices. But, we believe our prices are reasonable. To some people they are. To others, they aren’t. But we’re not going to price items as though they are mass produced. Because they aren’t.
Finally, we do enjoy the process of creating. And, we always discover something new in each piece. As long as we do, we’ll keep working at it.