GREG DiNAPOLI | 2ND PLACE, 2024 DRAWINGS COMPETITION
2nd Place Winning Entry, 2024 Drawings Competition
Greg DiNapoli, SouthHampton, pencil
Greg DiNapoli
Greg DiNapoli specializes in highly realistic and exquisitely detailed graphite drawings of historic architecture. Based in New Jersey, he has been featured in several publications, and his work has been recognized in many international art competitions. DiNapoli recently answered a few questions about his work.
Greg DiNapoli, South Tower, pencil
What is it about historic buildings that appeals to you?
As a child, I was always fascinated with big or tall buildings, specifically lighthouses. I loved how they were all so different. As I got older, I started to appreciate their age and how they've stood the test of time. Growing up near New York City, my fascination turned towards skyscrapers as well. The enormous scale of buildings like the Empire State Building blew my mind.
As an adult, my love for historic architecture remains. The goal of my work is to show these subjects as I see them, with a sense of fascination and wonder, highlighting their size with strong angles and perspective, as well as texture to show aging and resilience.
Greg DiNapoli, Left: Sea Girt Lighthouse, pencil. Right: Staten Island Lighthouse, pencil.
What made you choose pencil/graphite as your medium of choice?
I love the simplicity of the tool, yet you can do so much with it. With just an ordinary pencil and a sheet of paper, so many things are possible. It has an astounding range of value that can create texture, light and shadow, and spatial depth.
What do you like best about realism?
My passion has always been realism. I find recreating the world around us and putting my own spin on it so interesting. It's an opportunity to elevate the ordinary. I want people to look at my work and feel the subject's presence and appreciate its beauty.
Do you find new challenges in each piece?
Every drawing I create has its own journey and challenges. Choosing the right composition, perfecting the proportions, paying close attention to value relationships, and seeing the abstract shapes of lights and darks that create realism, are things that humble me. Everything must work together to lift the subject off the paper and bring it to life.