Illustration

The Buried Waterways of Mount Pleasant

the people

I designed these postcards as a birthday present for my partner. They've lived in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver for nearly 20 years, and we live here together now.

the project

Before contact, False Creek extended all the way to Clark Drive, and there were numerous creeks and rivers flowing through the city. They have long since been filled in and covered up, but organizations such as the St. George Blueway group, have been shedding light on the city's underground waterways.

I decided a postcard would be a great way to showcase the creeks and the work the St. George folks have done re-creating maps of how the city used to be.

the process

I started with pencil and paper, and once I was happy with the shapes I used black pen to ink the drawing. I scanned the artwork, brought it into Illustrator and added the water using different brushes. I had it printed on natural kraft paper.