"When I created CityLiveSketch in 2014, I was doing clear and simple pencil sketches of landscapes and buildings," Cataudella told Bored Panda. "A year later, I decided to do something different. I began creating images in which the cartoon drawings are only part of the full piece, modifying and completing the actual photo. After doing so, I saw everything in a new light. Now, I often see an object very differently from how it appears in reality (for example, as part of a famous character from a cartoon)."
Cataudella has trained his eyes this way totally on his own. "I have never studied illustration or any other art discipline. I learned everything I know - from photo editing to drawing - by myself with a lot of practice, patience, and passion driving my endeavors."
"My current pieces begin with an object, typically a building. After I find something that intrigues me, I try to think about a link between the object's shapes and something that I'm already familiar with. This step might take up to a few hours. After that, I start creating the augmented reality image, combining all of the pieces."
Sometimes the artist uses royalty-free images he finds online to start the process, but Cataudella loves to travel in search of inspiration. "I always prefer to use my own pictures. Thanks to CityLiveSketch, I visited a lot of places in Italy and Europe. I hope I can continue working on this project for years to come."
