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New York Drawing Ideas From Stoops to Niagara Falls

One thing from New York with a checked detail: a landmark, a street scene, a food or something upstate.

New York Drawing Ideas From Stoops to Niagara Falls

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  1. Kaaterskill Falls in two dropsA two-stage waterfall in the eastern Catskill Mountains. One long fall, a ledge, then a shorter one.

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Skyline and landmarks 16

  • A stone lion outside the public library A pair of stone lions flanks the Fifth Avenue entrance of the main branch. Draw one, paws forward.
  • The Angel of the Waters fountain At Bethesda Terrace in Central Park: a winged figure on top of a fountain, beside the Lake.
  • The arch in Washington Square A marble memorial arch in Greenwich Village. One tall opening under a flat top.
  • Belvedere Castle on its rock A folly in Central Park: a small stone castle with an observation deck and the park's weather station.
  • Bow Bridge in Central Park A cast iron footbridge over the Lake. One long, low curve from bank to bank.
  • The Brooklyn Bridge, one stone tower Opened in 1883. Each stone tower has pointed arches, and the cables run down from it in straight lines.
  • The Empire State Building from the street 102 stories, finished in 1931. The tower steps back from its base in stages as it climbs.
  • The Flatiron Building, sharp corner first A 22-story building with a triangular plan. Seen from the point it looks like the bow of a ship.
  • The High Line, a park on old rail tracks An elevated park 1.45 miles long, made on a former freight rail spur on the West Side of Manhattan.
  • The main building at Ellis Island About 12 million immigrants were processed at this station between 1892 and 1954.
  • The Parachute Jump at Coney Island A 250-foot open steel tower with twelve arms at the top, like the frame of a giant umbrella.
  • The Roosevelt Island tram over the river An aerial tramway across the East River: one cabin hanging from cables high over the water.
  • The Staten Island Ferry crossing the harbor A free passenger ferry that takes about 25 minutes between Manhattan and Staten Island.
  • The Statue of Liberty's crowned head A robed and crowned figure clad in copper, on an island in New York Harbor. Fit the face under the rays.
  • The statue's foot and the broken chain At her feet lies a broken chain and shackle, which most pictures leave out. Folds of the robe fall over it.
  • The Unisphere A stainless steel globe of the Earth in a Queens park, made for the 1964 World's Fair. Open bands, solid land.

Street life 15

  • A fire hydrant on the curb A short post with a domed cap and side outlets. Opening it takes a special wrench, usually with a five-sided socket.
  • A green cab and a yellow cab side by side City taxis come in two kinds, yellow and apple green. Same boxy shape, two crayons.
  • A hot dog cart seen from the customer's side Hot dog carts are very common in New York City. A steel box on wheels with a row of lids.
  • A row of brownstones with matching stoops Brownstone is a brown sandstone that was once a popular building stone. Repeat one house, change the doors.
  • A sidewalk shed over a doorway A scaffold roof built over a sidewalk to protect people passing under building work.
  • A stoop of brownstone steps Stoop comes from a Dutch word for a small porch, left over from colonial times. Brownstone is a brown sandstone.
  • A subway platform with a train coming in The subway opened in 1904 and has more stations than any other system: 472 by one way of counting.
  • A wooden water tower on a roof In New York City small water towers are built for single buildings. A barrel on legs with a cone lid.
  • A yellow cab from the front Yellow medallion taxis can pick up passengers anywhere in the five boroughs.
  • The boardwalk at Coney Island The Riegelmann Boardwalk was built along the beach in 1922 and 1923. Planks narrowing to the distance.
  • One fire escape, ladder pulled up A platform at each story, joined by stairs in a zigzag. The floors are open steel grating, so snow falls through.
  • Pigeons along a ledge City pigeons descend from tame rock doves. The same body each time, heads turned different ways.
  • Steam rising from a street A piped steam system runs under Manhattan. Draw the plume first, then the street around it.
  • Sunset lined up with a cross street Manhattanhenge: on a few evenings a year the setting sun lines up with the east to west streets of the grid.
  • Two ropes turning for double Dutch A game with two long jump ropes turning in opposite directions and a jumper between them.

Food 15

  • A bagel on a square of deli paper The ring of dough is boiled briefly in water and then baked, which gives the dense, chewy inside.
  • A bialy Like a bagel, but baked without boiling, with a dip in the middle where the hole would be.
  • A black and white cookie A round cookie iced half in one shade and half in the other, split straight down the middle.
  • A bowl of Manhattan clam chowder The red one: made with tomatoes where the white kind has milk or cream.
  • A bowl of salt potatoes A summer dish of Syracuse, made with young potatoes when they are first dug.
  • A cider doughnut A fall tradition in the Northeast, flavored with apple cider, cinnamon and nutmeg and sold at cider mills.
  • A folded slice of pizza New York-style pizza is thin and soft enough under its toppings to fold, and crisp only along the edge.
  • A knish A filling, most often mashed potato, wrapped in dough and baked or fried.
  • A plate of Buffalo wings Named for Buffalo, New York. They come with celery and carrot sticks and a small pot of dip.
  • A spiedie on a roll Grilled cubes of meat on a long roll or a slice of Italian bread, a specialty of Binghamton.
  • A street pretzel in a paper napkin New York is one of the cities known for its soft pretzels. One rope of dough, crossed and pressed down.
  • A tall wedge of cheesecake with a fork beside it Cream cheese of the modern kind was first made in 1872 in Chester, New York. Smooth sides over a thin crust.
  • An egg cream with a spoon and a foam head Despite the name it has neither eggs nor cream. About two thirds drink and one third foam.
  • Beef on weck A sandwich of Buffalo and western New York: roast beef on a roll topped with coarse salt and caraway seeds.
  • Pastrami on rye, cut in half Sliced pastrami on rye bread, often with mustard and a pickle, made popular by the delis of New York City.

Upstate and Long Island 15

  • A brook trout in a shaded Adirondack pool The state freshwater fish since 1975. Anglers have traveled to the Adirondacks for it since the 1800s.
  • A lighthouse in the middle of the Hudson The Hudson–Athens Lighthouse was built in 1874 on a ridge of sand in the river. A house on a stone base.
  • A lock chamber on the Erie Canal, gates shut Completed in 1825 and 363 miles long, the canal joined the Hudson River to Lake Erie.
  • A male eastern bluebird, wings half open The state bird since 1970. The male has a bright blue head, back and wings and a brownish red breast.
  • A nine-spotted ladybug The state insect since 1989. Four black spots on each wing cover and one shared across the middle.
  • A snapping turtle crossing a dirt road Made the state reptile in 2006, after the public elementary school children of the state chose it.
  • An Adirondack chair by a lake Wide armrests, a tall slatted back and a seat that is higher at the front than at the back.
  • An Adirondack guideboat pulled up on shore A rowboat developed in the 1840s for the lakes of the Adirondack region.
  • Boldt Castle on Heart Island A castle on an island in the Saint Lawrence River, open to visitors from the middle of May to October.
  • The Finger Lakes from above Eleven long, narrow lakes that run roughly north to south, side by side.
  • The gorge at Letchworth Called the Grand Canyon of the East: rock walls up to 550 feet high and three large waterfalls.
  • Kaaterskill Falls in two drops A two-stage waterfall in the eastern Catskill Mountains. One long fall, a ledge, then a shorter one.
  • Montauk Point Light At the easternmost point of Long Island, finished in 1796: the first lighthouse built in the state.
  • Niagara Falls from the American side Three waterfalls in a group. The largest, Horseshoe Falls, crosses the border with Canada.
  • The state tree: a sugar maple by a stone wall The state tree since 1956, and the main source of maple syrup. Each leaf has five lobes.

How it works

A bridge tower with pointed arches, a cookie iced in two halves, a waterfall in two drops. Each of these New York drawing ideas names a real thing in the city or the state and gives one checked detail.

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The city and the state

The Topic list sorts the page four ways. Skyline and landmarks and Street life stay in the five boroughs: bridges, a ferry, cabs, stoops. Food runs from a folded slice to the sandwiches of Buffalo and Binghamton. Upstate and Long Island holds waterfalls, lakes, lighthouses and the state bird, tree and insect.

Drawing a street

Start with one object at the curb, a hydrant or a cart, and let the buildings behind it be flat shapes. Windows in rows do the rest. No shop names or signs are needed: the stoop, the water tower and the cab say where you are.

  • A tall building seen from the street narrows toward the top. Tilt both sides inward a little.
  • For a skyline, draw the outline as one line first and add windows last.

Questions and answers

What are some easy New York things to draw?

A folded slice of pizza is a triangle with a curved crust. A bagel is two circles, a yellow cab from the front is a box with a roof light, and an Adirondack chair is a few slanted boards.

Is the Statue of Liberty on this list?

Yes, in two views that are drawn less often: the crowned head, and the foot with the broken chain and shackle that lies beside it. The torch is on the Fourth of July list, linked below.

What is the state bird of New York?

The eastern bluebird, since 1970. The state tree is the sugar maple, the state insect the nine-spotted ladybug, the state reptile the snapping turtle and the state freshwater fish the brook trout. All five are in the upstate group.

Does the list cover places outside New York City?

Yes. Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes, the Erie Canal, the Catskills, the Adirondacks and Montauk Point on Long Island are all in the last group.

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