About — Lawrence Lorenzo Maritime draughtsman & Technical IllustratorLawrence Lorenzo | Maritime Draughtsman & Technical Illustrator

A person working on engineering architectural plans and blueprints on a desk, with a focus on drawing details.

A lifelong fascination with ships, brought to life through illustration

Hello!

I am Lawrence. I am a self taught artist with a lifelong fascination with ships, their design and the extraordinary detail that makes every vessel unique.

What began as a childhood obsession with the 1997 blockbuster ‘Titanic', has gradually developed into a passion for creating large scale, technically accurate ship illustrations. There is no formal background in art or architecture of any kind. Everything that I do has grown from curiosity, patience, research and the desire to keep improving.

In adolescence, my obsession with Titanic expanded. I could never stop learning more about the subject, the people and the vessel’s design & history. Every doodle in every school book was of the Titanic in some form, mostly side elevations.

Titanic has been a constant in my life. She is the reason I create the work I do today. Over time, I began exploring other vessel design and how maritime architecture has evolved over history; alongside the transitional period between Ocean liners & modern day cruisers. I enjoy the challenge of understanding how a vessel is assembled, reverse engineering the design, and translating that onto paper as a consistent scale.

Drawing of RMS Titanic with four smokestacks and a detailed deck, pinned to a wall among other sketches and plans.

Titanic 2009

A drawing of the Titanic ship with yellow funnels and multiple decks, depicted on a long, horizontal canvas.

Titanic 2019

A detailed diagram of the Titanic ship model, showing its four large yellow funnels, multiple decks, and flags at each end, with a label indicating a 1:100 scale.

Titanic 2025

More than just a drawing

Blueprint of a large ship, including various sections, measurements, and technical notations, with a pen and a ruler on the table.

I approach each subject as a project in its own right. Before adding any colour, there’s a considerable amount of research, measuring, comparing references and trial & error. Finding reliable refrences is often one of the biggest challenges, particularly with modern cruise ships, where general arrangement plans can be difficult to obtain.

I work with the information available to me, from photographs and videos to technical documents and manufacturers’ manuals. Sometimes, finding the answer to a single detail means hours of searching for the exact component I need to understand.

My aim is to capture each vessel as accurately as possible, while creating an illustration that can also be appreciated as a standalone work of art.

My illustrations are created using traditional colouring pencils, built up in layers to develop the colour, depth and detail I wish to achieve.

On windows as small as 0.8cm x 0.5cm I could be using up to five different colours and shades… In a box less than 1cm squared! I particularly enjoy the stark contrast between the technical precision of the subject and the hands-on process of drawing it.

I am always finding something new to learn, a detail I could improve upon or a different way to approach the next project. Some of my older projects remain unfinished, but rarely without reason.

Often, I've discovered a better approach, developed a more accurate method or found materials that allow me to take the work further. Rather than simply abandoning the drawings, I see them as part of the learning process that continues to shape my work today.

This constant process of learning is a big part of what keeps me interested and engaged in the work and the process as a whole.

Two men standing inside a boat, holding a large drawing of a cruise ship. One man is in a white uniform with a captain's hat, and the other is in a light gray blazer and beige pants. They are smiling, with a city harbor visible through large windows behind them.

Three crew members of a maritime vessel discuss plans or documents, with a woman holding a large paper map, and two men in uniform, one woman and one man, standing in the vessel's interior with large windows showing a harbor and ships outside.

An evolving collection

A man with curly hair and tattoos on his right arm smiling and raising his arms, standing in front of a large painting of a vintage ship with red and black smokestacks, a white hull, and flags. Paddlesteamer Waverley

Ships have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Over the years, I have worked on vessels from different periods, from historic Ocean Liners and heritage vessels to the modern cruise ships that have become a major focus of my work.

Some illustrations have taken up to a year to complete, others have taught me lessons that have changed how I approach everything that followed. Looking back at my older work, I can see just how much my methods have evolved, and I think that progression is worth preserving alongside the finished pieces.

This is one of the reasons for creating this website; to bring my work together in one place, document the ships I've drawn and share some of the research and processes behind them.

What started as a personal hobby, over 20 years ago, has led to some wonderful experiences, including seeing my work presented and displayed onboard cruise ships. I am incredibly grateful for every opportunity that has come from something I genuinely love to do and I am excited to see where this leads next!

Thank you for visiting

Whether you're here because you love ships, appreciate detailed illustration, have a particular vessel you'd like to see drawn or have simply stumbled across my work, welcome!

I hope you enjoy exploring the collection as much as I enjoy creating it!

A young man with curly hair and a beard, smiling and standing with one hand in his pocket against a dark, textured background. He is wearing a light blue blazer, white shirt, and beige pants.