Miami Beach is such an inspiring place to sketch, especially if you love architecture and color. I spent a couple of days walking around with my sketchbook, black pens and markers looking for interesting buildings and compositions. There are so many beautiful Art Deco details around South Beach that choosing locations was not easy. Each stop gave me a chance to experiment with color, perspective, and different ways to simplify architecture.
If you love quick and energetic sketches this post is for you.
See my markers set here.
Waldorf Towers
My first sketch was in front of Waldorf Towers on Ocean Drive. I loved the rounded tower, horizontal lines, palm trees, and the overall Art Deco character of the building. The hotel was built in 1937 and designed by architect Albert Anis. It immediately caught my attention among many beautiful hotels nearby. I started with black pen and then added strong blues, greens, and warm tones to capture the bright Miami atmosphere.
Plan your stay in advance here.
Lifeguard Tower
My second stop was on the beach, where I saw many colorful and charming lifeguard towers. This one was impossible to pass without sketching because of its playful shape and bright orange, pink, and green colors. It is not a hotel, but its design fits perfectly with the colorful architectural mood of Miami Beach. I was especially happy that I brought my acrylic markers because their bright and opaque colors worked perfectly for this sketch.
McAlpin Hotel
The McAlpin Hotel was another Ocean Drive building that immediately caught my attention because of its colors and symmetrical structure. It was built in 1940 and designed by architect L. Murray Dixon, with beautiful mint green, coral, and white details. For this sketch, I wanted the hotel itself to stand out more than the surroundings. I used softer water-based markers for the sky and nearby buildings, while keeping the hotel colors stronger and more opaque.
Plan your stay in advance here.
Delano
The Delano was one of the most interesting and challenging buildings for me to sketch because of its tall and unusual structure. The hotel opened in 1947 and was designed by architect Robert W. Swartburg. Instead of following the real colors exactly, I decided to make the building much more colorful and use yellow, purple, and pink tones. I wanted to capture the feeling of sunset while leaving the sky untouched, which made the colorful building stand out even more.
Plan your stay in advance here.
Loews Miami Beach Hotel
I sketched Loews Miami Beach Hotel from the beach side because I really liked this composition. The tall building stayed in the background while palm trees, bushes, and beach vegetation created several layers in front. The main tower was built in 1998. The historic St. Moritz tower dates back to 1939 and represents the Art Deco part of the property. I kept most of the architecture in black pen and colored mainly the greenery, which helped the foreground pop and created more depth in the sketch.
Plan your stay in advance here.
Sketching Miami Beach made me notice so many architectural details that I probably would have missed while simply walking around. I especially enjoyed experimenting with selective color and deciding which parts of each scene should stand out. Five locations were only a small part of what Miami Beach has to offer, so I would definitely come back for another Art Deco sketch walk.
