The artist who drew Heroes of Might and Magic III.

Oh, sorry, I didn't notice the last part. But it seems impossible without buildings at all; you can do without all the buildings under construction, except for the "weakest income-generating" town hall (at least in one mod, you can demolish all the buildings, but it seems to remain visually). And where can I find a plain background, and does it even exist... I don't know.