What is architectural drawing?
Architects use drawings all the time. Architects use sketches to illustrate ideas and intentions, reinforce concepts and solve problems. Drawing is a way of representing something, a scene, a room an idea…. This is why the skill of architectural drawing is an essential tool for designing, and exploring the built environment around us.
Architectural drawings can be quick five minute sketches, conveying an idea, or detailed drawings that demonstrate a particular concept. They allow us to explore in 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional form, so we can react, question or modify our designs.
Why it is architectural drawing and sketching important?
Being able to produce architectural sketches is important as it is such a key part of the design process. It is the quickest and most direct way for us to express our visual thoughts an perceptions.
It is a way of solving a design problem with the design team or explaining an idea to a client.
Architectural drawings expand your creativity. It is a practical tool for working through a design problem.
It forces us into a different way of thinking, shifting our focus to shape and form, texture, rhythm, composition in far more detail.
You don’t have to be good, and the drawings you produce don’t have to be polished works of art. They are there to serve a purpose, which is to be a visual language.
How you can improve?
Architectural drawing and sketching is a skill, not a gift. It is a skill that you can learn and improve on.
Although it is possible to practice architectural sketching and drawing and improve your skills on your own, it is much better to be guided through the process by a professional. Meet David Drazil. He is an architect who has an excellent architectural drawing and sketching style.
David has put together the fantastic book “Sketch Like an Architect” a PDF handbook that explains step by step, the process of how to learn or improve architectural sketching.
David breaks down the drawing approach, allowing you to build on your skills and fully understand and improve on each stage of the architectural drawing process.
Chapters in the book include:
- Lines and 2D objects
- Perspectives
- Shadows and textures
- Populating your sketch
- Adding vegetation
- Creating awesome perspective sketches
The book also includes worksheets for practicing, along with loads of examples of architectural drawings for you to use as inspiration for your own work.
David also offers the rare opportunity to have your work reviewed by him, so that he can provide feedback on your strengths and the areas in which to improve. This is a hugely valuable addition, and no doubt will be a jump start to your architectural drawing skills!
Don’t miss out on improving your sketching – check out Davids book, Sketch Like and Architect now!
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I prefer to have it as printed book