Sketching Project Topic 2: Architecture
This page is about the second topic of the Sketching Project, a long-term endeavour created to help everyone learn or relearn sketching. You can find more information on the project on the following pages:
This topic has drawing prompts for 12 weeks (3 months), so it does not matter when you start. January is as good as July or November. Of course now is always the best time to start!
All you need to do to get started is have a quick read through the outline, get your materials ready and follow the drawing prompts for each week. I recommend starting with Topic 1: Still Life, but you can also begin with this topic if you prefer Architecture.
Have a look at my Architecture-themed posts for some valuable theoretic knowledge and a lot of super useful tips and tricks.
Architecture Sketching Prompts
For some great tips and tricks on drawing outdoors, especially in cities and towns have a look at my articles The ultimate Guide to Urban Sketching and 11 Spots in your City that are just Perfect for Urban Sketching.
Week 1: Interior Living Spaces
Week 2: Doors and Windows
Week 3: Contemporary Architecture
Week 4: Bridges and Stairs
Week 5: Residential Buildings
Week 6: Streets
Week 7: Castles and religious Buildings
Week 8: Tents and Huts
Week 9: Copying existing Architecture Drawings
Week 10: Traditional Asian Architecture
Week 11: One-Point Perspective Everything (current)
Week 12: Extreme Angles
Some thoughts I’ve had while sketching Architecture
Reading so much about perspective, now I can't look anywhere without seeing convergence lines and vanishing points. It's a bit annoying actually.
I find doors and windows a lot more interesting to draw than the buildings themselves, is that weird?
Drawing on location is always the preferred option but there is still a lot of pleasure to be had drawing from photographs, especially exotic locations you would not get to anyway.
Medieval houses are both easier and harder to draw, because nothing is completely straight and level there.
Architecture really is so very versatile. Every culture has its own unique style. So many interesting houses, rooms, temples, bridges, so little time.
Main difficulties I’ve faced sketching Architecture
Perspective is a complex topic. Learning and fully grasping all the rules, terms and intricacies of the different kinds of perspective takes a while. It’s not a “quickly on my lunch break” kind of thing.
Perfect state of roughness. The busier the subject the more difficult it is to find that sweet spot between nondescript chicken scratches and neat, realistic drawing. Architecture often takes a lot longer to sketch than objects and it’s hard to keep a good speed for a long time.
Less is more. It’s hard to decide which parts of a busy interior scene to exclude. But if you sketch every lamp, pillow or figurine it’ll take way too long and the result will look confusing.
Things I’ve learned during this Topic
It’s quite difficult to remember to keep up the speed and not revert back into slow drawing-mode.
Some techniques are just unfamiliar and will become natural with practice. Others simply aren't right for you. Keep an open mind and try new things but if something feels wrong listen to yourself, not the books.
Drawing from the shoulder (rather than your arm or wrist) really does make all the difference, even in small sketches.
It’s always best to take a short moment in the beginning to just look at your subject. Recognise its overall shape, find where the light is coming from and note where the main shadows are.
Other Topics
You can find all the finished topics of the Sketching Project below, which include their related sketching prompts and links to specific articles:
