How to produce an attractive sketch of buildings

Buildings; the amazing structures that provides shelter. Without it, life would just be

barren and not as satisfying as we know it today. City skylines, offices and residences would not

exist if it weren’t for the fundamentals of sketching and drawings. But have you ever wondered

how are buildings designed, sketched and translated into its final product? There are various

steps involved in producing attractive sketches and drawings which is not only essential to the

design and construction of buildings but also as a means of communication. It is through these

sketches and drawings that architects and designers convey their creativity and interesting

ideas thus inspiring others around world. Well, now we are about to find out how and what are

the techniques applied to producing an attractive sketch.

First and foremost, every sketch starts off with an idea. This can be done through

brainstorming and creative thinking skills, through this process an idea is created and the

architect would draw out the rough sketch on a piece of paper with the essential drawing tools

such as a 2B pencil, a ruler, a sharpener and an eraser. After translating the ideas into its first

images, feel free to erase and make changes to the drawings if you are not satisfied with the

initial drawing. Lightly draw on the paper to ease the erasing process and make room for

improvisation as this is just the spark of the beginning of an attractive sketch.

After a rough sketch is completed, the designer will then carry on by adding in vertical

and horizontal lines crisscrossing the faces of the building with a pencil to serve as guidelines

for the windows or any other structures and at the same time providing a structural perspective

of the building. This is also the time where you add some improvisation of the structures into the

sketch. The latter is followed by using a pen or a fine felt-tip marker to darken the pencil marks

that make up the finished drawing. Then, gently erase any remnants of the pencil marks.

In this step, the sketch is halfway through its journey of revealing itself as an attractive

building sketch. Now, start off by adding in details such as simple objects, light shades and

decorations, do try different styles and proceed building up the drawing to more complex items

such as curves and features. This is where more room for ideas, inspiration and improvisation of

the sketch kicks in and provides the ‘flesh’ to the skeleton of the building. Following that, the

designer will add in shading and toning to add in depth of field and provide an ambience to the

sketch. Finally after all the shadings are done, clean up the sketch using an eraser to make it

look more tidy and presentable and there you have it, a simple yet attractive sketch of a building.

In conclusion, there are many fundamentals involved in producing an attractive sketch of

the building as mentioned above. By starting out with an idea and drawing it onto a piece of

paper, it gives me a chance to express myself in a creative way. Through all the sketches that I

have done, it inspires me to keep on going while new ideas keep filling in. Besides that, this

process also expands my knowledge from just referring to pictures while sketching into coming

out with my own ideas and translating them into images which further explores my creativity and

provides a platform as a means of communication to others through drawing. Furthermore, I

already feel accomplished after perceiving the first sights of the final product which is the rough

sketch and what more could I feel when witnessing the final product? An achievement that is

indeed satisfying and rewarding.