When sketching it’s an excellent idea to have a range of pens, pencils and colouring media at your disposal because the thickness of the lines in a sketch are extremely important. There is a hierarchy associated with the line and its values vary in sketching. A fine line can be used for shading and detail and a thicker, heavier line will suggest form and substance.
Different drawing media will affect the line hierarchy. Fibre-point pens, which are available in a range of nib sizes, are useful for capturing detail. Pencils can also supply a range of line weights, as well as being available in soft (B) and hard (H) leads. Using varied pencil types will allow a range of differently styled sketches to be developed.
A 0.5mm propelling pencil, with a range of hard and soft leads, is another versatile drawing tool.
Sketching with a black ink pen is an important skill to develop because the contrast that the ink line, produce against the paper, and the permanency of the line, produce a ‘definite’ image.
One tool that probably isn’t necessary is an eraser. When sketching, practice is all important and even the mistakes can be beneficial, so it makes sense not to rub them out! Remember, a sketchbook is a collection of drawings and reflects the development of techniques and ideas.
Tools for architectural drawing
To enjoy sketching, and achieve a range of results, it is important to have different sorts of equipment to experiment with. Simple drawings can be produced with a single sheet of paper and a pencil. Then, by further considering the type of pencil and the type of paper, the possible variations are endless. With each drawing, experiment with a new tool or medium. Listed below is a range of equipment that can help you vary and further your drawing experiences.
Mechanical pencils (0.3 or 0.5mm) Fibre-tip pens (0.2, 0.5, 0.8mm) Adjustable set square (20cm)
45 degree set square
60 degree set square
Circle template
30cm scale rule
Roll of white tracing paper
Roll of detail paper
A3 tracing pad (60gsm)
A3 film pad (50micron)
Drawing board Sketchbook Tape measure Set of French curves
Conceptual sketches
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Project: University Centre Location: Winchester, UK Architect: Design Engine Date: 2005 |
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A parti drawing is reductive, it can display a complex idea in a very simple form. This concept parti drawing reduces the concept of a university building to a diagram. The design idea is concerned with views in two directions; those at the first and second floors across a sloped site and those at ground floor across a more sheltered site. This architectural idea responds to particular site conditions. |
Architectural ideas or concepts are described in a form of sketch shorthand. A conceptual explanation of how a building works can sometimes be conveyed in a simple line drawing. Conversely, the concept may be more complex and so require a series of sketches to fully explain the underlying idea.
A concept can be related to any aspect of the architectural design process. For example, an urban concept might reference the scale of a city or location, or a material concept could describe the different details of a building and how they are connected together. The architectural concept can be conveyed in both the macro and micro elements of a scheme design.
At any stage of the process the concept is something that drives the design forward and as such it needs to be recorded. A sketch is a quick, easy and useful way to do this, and a concept sketch can take many forms.
Parti diagrams
Concepts are dynamic, and the clearest forms of conceptual design will be simple and informative. A ‘parti’ diagram (the term is derived from the French verb ‘prendre parti’, which means to make a choice) is very helpful in this respect. Popularised during the nineteenth century in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, these drawings are reductive and transform the concept into a few simple lines, which explain complex ideas and motifs in clear and simple terms.
Parti diagrams are abstract sketches that are loaded with architectural meaning and intent, and can be referred to at all stages of the design project.
Reductive parti drawings are simple in their execution, but require a great deal of consideration as they are often underpinned by quite complex thought processes. As such they convey a meaning that goes beyond the line on the paper, and will usually need to be fully described by accompanying text.
The concept sketch may also require descriptive text or commentary alongside the drawing in order to strongly associate the drawing with its architectural intention.
Ecole des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts), Paris
The Ecole des Beaux-Arts was the official school of art in France.
It was established in 1793 as part of the reforms of the French Revolution and was formerly part of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The school had a reputation for its conservative approach, founded on ‘classical’ architectural ideas and classical Greco-Roman architectural principles, but provided a sound technical grounding in painting, architecture and sculpture.
A beaux-arts style evolved from the nineteenth century and many influential architects trained there from Europe and USA. The style that it influenced was classical, grand and technically precise.
It was an appropriate style for the end of the nineteenth century in Europe. Buildings built in the beaux – arts style include the Paris Opera by Garnier (1861), the Palais de Justice in Brussels by Polaert (1866) and the Petit Palais in Paris by Girault (1897). It represents both an influential architectural style and also a type of artistic and architectural education.
Project: The Visitor Centre, Hardwick Park Location: Durham, UK Architect: Design Engine Date: 2006
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Sketch |
These images describe a construction process for a prefabricated project. The image is drawn as a perspective sketch to explain the removal of the prefabricated elements from a truck and details how they will be fixed into place on a hard-to-access site. The drawing is self-explanatory and needs no accompanying text, it simply describes a process of assembly and construction.
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Project: Theatrum Gedanense Project: Dartford Town Centre (left) (above) Location: Gdansk, Poland Location: Dartford, UK Architect: Design Engine Architect: Witherford Watson Mann |
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Tools and materials Conceptual sketches Analytical sketches |
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