Architectural drawings, and sketches of buildings around the world. “Architectural drawings are technical illustrations that represent orthographic projections of a planned structure.”
The landing stairs of the former town hall of Nieuwer-Amstel, Amsteldijk 67. Preliminary study for the painting “The parade is coming”. When Monnickendam made this drawing, the town hall had just been in use as the Amsterdam Municipal Archives for a year.
This sketch is an architectural drawing of the building’s facade, focusing on classical elements — featuring several architectural motifs.
The drawing prominently features columns with ornate capitals, with intricate carvings. The capitals seem to be in the Corinthian style, characterized by elaborate acanthus leaves and scrolls. Above the columns, there’s a horizontal section that includes an architrave and a frieze. The architrave is decorated with floral motifs, while the frieze above it has triglyphs and metopes, typical of Doric architecture, suggesting a blend of styles.
There’s a window with a decorative frame, possibly part of the entablature. The frame includes a small pediment with a tympanum, which might contain sculpted relief, though details are not clear in the sketch. Below the window, there’s an arched doorway with what appears to be a sculpted relief above it, possibly depicting figures or a scene, though the details are not fully sketched out. Two arches are also featured near the center of the drawing. The keystone motif is emphasized with double lines.
The use of color (pinks, purples, and blues) adds depth and highlights certain architectural elements, suggesting the artist’s intent to convey both structure and aesthetic. To the right, there’s a staircase leading up, possibly to an entrance or a platform, adding perspective to the drawing.
Artist(s): Carter, Drake and Wight (Architect). From the Art Institute of Chicago collection via Unsplash.
Architectural Drawings Video Tutorial
The video (above) demonstrates how to draw buildings using one-point perspective. Tom McPherson is an expert in architectural drawings. He starts with a horizontal line and places a vanishing point on it. He draws rectangles for building fronts and connects their sides to the vanishing point. He creates pitched roofs by drawing triangles and extending lines to the vanishing point. Tom adds architectural details like archways, windows, and a tower with careful attention to perspective principles. He ensures all parallel lines that recede into the distance converge at the single vanishing point.
Tom then enhances the drawing with additional elements. He sketches a road, pavements, and simple shapes for trees and bushes. He draws clouds behind the buildings to create depth. For shading, he starts with the sky and clouds, making the left sides darker to suggest light coming from the right. He adds darker tones to windows and building sides. Tom emphasizes the importance of establishing basic shapes before adding details.
7 Types of Architectural Drawings
There are seven main types of drawings commonly used by architects, and builders:
- Elevations
- Floor plans
- Site plans
- Landscape drawings
- Excavation drawings
- Sketches, diagrams, or schematics
- Details and 3D presentations
However, some technical architects (CAD specialists) talk about 13 types of drawings. We’ll explore more of these details in future articles, as time allows.
Related Links and Resources
Architectural Terms
My understanding of architectural terms started by playing with tinker toys and wood blocks as a child. I didn’t know what a buttress was, but learned through experimentation that my creations would collapse without structural integrity. Whether you are designing websites or church buildings, it’s helpful to know some basic architectural terms like buttress, column, cornerstone, and keystone.
Architectural Motifs
Architectural motifs are structural or decorative designs and repeating patterns found in the construction of buildings. In music, a motif is a short melodic phrase that reoccurs throughout a song. In works of art, a motif is a noticeable element that appears throughout the work. An architectural motif can be found in the details, or can be the dominant design concept.
10 Books on Architecture
The Ten Books on Architecture by Vitruvius (De Architectura) contain many foundational design principles. The basic concepts are useful for architects — and anyone else who designs and builds things. This is a summary and study guide for the Ten Books on Architecture. De Architectura is considered one of the most significant works on architecture to survive from classical antiquity and provided a major influence on Renaissance architects.
Published on 4-Jan-2025; last updated on 5-Jan-2025.