Understanding Architecture Through Drawing

your subject and preferably at an angle rather than straight
on. This brings out any sculptural modelling or surface
relief, allowing the artist to understand the nuances of the
building or the intentions of its designer. Certainly it is
useful to highlight or exaggerate effects of light, especially
in older buildings where time has worn away the
sharpness of the detail. Try to avoid having the source of
light behind the subject, unless you are deliberately
attempting to draw its silhouette. Cathedrals lend them-
selves to dramatic silhouette and it is quite permissible to
exaggerate the effects of light on the city skyline. The
Manhattan skyline or a castle such as that at Edinburgh,
perched on a dramatic hilltop, lend themselves to sil-
houette drawing, but the sketch may benefit from having
detail shown at ground level drawn as open line rather
than dark, craggy shapes. Such drawings can tell us about
the role of the ‘monuments’ in the city and their prominent
position in the skyline. The role of lesser buildings and
foreground detail is merely supportive – a point not always
recognised by modern architects or town planners.

Sunlight also casts shadows, which can provide tonal

relief to a line drawing. A collection of lines can appear

rather abstract, while shadow or shading gives the

drawing a feeling of solidity and three-dimensional form.

Shadows can also give an indication of buildings behind or

to one side of the artist, but not in his or her field of view.

It is worth bearing this in mind if you are drawing in the

street or in a square. Shadows give an indication, too, of

deep, canyon-like streets as against open suburban roads.

Sketching should aim to capture the character of places,

and the play of sunlight with its consequent casting of

shadows is part of the visual repertoire to be exploited.

The depth of shadow is important. Northern subjects

illuminated with soft light suit the faintest of shadows, but

a southern Baroque church or Moorish temple is best

rendered in deep shadow. It has been suggested that the

extent of modelling of a building’s façade directly reflects

the anticipated level of sunlight, a south- or west-facing

frontage being designed with plenty of deep relief whilst

a north-facing façade has a more subdued quality. These

Choosing the subject 33