Understanding Architecture Through Drawing

the 1960s, with a rough-textured concrete façade (as on
the South Bank in London), would lend itself to a charcoal
or a pencil drawing using a 6B to bring out the graininess
of the surface. Architecture of whatever period has
always attracted the artist, and modern buildings are
no exception.
It is useful to try to relate the compositional arrange-
ment of the sketch to the theme of the subject. Should
you be drawing a city church faced by a square, then both
church and square should feature in the sketch since both
are probably there in support of each other. In Europe
most cathedrals and many town churches are fronted at
their west end by a square, and it would be foolish to
draw the church without at least hinting at the presence
of the square. Consequently, your composition should

6.5

The cliff-like structure of the

ferry Norland is broken up by the

angled lines of mooring ropes

and access gangway. Placing

the bollard in the foreground

adds to the layers of interest,

which reinforce the nautical

theme of the sketch.

provide space for both, perhaps with church and square

linked by single-point perspective. As the square

will probably be paved over and perhaps edged with

clipped hedges or statues, the artist has elements

around which to build up an attractive and well-

constructed picture.

The relative positioning of the different elements, the

weight of line and tonal value of each, are all important

considerations and should be planned in advance of

starting to draw. There is nothing worse than spending a

great deal of time carefully drawing an ornate Baroque

church to find that you have not captured the spirit of the

place through not considering the composition of the

picture with due care. Remember that a degree of

abstraction or restraint is important – you cannot draw

54 Understanding architecture through drawing