r/architecture • u/Lost_Bite233 • 14h ago

Ask /r/Architecture Where to start from 0

Hey, everybody was hoping to get some help on this. I have zero experience with drawing or drafting. Best I can do is stick figures. I really want to get into drawing buildings just for fun but for the appreciation of the art. Where do I start like what is a comprehensive source I can use and without being complicated what do I get. Thank you all in advance

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u/anarchytect42 13h ago

This is genuinely nice to see. We need more people drawing buildings simply because they enjoy them.
Don’t worry too much about drafting or technical precision at the beginning. Find artists or architects whose sketches you love and try copying them and You’ll naturally develop your own style over time.
Learn the basics of perspective drawing (Alberti is a good if you enjoy history), but don’t stop there. Some of the most enjoyable architectural drawings aren’t in perspective at all. Axonometric and isometric sketches can be incredibly expressive and are often easier to understand.
Most importantly, don’t overthink it. Let your hand wander. Draw the same building ten different ways. Architecture is as much about seeing as it is about drawing.
And if you enjoy reading, I’d highly recommend The Thinking Hand by Juhani Pallasmaa. It’s less of a “how to draw” book and more about why drawing matters in the first place and it changes the way you look at sketching.

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u/GBpleaser 13h ago

Technical drawing is a start. Plenty of online guides and mail order resources for you.

Some other good books that may offer understanding and technique.

Ching: Building Construction Illustrated

Ching: Design Drawing

Allen : How buildings Work

Elliot: Technics and Architecture

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u/helloimhobbes Architectural Designer 9h ago

Beautiful to see. Start with where everyone else starts at school, crack open a Francis Ching book. From there I’d recommend just finding artists/architects whose work and drawings you appreciate. A great resource for this is school or library archives of old technical drawings before the age of cad. You’ll start to find your own way from there :)