When I was in school, pondering upon taking architecture, the people around me told me that being good at drawing is one of the essential skills needed for architecture. And since I was fairly decent at drawing stuff, while not being excellent at it, I worried about the difficulties I would encounter if I took architecture. Finally, when I got into architecture school, I was amazed by the pool of artists and other creative designers who joined with me. It was easy to feel small among people whose drawing skills could make one?s jaw drop.  So, if you are like me and confused about taking architecture, read on to find out if you really need to learn architecture drawing to study architecture.

The Answer

The answer is somewhat complicated. Having excellent drawing skills is not necessary for becoming a successful architect. However, it certainly helps to convey your ideas simply and quickly. The importance of drawing in architecture lies in the fact that it is the most basic way for an architect to express their ideas and communicate the design with others. Therefore, it is perhaps wise for a person aiming to be an architect to learn architectural drawing. But drawing is a nightmare for many because they make the mistake of assuming it is a talent, one with which they are born. As far as architectural design skills are concerned, drawing is truly not talent-based. If you are not good at architectural drawing, you haven?t studied and practised it enough. Architecture education prerequisites only need basic drawing skills to help present your project in two and three dimensions. Add in some colour theory, design principles and painting techniques, and you get the formula for a good hand-drawn representation for your project.

Learn Architectural drawing

Since architecture education prerequisites determine drawing as one of the most preferable skills, here are some ways to improve your drawing skills.

1. Learn Architectural drawing basics: The first step to improving is to get your basics right. Read books like Architectural Graphics by Francis D.K. Ching. You can also watch YouTube videos on Perspective drawing to get a rough idea of how to start drawing buildings. If you already have an idea about the basics mentioned above, you can skip to step 3.
2. Try drawing simple images: Try sketching the images of some simple buildings. If that feels difficult, you can use a tracing paper to sketch it. Tracing paper is useful because it will help your hand get better, and your drawings will come out more detailed as opposed to when drawn without tracing paper.
3. Trace complicated buildings and their elements: The next step is to trace complex elements of a building, like domes and arches. This will improve your drawing skills and train your eye to recognize intricate details.
4. Sketch complicated drawings: Try sketching full buildings on normal paper. If you still encounter difficulties, try using a tracing paper. Use tracing paper and practice a lot till you become confident in your skills.

Practical Advice for Student Architects

Since architectural education can be daunting, here is some practical advice to improve your architectural design skills and to have a good college experience.

1. Read as much as you can: Reading is so underrated in architecture. It can increase your knowledge and open you to new possibilities in the architectural realm. Scourge through your library and devour all those books that catch your attention.
2. Travel: Architecture and travel go hand-in-hand. Get out there and see those buildings you have always wanted to see. Nothing beats the experience of seeing it firsthand in real life.
3. Ask questions: You are in an institution with many intellectuals and learned people. Use this as an opportunity to ask as many questions as you can. Your professors were once students like you so don?t be shy in asking questions that you might feel are stupid.
4. Get some sleep: Architectural students exhibit an unhealthy obsession with pulling all-nighters and slaving away all night while working on a project. This can be avoided by proper time management and a little bit of organization. Sometimes it is inevitable, but mostly it is avoidable.
5. Let patience and perseverance be your best friends: Architectural education is no easy feat. You will face many frustrations during these five years, and you will doubt everything. But keep the big picture in mind and try to get through it unscathed.
6. Don?t be competitive: Your studio will become more bearable and enjoyable if you don?t always try to one-up your classmates. While this is a common issue in almost every school, being overly competitive will take away all the fun you can have while designing.
7. Create freely: Your college days afford you complete experiential freedom. Do not waste it. Be open-minded and think without constraints.

Most importantly, stay humble. Understand that architecture doesn?t make you better than others. Consider yourself a lifelong learner who provides a service to humanity.

In conclusion, from my humble little experience, I can say that architecture can be learnt with enough patience and practice. So, if you think you are not good at drawing or other architectural design skills, fret not. It can be easily learned and applied with maximum efficiency to the buildings you design. Architecture drawing requirements have taught me that being skilled enough is never an issue if you are willing to put in the time to improve it. Hard work is truly the key to success, at least in architecture. All the best for your future endeavours!

Sources

• https://backstudiomilan.com/is-drawing-skill-important-in-architecture/#:~:text=Drawing%20skills%20are%20not%20essential,that%20an%20architect%20should%20have.
• https://www.quora.com/Do-we-need-to-be-good-at-drawing-to-become-a-successful-architecture
• https://clairesessays.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/i-entered-architecture-without-knowing-how-to-draw/
• https://portico.space/journal//do-you-need-to-draw-to-go-to-architecture-school
• https://www.archdaily.com/772277/back-to-school-archdailys-tips-for-incoming-architecture-students