Drawing Lesson 43, Part 1 – How to Draw a Building

How to Draw a Building – Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome

Video Lesson Description

In this video lesson, you will see How to Draw a Building in black ink on example of the Rome’s cityscape. In remaining two parts of the “How to Draw a Building” video lesson, you will also see how to render a graphical artwork in black ink, with brown and white wash on a yellow-brown toned paper.

During my visit to Rome, I took inspiration from this view of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. The view is from a point near the Castle of St Angelo, and along the Via Della Conciliazione.

How to Draw a Building – First Steps

The preliminary sketch for ink drawing is required to reduce any unnecessary damage, by an eraser, on the good quality toned paper that will be used for the “How to Draw a Building” ink drawing artwork.

The preliminary sketch for ink drawing begins with an indication of the main imaginary vertical line running through the Basilica, and the lines of the building roofs standing on both sides of the road, leading to the Basilica’s plaza.

In this “How to Draw a Building” lesson, the roof-lines are descending into one point perspective, located near the base of the Basilica. Vertical lines indicate the width of the buildings, as well as the Basilica.

Smaller details of the Basilica’s dome, and nearby buildings, should be drawn once the overall proportions have been set up.

Windows and columns will be drawn schematically, rather than with any great attention to fine details. The purpose of this sketch is to outline the main proportions and positions of the buildings and trees; all of the smaller details will be included in ink in the final artwork.

You can use your eraser as much as you need to, and redraw the sketch until you’re happy with the result. Using a sketch, as an intermediate step, provides you with a greater freedom to re-work the drawing, and fine-tune the composition by altering the sizes and proportions.

When it comes to the topic of How to Draw a Building in perspective, this video will show you how one point perspective applies to all objects in this drawing.

The buildings, trees, and street lamps all tend to lead the viewer to the main focal point – the Basilica.

A premium quality, thick yellow-ochre paper, is selected for the ink drawing artwork. The unevenness of its yellowish tone gives a very decorative appearance, which in combination with black ink and white wash, will give a more artistic look.