A rectangular page can be oriented two different ways. Landscape is a horizontal format, whereas portrait is vertical. You can use either, but it’s good to experiment with both formats.
Another important initial decision is whether to be constrained by your sketchbook dimensions. Most sketchers draw in hardbound sketchbooks, which range from basic student sketchbooks to more professional journals; some sketchers make their own. Others use loose-leaf paper. It really depends on your approach. If you do have a sketchbook, the chances are it’s in a rectangular format, usually 4 x 6in (10 x 15cm), 6 x 8in (15 x 20cm) or 8 x 11in (20 x 28cm). The dimensions will naturally dictate the size and orientation of your sketches, although you can choose whether to turn the book vertically or horizontally.
Alternatively, you can use the view itself to determine your size and format. Architectural drawing usually—though not always—sits more comfortably in a landscape format. And, as you will see from many of the sketches in this book, “Archisketchers” often like to draw across the spine (or gutter), thereby extending into a much wider format, particularly for skylines and panoramas. However, portrait-format sketches can also look very dramatic, particularly for tall buildings. It all depends on the view, and how much of it you want to capture. A viewfinder, matching the proportions of your sketchbook, can help you compose your sketch, define what can be drawn within your boundaries, and allow you to focus on the key elements, eliminating any superfluous context.
SIMONE RIDYARD
Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I wanted to add a little color to this sketch of Ipanema Beach (above), just to highlight the mountains behind the promenade, with its run of high-rise hotel blocks facing the Atlantic Ocean. The umbrellas on this famous beach help establish a sense of scale, and the sketch is highlighted by two carefully placed dots of vivid orange, which complement the other color used.
Tim Richardson
Cornwall Tower, Soho Road, Birmingham, England
This sketch of a formulaic 1960s apartment tower block by Tim Richardson is a great example of a portrait-format sketch. The page orientation really captures the drama of high-rise architecture.
Brutalism is a postwar architectural style, usually constructed from concrete, and often associated with institutional buildings and social housing. Birmingham in England, for example, built a number of these boxlike, high-rise towers in the 1960s and ’70s as a way of replacing slums. At the time this was seen as “the future”—a blueprint for a new postwar way of life—but a number of them (including this one) have now been demolished. Tim explains: “What actually attracted me to this was that it was just about to be demolished. I doubt that this was for structural reasons, as there are loads of this type of building still around, but the cost of refurbishment probably outweighed the advantages.”