As far as architectural sketching goes, I have a long way to go before I can carry the pen bag of the accounts I am going to share with you today. This is the second installment of Instagram feeds that I think are worth following – with today’s focus being “Architectural Sketching”.
Let’s start by setting the bar low, only to have it then immediately raised, shall we?
Bob Borson
All of the feeds I am featuring today have exerted some sort of influence on me and as a result, have in some way had an impact on my “technique” … or at least they’ve brought something to my attention and I feel that it would be some skill that would benefit my current skill set.
I have also decided that if I was going to show you some of the Instagram feeds that I enjoy most, I would show a screen grab with enough images in it so that you could get a sense of that particular feed. There are a million posts out there on Instagram feeds that you should follow – but most only show a single photo from that feed, and that simply isn’t enough … you need at least nine images to get a sense of what these artists can do with a pen.
I am also going to start breaking down these feeds into themes. This is my second round of featuring Instagram feeds but eventually I will include other categories like interiors, construction, photography, materials, and even other architects. If there is a theme you are interested in, let me know in the comment section below.
So now that I’ve set the proverbial table, these are my current favorite Instagram feeds that feature sketching. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Judy Abi Roustom (@Judy Sketchbook)
There are a number of architects on today’s list, and a fair number of them seem to sketch out cityscapes in their sketchbooks … and Judy Roustom might be my most favorite (even though she sketches loads of other things as well). Her drawings are very clean and have the sort of casual approachability that I strive for in my own work (at a considerably less talented level). Judy has a good eye and there’s a reason she’s first on today’s list. I highly recommend you follow her account.
Rich Hind
Rich (or should I say Richard since he and I have never met one another?) Hind is another urban sketcher that produces scenes in his sketchbook that are so completely rich and full of inky texture that you’ll wonder how many pens he goes through producing a single sketch. Want to pick up some hatching skills? Pay attention to what Rich is putting down on paper … you’ll thank me for the introduction.
Xenia Klassen
This is one of the newer accounts that I have recently started to follow (I feel like that guy who finds that amazing bottle of wine that only costs $15 a bottle … until everyone else finds out about it and the price goes up to $60). Xenia is an architecture student from Tomsk, Siberia and after checking out her feed, you’ll come away with two questions …
- How is an architecture student already this good at sketching what she sees, and
- Who knew that there were so many amazing buildings in Siberia?
Obviously, all of her sketches aren’t all in Siberia, but who cares? She is amazing.
TB Choi
I wouldn’t be honest with myself if I didn’t admit to following a few accounts that sketch something other than buildings and urban settings. The account of TB Choi is one that I’ve followed for a few years and I find it immensely rewarding because these sketches are rich in process, style and technique. I don’t draw anything like these images, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing that I could.
SketchMuseum
There are a lot of architecture aggregate feeds, but only a few that feature sketches … and even fewer that are worth paying attention to the content they share. This is a feed that I enjoy because it has frequently leads me to new accounts worthy of checking out … which is the main purpose of an aggregate feed. One day, if I’m lucky, you might even find one of my sketches feature here.
Don Gore (@DonGore50)
Of all the accounts I follow, the Instagram feed of Don Gore the only specifically architectural watercolor account that I’ve found that consistently blows me away. Of all the feeds I’m sharing today, this one might be the skillset that I most covet.
Arno Pieters (@apie08)
I find the feed of Arno Pieters refreshing because the work he shows is pretty relatable for me. The sketches frequently look like the result of someone having a conversation with themselves, allowing their pen to do the talking. This is a technique that I employ, but with much less success.
Park Hee Myeong (@baki_2)
This is another feed that I’ve followed for quite a while. Very rarely is color used, allowing most of the visual depth to be conveyed using hatches and other shading techniques. There is always a wonderful balance of entourage in his sketches, and I don’t know too many architects that include such a dazzling array of power lines, automobiles, and rogue urban landscapes. Most of his sketches come across as someone who is capturing everyday scenes, just because he can.
ArchiSketcher
This is really the only other aggregate feed that I follow – and mostly because I am always on the look for something new and interesting, and whoever curates this feed keeps things interesting and fresh.
arch_more
And with this feed, I have now introduced you to all the aggregate feeds worth following. I am amazed that regardless of the mind-numbing quantity of possible images (possibly) worth sharing, the three aggregate sites I’ve listed here to the best of my knowledge, have never had an overlap. One of the things this particular feed has going for it is that the images it curates are not contained within an easily define niche … they are all over the place, but in a good way.
I really hope you enjoy this second installment of Instagram feeds I’ve put together for you. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, it’s a good starting point for those of you who have an interest in architectural sketching. I literally don’t know a single person from today’s list but that’s not part of my criteria for inclusion … in fact, I probably went out of my way to exclude people I know.
A long time ago I learned that if I follow too many feeds, I end up feeling like I missed too much. As a result, I am constantly adding and removing streams from my follow list so that I can generally see what everyone I am following is posting within a few swipes. I know that sounds like an excuse but I just don’t see how people who follow 10,000 accounts can possibly make a connection, or feel any sort of anticipation when they follow that many feeds.
Let me apologize now for all the lost time at work I’ve just created … but it was totally worth it!
Cheers,
PS – if I was a bit more clever, I would work out a sketch swap with these people … just don’t think they’d want my sketch in return for one of theirs!