Technically speaking, this is the third installment of the Best Instagram Accounts for Architectural Sketching but I am going to confess right up front that it doesn’t feel that way … something about this particular batch feels special. Maybe its because I can detect a theme based on my own current interests, or maybe it’s because each one of these accounts came recommended to me. Of the 14 accounts identified here, I was only following 4 of them until a few weeks ago until I decided it was time to rededicate myself to improving my sketching abilities.
Wow … I can hardly believe that I just suggested that I have sketching abilities. This is probably a topic for the podcast but I need to once again acknowledge that I am not particularly good at sketching, and before those of you who are familiar with my sketches and think that are pretty good, let’s take a breather and simply acknowledge that I have a pretty good command over line weight, which is what makes my sketches look about 1000% better than what they really are.
The accounts that I’ve included here are all spectacularly good at “architectural” sketches – which is an important distinction to make. I follow a lot of sketching accounts, probably half of which are anime-related. You can find all sorts so tips, techniques, and inspiration from a myriad of sketching sources but I wanted to focus on people who actually drew the sort of sketches that I want to draw – buildings and street scenes. I will also acknowledge upfront that while this collection of individuals is worthy of attention and admiration, there are undoubtedly hundreds, if not thousands more that we all should be paying attention to.
Let’s get this sketch party started!
Kiyeon Kim
While the accounts on this list are not in any particular order, the account of Kiyeon Kim might be my current favorite. In fact, when I finally decided to start this current project and started collecting Instagram feeds for today’s post, Kiyeon’s account was the account that I used as the inspiration to kick things off (here is his and here is mine).
Gérard Michel
The instagram account of Gérard Michel is on that makes my head explode the quickest in both good and even gooder ways. Where the previous account might be my current favorite, this is possibly the one I most admire. I could take a paragraph and attempt to explain why but a picture is worth a thousand words – go look for yourself.
Arkitekza
Quick, loose, articulate, simple, descriptive … everything a sketch should be when capturing an idea or a moment. You just have to look at some sketches to feel the weight of how much time was spent laboring over them whereas the account of Arkitekza has an evocative sensibility to it and you understand the point the sketch is intending to capture with an amazing economy and realness.
Boris Zatko
The density of the drawings prepared by Boris Zatko are incredible, but there is an added bonus in that Boris frequently shares time-lapse videos of how these images are created, including how the watercolor is added. Since I am interested in adding color and tone to my sketches, this account is simply amazing to follow.
Peter Freeman
I’m not sure how long this account will stick around – it is not your typical Instagram sketch user. All of the sketches have already been created by Australian Conservation Architect Peter Freeman and are being “published” by one of Peter’s children as a way of sharing a lifetime of his work with others rather than letting the work remain hidden in Peter’s sketchbooks.
How cool is that?
Albert Keifer
This is a great account to follow just because of the subjects being sketched … which is not to say that the sketches aren’t great because they are. An added bonus is that he uses markers to add color and depth to his sketches, which is sadly another skill that I not have, yet.
These are the sorts of sketches I would like to have in my own sketchbook which is why I think Albert Keifer is worth following.
Carlos Almeida
I love the vibe that the sketches from Carlos Almeida creates … very clean with a nice balance of text and white space. I am also a bit sentimental to how he layers shade and shadow through the use of hatches rather than using a different medium than the sketch. I’ve known just a few people in my life that incorporate this level of linework into their sketches and yet they remain legible and articulate. Pretty amazing stuff.
sketch_forum
I’m not sure how to describe the work of sketch_forum other than the word “dense”. There is so much going on here, so many layers and textures, with just a small touch of color, that I think this more art than architectural sketching but I thought I would include it just from sheer admiration.
Stephen Travers
Here is another account that doesn’t appear to be curated by an architect but the content is exclusively architectural in its content. One thing that stands out about this particular account is that there are a high number of interior architectural sketches that show up in Stephen’s feed … and they are amazing. I don’t really have any realistic aspirations that I will ever approach the skill demonstrated in this feed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use it to inform my process.
Oğuzhan Çengel
The sketches in this feed are undoubtedly amazing … but it’s really how the sketches are presented within the context of the sketchbook. It’s not a feed of the same type of image done over and over again, there are elevations, plans, sections, details, and notes, and they are all demonstrated within the context and framework of the sketchbook. Definitely worth checking out.
@shoreditchsketcher
A bit of this, a bit of that, some color, some black and white, some architectural sketches, some other stuff – whatever – and all of it is well done and interesting. This is one of the more varied sketch-based accounts that I follow and I am always interested in taking a closer look.
@mister_vi
Beautiful sketches and amazing levels of detail. This is an account that demonstrates the wide variety of skillsets that are out there on display. Every single one of these drawings reflects what is assuredly an incredibly lengthy creative process where each piece of ink is painstakingly applied to paper.
@lukeadamhawker
Just based on the number of followers that Luke Adam Hawker has, everyone who might be following me is already aware of this particular account. There are so many reasons to follow this particular account – beyond the obvious skill sketching building – but there are also scale figure studies, terrain drawings, and the occasional microbus.
@danhogman
Last, but certainly not least, is Dan Hogman … quite possibly one of the very first people I started following on Instagram so long ago. In addition to the finished images he puts on display, there are frequently time-lapse videos worth watching.
So there you go, fourteen Instagram accounts that everyone should be following by the time they finish ready this blog post.
Happy sketching!
