✍️ Why I Started Sketch Like an Architect
How 100 rejections led to 300,000+ community
I’m David - a dad, an architect turned creator, author, educator, and lifelong learner.
I’m also a massive Star Wars nerd, former ultimate frisbee player, and fan of things you can build with your hands - whether it’s Lego… or a piece of wooden furniture.
But this story isn’t really about me. It’s about the creative frustration I saw everywhere in the design world - and what I decided to do about it.
I wasn’t always good at drawing…
Like most kids, I loved to draw from an early age (superheroes like Batman and Spiderman were my favourites). But as I got into my teens, I stopped drawing because of a fear - that it won't look as good as I imagined in my head. And I was right, it didn´t. So I stopped drawing until I had to start practicing again - for entrance exams to architecture schools.
I studied architecture and civil engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague, where we were taught the traditional tools - using pencils and rulers. We drew. A lot. And we learned to communicate ideas with lines, not just words or 3D models.
Later, when my partner and I moved to Denmark for our Master’s at Aalborg University, I found myself surrounded by incredibly talented people - from all over Europe - but many of them hadn’t been taught how to draw. Not really.
Their ideas were great. Their thinking was strong.
But when it came time to present or collaborate, things got… lost.
There was no visual clarity. No hierarchy. No rhythm or story to the drawings.
Sketching, if it happened at all, was treated like an optional extra - not the foundation of design thinking that it really is.
In our group projects, I became the one who drew - because I could.
And I started noticing something.
In school, drawing was expected. But it wasn’t taught.
And in the real world? That problem only gets worse.
The sketching gap is real.
Architects and designers are still expected to sketch - to clarify ideas, to lead client conversations, to show what they mean.
But most were never taught how.
And once you’re in the pressure of practice, there’s no time to go back and learn.
Sketching becomes this source of shame. Or fear. Or frustration.
And that’s why I created Sketch Like An Architect - to help bridge that gap.
To teach the core visual skills that architects and creatives need, in a way that’s fast, clear, and actually fun.
To help people feel confident again - whether they’re on site with a client, in a studio review, or quietly sketching in a notebook for the first time in years.
The tough part? Getting started.
After graduation, my partner and I moved to Copenhagen. New city, no network, no fluent Danish… and no job offers.
Over the next year, I got over 100 rejections. I tracked every single one.
And in between cover letters, volunteering, and internships, I started making things.
I wrote the first version of my Sketch Like an Architect ebook. I filmed the early versions of my course. I began sharing ideas and tips on Instagram. I didn’t have a big plan - I just knew I needed to create something of my own.
Almost a year later, I finally got a full-time job - and the thing that made the difference?
My sketching skills.
Hiring managers saw something others didn’t offer: fast, expressive, professional hand drawings that could bring ideas to life.
They saw clarity. And they trusted it.
From side project to global resource.
Since then, Sketch Like An Architect has grown into something I’m incredibly proud of - not just because of the reach, but because of the response. People keep coming back because the teaching is clear, the tools are practical, and the experience is personal. I show you how to sketch with structure, not guesswork - and how to grow your confidence one line at a time.
3 published books on architectural sketching
15,000+ students in my online courses
300,000+ followers across platforms
65,000+ newsletter readers
Featured in ArchDaily, Architizer, RIBA, 30X40 video interview and more
Hosted workshops for Google, and lectures at universities and conferences worldwide
Created two global online events - iPad for Architects and Designers and Sketching Retreat - with tens of thousands of attendees annually
And built a global go-to resource which helps people sketch better - by hand or on iPad
But what matters most?
It’s not the numbers. It’s the messages I get every day.
From the student who finally got into architecture school.
From the designer who now leads meetings with confidence - because she can draw her ideas on the fly.
From the hobbyist who picked up a pen again at 67 - and filled her first sketchbook.
Read hundreds more messages and testimonials here.
That’s what Sketch Like An Architect is really about.
Not just drawing better.
But thinking better.
Presenting better.
Feeling proud of the lines you make.
One confident sketch at a time.
If this story resonates, you’re in the right place. Sketching isn’t a talent. It’s a skill. And you can build it with the right practice. If you want guided video demos, start with my most popular courses. If you want more structured practice, browse my books and workbooks. Everything is in one place here: SketchLikeAnArchitect.com/everything.
