Step-by-step Tutorial: Shading in Perspective

Written By David Drazil

One of the basic skills in architectural sketching is adding shading to objects in our scene. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to distinguish between shade and shadow and how to add parallel shading correctly in perspective.

01/ Here are sample objects and given real direction of sunlight as well as its direction in plan (p).


02/ First, draw parallel lines with the real direction of sunlight through all the necessary corners. The sun rays are considered parallel in this example because of the great distance of the Sun.


03/ Construct the outlines of the shadows.


04/ Add vertical hatching to the shaded surfaces.


05/ Finally, use darker hatching for the areas of shadows. TIP: Choose the direction of hatching accordingly to the orientation of surfaces to make the objects easily readable.

Get the worksheets for practicing different areas of architectural sketching in my PDF Handbook or join my Online Course for more video demonstrations.

Happy sketching!

David
#SketchLikeAnArchitect

David Drazil

David Drazil is a trained architect, published author, and founder of Sketch Like An Architect — a global platform helping architects, designers, and creatives build confident sketching skills with a clear, step-by-step method. Originally from the Czech Republic, David created the project to close the gap between what’s expected of designers and what they’re actually taught: how to communicate visually. His courses and books have helped over 15,000 students and reached a community of 300,000+ creatives worldwide. Today, he teaches how to sketch with clarity, speed, and style — whether on paper or iPad — one confident line at a time.

https://sketchlikeanarchitect.com/
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