First of all, interior design sketching is a language for interior designers. This is how I communicate my ideas to the world. But ultimately, interior design drawing helps me formulate my ideas. It’s the way of shaping concepts into the correct forms and proportions. It’s the acid test – it shows you if the idea looks good in a three dimensional space. Usually only the top luxury interior designers have this unique skill and use it often. Now I share my knowledge in my free 5 Step Guide To Hand Sketching Interiors in Less Than An Hour. In this post I describe what it’s all about and highlight interior design sketching techniques used by professionals as-well-as beginners. Moreover, I’ll tell you why the hand drawn interior design concept is so important.
The Magic of Interior Design Sketching
Interior design sketches aren’t meant to be pretty drawings. In this world of online inspirations, interior design sketching is a promise of authenticity and true artistry. If your interior designer sketches, you’ll be assured you’re getting an original creative design. That’s why interior sketching should be one of the factors when choosing your Interior Designer.
In today’s digital word, hand sketching is a very rare and unique skill. Yes, it takes years to master but many people are surprised how easy it can be to start learning and be able to draw simple rooms straight away. I teach it in detail in my free 5 Step Guide To Hand Sketching Interiors in Less Than An Hour.
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In the age of AI it can be an overlooked skill and there’s just a handful of interior designers who can really do it well. Interior design sketching is not just illustrating – it’s shaping the beautiful forms onto a piece of paper.
In that regard, drawing is similar to cooking a meal – you have to season and taste the food before you serve it up for others. Sketching is like seasoning, it’s perfecting the concept.
That’s why hand drawing can also be called interior design thinking.
The Evolution of a Hand Drawn Interior Design Concept
Hand drawn concept is an important part of the interior design process. It starts after the research, finding the main idea and basic space planning. I usually sketch every space of the house. It’s a good idea to start with wider angles showing the entire space. I then draw the main proportion and unveil the story of the room.
After this it’s time for sketching details. I tend to refine the details along the way. Hand drawing the interior design concept feels like resolving the space bit by bit, like a puzzle.
Sketching Interior Design Details
Sketches of details tend to be more refined and precise. And it’s not just one drawing. Designing a detail usually means sketching it several times. It’s experimenting with different options, proportions so as to finally arrive at the perfect piece best suited for the space.
Although, sometimes it can be less structured. When inspiration strikes, I like to do a quick sketch anywhere – on the side of a newspaper or my notebook.
Collectable Value of Hand Drawn Interior Design Sketches
High quality drawings have also high collectable value. Especially if they’re drawn by a well-known interior designer. Moreover, they can be quite rare which adds to it’s value. An interior design sketch is a great addition to any art connoisseur’s collection.
For example, picture the original interior sketch of the house
(before construction) hanging up on the wall. It would be like the artist’s signature on a painting. A sort-of architectural certificate of authenticity!
Interior Design Sketching Techniques
There are several techniques of interior design sketching depending on the means used, the level of accuracy and the purpose of the drawing.
1. Quick Drafts on the Go
These quick sketches are very useful for capturing the first idea that comes to mind. They’re very important because good ideas tend to disappear quickly. They can be done with anything you’ve got to hand: pen, pencil, a piece of paper, a newspaper or a notebook. I use them a lot while talking to clients or contractors to explain a quick idea. They show the creativity of the interior designer.
2. Hi Quality Presentation Drawings
These are the sketches that usually go into a client presentation. They’re more refined, with more details and added colour. The level of precision can still differ. I often like to leave the free hand sketching because it looks more artistic. Although, I’ve done some very precise drawings using a ruler – depends on the client.
3. Pencil Drawings on Regular Paper
I do the majority of my sketches on regular, slightly textured paper with a pencil. To achieve fine details I start with a very thin 0.5 mm HB pencil. Then, when I have the whole drawing done, I enhance the most important edges with a softer 2B one. It’s better for thick dark lines. 2B is my “cherry on top” pencil grade for finishing touches.
4. Pen Drawings on Tracing Paper
One of the interesting interior design sketching techniques is pen on tracing paper. To add a bit of drama to the pencil sketch I put a layer of tracing paper on top and trace it with a pen. The pen lines are then more dynamic because the shapes below are already set.
There’s a chance of running into a problem with colouring. Colour markers can smudge the pen lines. There’s an easy fix though – apply the colours on the other side of the tracing paper! I learned this hack from architects.
5. Colouring and Shading with Markers or Watercolours
Some sketches look better when I add some colour to it. It’s much easier to resolve the colour and material scheme of the interior. It helps with testing if the balance between dark and light is right. I use markers or watercolours. Markers are easier and quicker to use so as a result I tend to use them more.
There’s also an option of colouring the drawings in Photoshop.
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The Rules are Simple but it Takes Lots of Practice
The basic rules of interior design perspective sketching are very simple. We have two types of perspective drawing (well, it’s three really, but the third one is not as popular):
- One-point perspective, the simplest one, where all the lines in the drawing are leading to one central point. A.K.A a vanishing point.
- Two-point perspective, where we’ve got two points in the drawing. The points are located on the horizon. Every line in the drawing leads to one or the other, depending on the angle.
- Three-point perspective, which is only used when we’re looking up or down. Do you know the view when you stand on the pavement next to a skyscraper and look up? That would be the third point you would be looking at.
If you want to learn more about these types of perspective, sign up to my Interior Design Sketching Masterclass.
Even though the rules are simple it takes a long time to practice and perfect it. It takes even more time to be competent at this skill working as an interior designer. It has to become second nature.
Hand Drawing Always Wins Compared with a Computer
In terms of creative concept, hand drawing always wins compared with a computer. Even though there is software that can easily model 3D spaces. I only use a computer for the development and technical stage, never for the concept. Otherwise it looses the human touch.
Photograph Your Sketches Better to get Noticed on Social Media
Interior design sketching techniques are of course very important but showcasing the sketches is vital. I was always dreaming about opening my own interior design business one day. Only when I started publishing pro photos of my sketches did my interior design career really take off. I still remember using my savings to purchase my professional camera. It was before the Christmas holiday when I received a Xmas bonus from my boss at the time. I knew taking photos with an Iphone wasn’t enough. As it turned out – it was one of the best investments I ever made! So the camera and lenses I bought then are still used today (6 years later):
- Nikon D750 or D810 (camera body) – it’s a great professional camera that made my sketches look like magazine covers 😉
- Nikon 20 or 24mm FX lens f/1.8G (wide angle lens) – I paired my camera with this wide angle lens to achieve dramatic angles when photographing my sketches.
- Nikon 50mm FX lens f/1.8G – this is also a great lens that I use all the time. It has a very natural angle and is not a wide-angle lens. I use it together with the Nikon 20mm (above) as it ads variety to my sketching photos.
A good hand drawn design concept will look twice as good if you photograph it well! This is what got me started getting noticed online – especially on Instagram. I was experimenting with photography and testing different cameras and lenses. At the time, I thought professional photography won’t do much for beginners like me but it actually helped with presenting my interior design sketching.
Questions
It depends how good you want to be as an interior designer. A lot of people give up interior design sketching because it’s difficult and requires a lot of practice. Moreover there’s a lot of computer programs where you can model the space yourself. The only problem with that is, the computer starts to lead your way of thinking and as a result limits your creativity. For me it feels like cheating. Whereas, there’s something authentic about having just a pencil and a blank sheet of paper in front of you. There’s no cheating involved. It’s you and your mind, no other (artificial) help! That’s why I strongly feel that free hand interior design sketching is the only true creative way of designing. And as a result if you want to be a professional interior designer, sketching is necessary. 
Value of Drawing in Teamwork
One of the most valuable aspects of interior design sketching especially for beginners is that it makes teamwork so easy. Good communication in an interior design office, is crucial. Sketching the designs makes it super easy to explain your thoughts to others. Doesn’t matter if you are interior designing an office or a private home. And contrary to describing something with words, sketching doesn’t miscommunicate. Everything is clear when you sketch.
It’s actually much clearer than showing an inspirational image. Some designers like to show images of other houses and say: “Look, I want my design to look like this.”
But what does it actually mean? The colours? The layout? Or the shapes of the furniture? Believe it or not, everyone will see something different. Not to mention that you shouldn’t really copy other architect’s or designer’s ideas.
That’s good advice for beginners who are just starting to learn interior design sketching. It’s always better to get inspired by nature, city atmosphere or art than to copy someone else’s.
Summary
To sum up, interior design sketching is the only way to create truly original and creative designs. Drawing is shaping ideas into the right forms and proportions. It’s a tool that every professional interior designer should have. Now you can learn it signing up to my sketching course. High quality sketches can also have collectable value, especially when they’re done by one of the top interior designers.
There are several interior design sketching techniques. My favourites are:
- quick drafts on the go
- high quality presentation drawings (the free hand effect or done with a ruler)
- pencil sketches on textured paper
- pen sketches on tracing paper
- colouring and shading is usually done with markers or watercolours
The basic rules of drawing are simple but it can take years of practice to truly master it. If you want to learn with me – sign up to my free 5 Step Guide To Hand Sketching Interiors in Less Than An Hour..
In conclusion, interior design drawing is a promise of truly original and exceptional design. It’s a very rare skill that sets great interior designers apart.
Let me know your thoughts – comment below!
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