Adobe Illustrator for Architects

Preview the range of drawings you can create in Illustrator: plan blocks (furniture, vegetation, figures), elevation blocks, section drawings, urban diagrams, and fully rendered floor plans. See examples of both black-and-white technical drawings and colourful illustrated plans. Understand why vector output stays crisp at any scale.

Quick overview of the tools you'll use throughout the course: Selection and Direct Selection for moving and reshaping, Pen tool for tracing, Polygon tool for shapes, Scissors for cutting paths, Pathfinder for boolean operations, and Eyedropper for sampling colours. Each tool is demonstrated with architectural examples.

Build a library of 2D CAD blocks you can reuse in any plan. Draw a kitchen sink using the Polygon tool and Offset Path command, create tree symbols with the Pencil tool, and construct human figures. Export your blocks in DXF or DWG format to use directly in AutoCAD or other drafting software.

Create 3D furniture and object blocks by tracing SketchUp exports or reference images. Use the Pen tool to draw clean outlines, the Curvature tool for organic forms, and Pathfinder to combine shapes. Build a library of isometric furniture, plants, and accessories ready for sectional perspectives and 3D illustrations.

Import a CAD-exported PDF of a 2BHK apartment (two bedrooms, living room with open kitchen, large balcony, walk-in closets, attached bathrooms). Lock the PDF layer at reduced opacity, then trace the walls on a new layer using the Pen tool. Use Pathfinder's Minus Front to cut openings. Draw columns on a separate layer.

Add furniture from your block library and draw custom pieces where needed. Position beds, sofas, dining tables, bathroom fixtures, and kitchen appliances. Ensure everything is to scale and properly aligned within the rooms. Organise furniture on dedicated layers for easy editing later.

Draw doors with swing arcs showing the opening direction. Add window frames with proper double-line representation. Apply flooring textures using clipping masks - create a tile pattern, place it over a room boundary, and mask it to fit. Different rooms get different floor treatments.

Add human figures for scale, vegetation on balconies and near windows, and small accessories like rugs and plants. Adjust stroke weights: heavier lines for walls and cut elements, lighter lines for furniture. Organise everything into a clear layer structure and check alignment before final export.

Export a section from SketchUp as PDF (hidden line style) and PNG (shadows only). The project is a double-storey studio apartment with dining area, kitchen, bedroom, and workspace above. Open the PDF in Illustrator, lock it as a template layer, and trace the linework. Place the shadow PNG on a multiply layer below.

Build out the structural shell by tracing floor slabs, walls, and section cut profiles. Add stairs with consistent treads and risers, ladder rungs at regular intervals, and handrails. Insert furniture blocks from your library - bed, wardrobe, desk, dining table - positioning them in the correct perspective.

Apply material textures to the section: concrete hatching on cut elements, wood grain on flooring, metal finishes on railings, and glass effects on windows. Use clipping masks to contain textures within shapes. Add small details like door handles, light fixtures, and shelving to bring the space to life.

Complete the drawing with trees in the background, human figures for scale, and final material refinements. Adjust line weights so cut elements read boldly while furniture recedes. Check layer organisation and export the final illustration as PDF for presentations or PNG for web use.

Create isometric 3D drawings without any external models. Draw a 500×500 point square, apply Effects > 3D > Extrude & Bevel, and set the position to Isometric Top. Expand the appearance to get editable vector faces. Build floor tiles, furniture, and architectural elements using the same technique.

Combine SketchUp and Illustrator for quick concept visualisations. Export your SketchUp model as a PDF for linework and a PNG for shadows. Import both into Illustrator, trace and clean up the lines, then enhance with fills, textures, and contextual elements like trees and figures.

Begin a fully rendered 3D illustration from a SketchUp export. Organise base layers for walls, windows, floors, and furniture. Trace the linework with clean paths and start applying solid fills. This sets up the framework for detailed material and lighting work in the next lesson.

Complete the rendered illustration with glass transparency effects on windows, realistic wood grain on floors and furniture, textile textures on rugs and soft furnishings, and subtle shading to suggest depth. Add final details like plants, books, and accessories to bring the space to life.