The Art of Architectural Drawing: Imagination and Technique [Hardcover]

Thomas Wells Schaller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0471284653 | ISBN-13: 978-0471284659 | Edition: 1

I find it highly engaging and very readable. Tom Schaller has amassed a wealth of material and references to engage the reader with aspects from history, perception and psychology, fine arts painting, architectural illustration, and on and on. This is a very inspirational work.its a winner! --Harold Linton. Assistant Dean, College of Architecture and Design, Lawrence Technological University If erudition, originality, energy and output could be claimed to constitute heat, then Tom Schaller is the hottest perspectivist of the nineties. --Paul Stevenson Oles. FAIA

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The Art of Architectural Drawing Imagination & Technique Thomas Wells Schaller Buildings always begin as drawings. As concepts on paper, architectural drawings are essential to planning, designing, and executing structures. Conversely, buildings can also inspire drawings. In The Art of Architectural Drawing: Imagination and Technique, Thomas Schaller examines the interdependence of architectural drawing, art, and the built environment. He explores the symbiotic relationship between the fine art of architectural drawing, the artistic nature of standing edifices, and architecture in art. The Art of Architectural Drawing: Imagination and Technique compares various ways an artist can portray a building, from creating images that present proposed actual structures to completing those that convey purely hypothetical concepts. Within this context of graphic response to architectural ideas, Mr. Schaller distinguishes between art, architecture, drawing, illustration, and design. This thought-provoking volume is far more than a how-to book. While it covers many of the technical aspects of rendering architecture, it is primarily an examination of the creative impulse involved in its design. Looking to the future of architecture through the lens of the past, Schaller explores the artistic processes of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as many top contemporary architects. This book encompasses history, theory, technique, and perception in architectural drawing. From the moment of its conception, the author seeks to discover the creative impulse behind the image. Part I, Evolution of Technique, investigates the materials and techniques architectural illustrators use to depict architecture, from the pencil to the computer keyboard. Part II, Architecture of the Imagination, studies the evolutionary and cognitive process of architectural artwork, and examines the utopian visions of architects such as Piranesi throughout history. This book showcases a unique collection of beautiful black and white drawings, with over 50 stunning color illustrations. Renderings of both historic and contemporary architecture will delight as well as inform the reader. The author, whose text is as carefully crafted as his architectural drawings, is one of this countrys most recognized and respected architectural artists. His lucid, engaging, and readable text will teach and inspire the artist in all designers, making this book a must-have reference for the professional and student architect.

About the Author

About the Author A registered architect and owner of Schaller Architectural Illustration in New York City, Thomas Schaller provides design and presentation services for an international clientele. Mr. Schaller has received many awards for his artwork including the highest honor for excellence in the graphic representation of architecture, The Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize, by the American Society of Architectural Perspectivists. He has subsequently served as the Society's president. His Architecture in Watercolor, which received an AIA Citation for Excellence, was published by Van Nostrand Reinhold in 1990.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 18, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471284653
• ISBN-13: 978-0471284659
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,745,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars the problem with buying a book like this on line is...., June 8, 2005

By 

Mark Beavers (san antonio, texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Architectural Drawing: Imagination and Technique (Hardcover)

you don't really know what you are getting until it shows up. i was hoping that a book on waterCOLOR illustrations would have primarily COLOR illustrations! silly me! this book does have a lot of illustrations - too bad probably 85% of them are in black and white. it would be nice if amazon would list the number of color and b&w plates along with the rest of the info they give you on a book, but until that day comes, its buyer beware. if you are looking for a lot of nice examples of waterCOLOR illustrations, this book, even at the discounted price is no bargan. however, if you like lots of poorly reproduced black and white images of watercolor illustations, then this is the book for you!