Hi guys!

This is the first time I have visited this site - I was referred by an email pal.

This site is magnificient!!!

A little about me: I am a mathematics student at University and I really want to delve into architecture. I guess learning to draw would be a good place to start. Oh yeah, I have absolutely no artistic abilities (aside from playing the occassional piano).

Is there any hope for me?
Am I starting in the right place?

All your input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks friends

Samuel Jerads
Trinidad and Tobago.

Hello,



YES THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU AND THIS IS THE BEST PLACE TO START!!

READ THIS LINK IT WILL HELP YOU Understanding Talent

Hello and welcome this is the best place to start do brenda's lessons and you will soon be able to draw anything you want just draw everything you can and keep practicing.

Hello Samuel,

Yes, it's a good place to start. Architecture, however requires your tallent to see and organize space, not neccessarily drawing like a master. However (again ) it's the alphabet of shapes, light, perspective etc you'll have to learn and this can be done only by drawing.
So, welcome!

Fatcat
PS It's good you develop musical abilities too, as this helps a lot in architecture. There's much to be said in this respect, so I'll stop .

Thanks for the replies guys!

I am encouraged by all of your words. Can't tell you the amount of times I tried to draw some object infront of me only to end up with a horrible doodle that would send any grown man to tears.

But it looks like that is about to change for the better.

@UKartist: Thanks for the link pal! Just after I finish the post I will formally start my lessons. Thanks for the pat on the back. (I didn't get my undergrad scholarship to Cambridge - bummer)

@davidb: "just draw everything you can and keep practicing" Yup, I will remember that.

@fatcat: I thought drawing would be a good place to start. Thanks for the comments - I feel less lost now and a tad bit more confident in my journey to become (hopefully) a talent architect. I am interested about the music aspect of it. Please feel free to say a few more words on this, or perhaps you know of a URL or two that has more on the subject of architecture (both interior and exterior).

Thanks pals for your help. I really appreciated it. Hope to post some of my work soon for everyone to admire!

SJ

(Your focus determines your reality - I like that).

Welcome to Drawspace SJ. I know you'll do well here and find your way to drawing as well as you want. Start at the beginning, ask questions and practice. Everyone is here to help you.

Hello Samuel,
A few words.
It's all about organising space and that's also what music is doing. You can find in arch. all you find in music: rythm (a row of columns, for instance), melody (a curved shape), accents (let's say a tower-staircase on a mellow facade), accidents (no example here!) etc. The registry is diferent. Poetry it's here to help, as well, not to mention visual arts.
There are numberous websites about architecture... just type "architecture" in google.com and you'll find plenty. Try America's national hero in architecture (last time I checked, there may be others) namely Frank Lloyd Wright. Not to mention some old guys, back in Renaissance times. But you'll like Wright, I'm sure. Try Le Corbusier, Mies Van der Rohe, Antoni Gaudi, etc... there are so many of them! You'll grow to like it.
But: it's a very hard work, lots of practice, continuous research, and in the end, getting people to talk about you takes more than tallent, takes rich clients to afford your marvellous designs . There are examples, thou, of architects who never built but had amazing ideas.
I'll be back,
Fatcat

A hearty slap on the back from me to you fatcat.

I was hoping that the artistical abilites that I have in music could translate into Architecture.

What got me into architecture was reading about my idol Giorgio Armani. Armani was asked who was his favorite architect. He replied a Tadao Ando.

I did a yahoo search on this name. I fell in love with Tadao's designs. (Being a christian, his "Church of Light" was the greatest image I have ever seen).

Thanks for the other names - I will make ample research on each of them.

I will take one day at a time, having the strenght to practice even when I don't feel like it. I am sure with a little persistence and some divine inspiration I will be able to have Tadao's skill.


Thanks IslanderNL for your warm welcome. I love your blog.

SJ

PS. Besides Brenda's awesome lessons is there any book perhaps you guys could recommend this beginner

Welcome SJ to drawspace I am glad you like it in hire I am a student of landscape Arhitecture and I can tell you that you can learn a lot in hire by studing some of the lessons. Also if you have some questions be free ask and I will help if I can.
Learning to draw is basic for arhitecture, because it is great to have an idea but if you dont know how to put it on the paper, it is like you didnt even had an idea.
So belive me this is a good place to start.

Welcome to DrawSpace SJ ...I hope you enjoy this site as much as we all do ..

@imperor: One of the reasons I hadn't as yet taken these lessons seriously was that I believed that I was in the wrong place. But I needed your post to push me into the right direction. I had my doubts. Thanks for the confirmation that Brenda's lessons is the best place to start. I am studying at the University of The West Indies here in Trinidad. What school do you go to? (I wanna see the website so I can glean more info about the program you are studying). Thanks for the support mate.

@kim1963: Always love a cheerful smile! (Love ya avatar).

Welcome to Draw Space. I'm new here as well. You are gonna love this place

Hi Samuel -

Welcome to DrawSpace! Yes - this is probably a good place to draw - there are artists of all (or even no abilities) here! There's no such thing as someone that can't draw... just someone that hasn't done it enough.

Great.

Just got dumped by my girlfriend on the phone. Probably I was to bloody ugly.

Sorry to rant and rave - just didn't have anyone to talk to.

I'm sorry to hear that, do you mean your face was too ugly or your manner was too ugly? For the former I say who needs her and for the other ... well... which is it? Pick up a pencil and do some drawing I find it soothing and I forget everything else.
Paulette

Welcome to Drawspace - you probably could use some cheering up about now. Lots of friendly people here...... Use your art to help you through a bad time. It can relieve some of the stress and get your mind off of things.

@paulette4: As far as I can tell, my disposition and mannerisms have been one of kindness and gentleness and respectfullness (Probably too kind). My (former) girl told me last night that she found someone new, and that she "knows that there is someone out there for me..."

Cried myself to sleep last night.

But thanks for the encouraging words guys.

Now I remember watching an episode of the sitcom Caroline in the City where the character Richard Karinsky repeats to himself "pain is good for art.... pain is good for art" Well, if that is true, I may just turn into a Van Gogh


Oh well, life goes on right? Thanks for being supportive. The kind words really helped.

Time to make myself one hell of a breakfast.

It's in the past now. Loosen up and start dating again. The quicker, the better, trust me.

Now: Tadao Ando is too minimalist, too... japanese. He's great, no problem, but you have to put things into a context.
Myself I've lived all my life in 4 apartments, all small, with no particular view. That's why, while in arch. school I noticed that my lifestyle, my habits overlapped my first attempts of designing space; well, no wonder...
I looked in hundreds (well, not hundreds but creates an effect, doesn't it ?) architecture magazines and books and I saw beautiful things there. I wasn't able (me and many others ) to actually identify a principle, an idea and to put it into my design. Only bits and pieces. Here comes theory, a good guidance, a good teacher. In time, all these bits and pieces will come together and will form your vision, on architecture and... life.
So:
Understanding architecture takes a lot of seeing, walking through spaces you like, and of course, drawing. As a complementary traditional art (and here's a debate too: it's architecture an art or not?) I recommend also sculpture, but drawing it's a must.
I almost forgot: learn to sell your designs .
Fatcat

Words of wisdom as always fatcat (now is your cat really obese ?)

There is this pretty girl who I believe was flirting with me the past few months in school. Think I may give her a call tonight and tell her that I need a shoulder to lean on

Fatcat, you hit the nail on the head. It was just this evening (after stuffing myself with ice cream) that I reflected on the art of sculpture. I vaguely remember that there was some indian guy (I am indian) who lives in London and is a world famous sculpturer. I believed he designed some cool looking mirror in some town square. His name eludes me - ya know who I am talkin' 'bout?

Studying mathematics, I am expected to know everything before had. What formulas go where, where this curve meets that line, why negative values don't fit into a mathematical model and so on.

Truth be told, I am a bit afraid that I may become to confused and flustered when studing architecture. But as you said, things will start to fall into place soon enough. I like how you said that "...will form vision...and life". Guess that's what the art of architecture is about (yup I believe architecture is an art). Humanity. Connecting humanity. Giving physical and psychological safety. Giving emotional freedom. Giving psychological and spiritiual peace.

Ya, Tadao is a minimalist at heart. Simply Complex. I am interested in knowing what magazines you delved into. It's high time I start studing (I mean really studing) some famous architects. Just that I don't know where to start. I am interested to know what magazine I should subscribe to (recommend any?)

Good to know that if I find trouble in grasping Architecture, that I am not alone.
That FC.

Now where did I put that girl's number...

Hello Samuel,

It's a long time since I reviewed arch. magazines. There were actually school's, received as aid from I don't know what Belgian of French college, back in the '90 when Romania was newly born after anti-communist revolution. We looked at the pictures like children in the toy store and tried simply to translate a special window or a cable-house or even Tadao Ando, Kenzo Tange or others into our designs.

There are special people who can self-educate with success. Many of the biggest names in architecture started actually as civil engineers. There are opinions that architecture in fact is not even an ocupation, not to mention an art, because what a civil engineer can do, can be also named "architecture". There are a lot to be said. But, with all friendship i say this: don't waste time searching by yourself, unless this is just a hobby to you. Go to professionals, join a school, take all the old steps. "Classic is healthy" said someone once.

A fellow Romanian architect defected in US a long time ago and took a trial into a New York arch. firm. They asked him to design an office building. So my man calculated each inch of the building making it waterproof, fireproof, anti-earthquake, environmental-friendly, not too tall, not too small, talking Chinese and washing dishes. He was rejected. Why ? "You think like a poor man" was the answer. "Who told you to make all these ? We just wanted a design". All the professional he was, crumbled.

The above example is just an example, not even close to our discussion . What I wanted to point is that architecture - well the one I know - is a hard and volatile business. Mostly like... art. Everything depends on ... everything. Realizing one's vision is sometimes pure luck. I don't believe in pure passion any more, maybe that's my sin . Or maybe I'm just in a bad mood.

Fatcat
PS Sorry for "patronizing" tone above; and no, I don;t have a cat but in short time I'll be the one obese !

How are you today Samuel?

Did you call that girl?

After my divorce 4 years ago, I decided that I was going to teach myself how to draw. I've graduated to at least having my drawings look similar to that of which I am trying to draw. This is an accomplishment since I had no previous experience or any type of "gift". My first drawn picture looked like something I drew in 3rd grade. I'm new here too. If you stay, I will!!!

I just want to say welcome to drawspace. It's a great place for beginners aswell as intermidiate artists. I haven't been on in while so I thought I'd give someone a welcome. I hope you feel at home here. Everyone is supportive and just great people all around. Well take care and good luck to you.

@Farfallina: WOHOOO!!!
I had a blast the last few nights (and today also)!

Sorry for not writing sooner; it's just that I have been so busy having the time of my life (or the time of someone else's life )

Okay, so I called the girl Wednesday night and told her that how my girlfriend dumped me and the whole situation. To make a long story short, Neisha and I spent Thursday night, Friday night and the whole of today together.

We really hit it off (I even got to put my arm around her last night at the movies).

And now that holidays have started, I think we will be spending alot more time together. Now, I haven't gotten the chance to plant a kiss on her adorable lips, but who is rushing?

We have alot in common (some of which I didn't know) and she has such a warmer personality than my ex.

Man, I am one luck son of a gun!

@CeeThruMyEyes: I will hold you to that dude! I plan to stay. Now I must admit, things seem intimidating, but if Brenda can do it via self study, I am sure that both of us can. Now divorce. Yikes. I have seen the pain of divorce, as I grew up with my single parent mom. I remembered the pain I suffered when my ex gf broke up with me. I can only imagine what divorce feels like. But hey, more fish in the sea right?

@Kim: hey girl (aren't you a beauty - love the avatar). Thanks for the warm welcome. Everyone here has been sooo supportive (especially the fatcat) and I feel like I have made a dozen new friends. This is what life is about. Good art, good friends (and perhaps good food too.)

@fatcat: Trinidad has absolutely no architecture classes. Now I think I can give architecture a self study shot. Lemme give you a short history of my life:

When I was to begin my formal O Level training (secondary school examinations - the english people here will know what I am talking about) my moms got a physical and nervous break down. One thing lead to another and we ended up living in a one room apartment and I didn't have money to go to school. So I had to self study all my O (ordinary) Levels and A (advanced) levels and I came out with a partial scholarship. My self study, I believe has brought me into a new level of skilful understanding - understanding math and computer science. I hope that I can take the same techniques and apply it to the study of architecture.


Oh yeah, I told Neisha about you guys and my new journey in becoming a skilled artist. She said that I will have to do a portrait of her - when I do, I will make sure to post the image for all to see.

Woooo Hoooo - Sjerads - good for you. You must be one good looking dude to find another girl so fast. LOL

I'm really glad for you. It just shows you that its not the end of the world when that happens. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason for you was so that you could meet this young lady. ???

Anyway - I wish you luck.

HI man wasup. Sorry you waited for my reply for so long but I was occupied with my Faculty, had to meat some deadlines and stuf. I practicly havent had any social life in past one and half months. Sorry to hear about your girlfrend, but I see that you menaged to find evan beter one, so congratulations.
I am studying on Belgrade Universety in Serbia. You can chek the website but I must tell you that I am not sure how much you will find about studying program because some parts of the website is on serbian and dont have option for english. But I can tell you one thing it is realy hard one, also on the other side there are lot of beautiful girls, in my class there is about 80 students and only 17 of them are men.
So my point is that it is not that bad after all.
But as I sead if you need any information just ask.