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Vector Collage
Hamza Shaikh
Title: Instagram:
Architectural designer, @hamzashaikh.design
artist, podcaster

Story
I’ve always been obsessed with deep expression through art. During my
days in high school, I would regularly be in detention, and it was eventually
agreed by my art teachers and head of year that I could spend my detained
lunchtimes in the art studio. This was a deal negotiated out of sympathy for
my continual isolation albeit deserved at times. However, my ‘misconduct’
–

at school was out of sheer frustration at the monotonous routines, plain

textbooks and the numbingly uncreative environment I was in. As a result,
I began my personal artistic explorationsat a young age while being
cognisant of ways to be entrepreneurial about it. Growing up, I loved
the works of Wassily Kandinsky. My mother had a print of Yellow Red Blue
framed in house, and I found myself subconsciously painting in a similar
our

Deconstructivist, Expressionist style. Little did I know that Kandinsky’s

Bauhaus-inspired works would gradually lead me into a deep interest
in architecture.

FIND ME:

DOI: 10.4324/9781003351740-4
 Inspiration
After entering architectural education, I was enthralled by the artistic
expression encouraged during the conceptual stages of a project. I was
especially surprised by this, because I had always believed architecture
was just about making either completely functional or ornamental

buildings. I didn’t know one could design using hard rationality while
also being relentlessly creative. To my delight, I learned that this was
the sole aim of architecture: to be rational and artistic at the same time.
At this point I became passionate about learning of the world and its
politics, philosophies, cultures, and sciences. I was excited to find that
architecture could be used as a tool to effect positive change, drawing on

multiple tangential fields in the search for harmony.

I began to love the process of trying to find big issues to solve
through architecture, and I felt this is where all good concepts come
from. However, after graduating and with a great deal of hindsight, I
realised that all drawings start with a thought. Sometimes a simple
thought even a subconscious thought. That is why, often, my drawings
–

are merely a record of my thoughts and instinctive ideas. I love to draw

through improvisation, and some of my best drawings/designs came from

just putting pen to paper and seeing what happened!

Vector Collage
Process
I work in
multiple mediums using various tools, devices and interfaces. I
am obsessively curious about drawing mediums and experimenting with
new forms of representation fascinates me. That is why you may find that I
don’t have an obvious ‘style’ of drawing as much as the other contributors
in this book.
Committing to one style and medium of drawing is to deny myself
the joy of experimenting and discovering new things. Sometimes a new
drawing medium can unlock new ideas due to varying forms of expression
and their differing visual effects. To
just mediums, I use
name some

pencils, fine liners, fountain pens, marker pens, watercolours, graphite

sticks, paper collages, oil pastels, Photoshop and iPad digital sketching
tools.
Collage is my favourite way of generating compositions. I am not
afraid to utilise existing drawings to generate my own ideas. I often
reuse my own past drawings, finding a part of the drawing that intrigues

me; I cut it out, rotate it, draw on top of it. I find textures that satisfy me;
existing facades photographs of surfaces I see around inside/outside.
or

My methods always changing. I don’t know if I ever will commit to one

are

style and method I just find the experimentation too enjoyable.

–

Drawing Attention
Tips

Always focus on the broader

composition of drawing to start
with – details later. It’s the
come

same as an essay start with

–you

the structure and chapters, then

you get into the details.

Be confident with your pencil strokes.

Hard, fast and uncontrolled movements
can make a drawing more powerful, as

it seems purposeful. Try this by doing

10-second sketches of detailed objects.
 Ve
If drawing is very large, remember
a

to yourself time and work

save

smart. Only draw clear details where

the drawing will be perceived up
close. Be very rough with details
in the distance, as nobody will
see them properly.

Hamza
Shaikh
Step by Step 2.

You will recognise this drawing from the front cover. It is called
‘Parasitic Lexicon’, and I call the method of drawing ‘Vector
Collage’. It was initially done as an improvised sketch while I was
on a train. I was experimenting with this new method of drawing

where I draw extremely detailed ‘pieces’ and then collage

them together erasing; adding lines and textural expression
–

where I feel they are needed. This drawing was primarily a

composition exercise, but my underlying interests in parasitic
architecture inspired it. It could be described as a sectional
drawing denoting a parasitic spatial system embellished with
an architectural lexicon. This type of drawing is instinctive to

me, and for that reason, if I was ever to commit to a specific

style of artistic expression, it would be this.
When I was thinking of a front cover for this book, I thought
about the concept of creating a drawing which expressed the
notion of ‘drawing as communication’. I instantly realised that

my early sketch of this drawing would be perfect, because

it already used symbolism and abstracted architectural

language. However, I decided to take the drawing one

step further by expressing the symbolism more and even
writing words within the linework making the words and
–

artwork intertwined in true parasitic spirit. The result was

a finished piece which showed that drawings and words
Work detail into the composition, exploring different architectural styles and
can be indistinguishable and interchangeable as forms of forms. Fill in the gaps with texture and connective components to indicate
communication and language. structural realism. Introduce objects into a physical dimension, by grounding
The aim of a vector collage is to take a rough sketch collage it subjecting it to the laws of physics. Here I use an ‘anchor’ attaching the
–

and translate it into a vector-based drawing, maintaining its composition to a wall (on the left).

organic feel. This could seem like an impossible task, as the

linework can be immensely detailed; however, an app called 3.
Vectornator allowed me to hand-draw vectors on my iPad with
ease and great speed.

Tools: Vectornator, iPad, Apple Pencil, Procreate

1.

Using an iPad, Apple Pencil and the app Procreate, roughly draw a detailed After multiple rotations and precise cutting, copying and collaging of the
architectural element. For me, this is a device or machine with umbrella-like fragments, start to build up the composition further. By cutting different
arms and various tensile structures attached to it. Think about elements with pieces out of the original fragment and its amalgamated combinations,
architectural relevance/function. In my case, I am thinking about high-tech erasing and redrawing various components, and scaling specific pieces
architecture and parasitic forms which embrace the existing built fabric. down/up, the composition can begin to take on an architectural form.
Try drawing without a reference and create your own forms, including hints
of texture and materiality in the device.
4. 6.

With the introduction of darker fills and thick lines to denote sectional Within the app, using the Draw tool, draw the thickest lines that sit in the
language, the composition starts to reveal its spatial characteristics. This is foreground of the sketch, making sure to fade this layer and create different
where you can further introduce recognisable architectural symbolism to line weights. Draw the outline of shapes that you know will need to be filled
the drawing, such as dashed lines, crosshatches, shrubs and structure. with a solid colour or texture later.

5.

7.

After the digital compositional sketch collage is complete, import the JPEG into
Vectornator. This app allows you to draw over the sketch with CAD/vector lines
(like AutoCAD, Illustrator or MicroStation) but with the ease of a pencil stroke
as opposed to the click of a mouse. This provides immense speed, control and You should have at least one layer of lines with a much finer weight to give the
fluidity in the vector drawing. Make sure to set up various line weights and drawing real depth. These lines capture the finer details, texture/hatches and
layers properly before drawing. any other improvised additions.
8. 10.

Next,you can draw some words that seep and morph into the drawing. Draw To finish the drawing, add the black solid fills in Adobe Illustrator (Vectornator
these on a separate layer with the rest of the artwork visible so that you know is not great with solid fills). The solid black fills were a crucial part of the
how to seamlessly integrate the linework into the curves of the drawing. These drawing and really show the depth of layering. By using these two different
don’t have to be words they could be other drawn elements.
–
vector-based programs, you can maximise your drawing capability.

9. 11.

With all three of these ‘families’ of linework layered on top of each other, the The last step is to add the embellishments being careful not to overdo an
–

original sketch can be represented in a crisp and detailed vector-based already complicated drawing. This includes some of the architectural symbols
drawing. The composition is complete apart from the finishing touches. such as arrows, hatches, radii and tonal fills.
“Don’t be afraid
to revisit a past
drawing... New is
not always better.”