Landscape Sketching & Architectural Rendering takes beginners through the fundamentals of drawing landscapes and buildings using Allan Staines’ clear, step-by-step teaching approach. First published in 2014, it applies the same easy-to-follow methods that made his construction manuals popular with apprentices and builders.
What’s covered: The book starts with choosing appropriate drawing equipment, then progresses through essential skills: visualising perspective, creating tonal values, and understanding composition. Each concept is demonstrated with clear examples that show you exactly how to apply the techniques.
Subject matter: Beyond general landscape sketching, the manual covers individual landscape elements (trees, rocks, water, foliage), seascapes, and architectural rendering in both pencil and pen-and-ink. This makes it useful whether you’re sketching natural scenes or drawing buildings and structures.
Teaching approach: Allan Staines uses the same “show-me-how” style that Building Books Australia customers know from his construction manuals – breaking complex subjects into manageable steps with clear demonstrations. Beginners can follow the progression from basic sketches through to confident rendering, while experienced artists will find new approaches and techniques to broaden their style.
Technical specifications:
- First published 2014
- 110 pages
- Step-by-step demonstrations
- Covers pencil and pen-and-ink techniques
- Landscape, seascape and architectural subjects
- Available through Building Books Australia
Who it’s for: Beginner artists learning landscape and architectural drawing, builders and architects wanting to improve sketching skills, experienced artists looking for new techniques and approaches, and anyone interested in drawing Australian landscapes and buildings.




