How to Draw a Gazebo
The process of drawing a gazebo is just like building a real one with wood--step by step. These instructions are for how to do a freehand drawing of a decorative Victorian gazebo in a resplendent Victorian backyard floral garden. A freehand drawing is one in which the artist captures the qualities of the subject through expressive line work that is sourced from the lines in the actual subject. During the 19th century, Victorian gazebos were often described as "pieces of heaven." This drawing should reflect the feeling of a sanctuary in nature where people could lounge and enjoy life, sit and draw portraits of each other or have a cool glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.
Things You'll Need
- White drawing paper, 9 inches by 12 inches
- 6 drawing pencils, 4B
- Pencil sharpener
- Soft eraser
Instructions
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How to Do a Freehand Drawing of a Victorian Gazebo
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Study Victorian gazebos and familiarize yourself with what they looked like and where they were placed in a yard. Usually, they were built behind the Victorian mansion, and often reflected the mansion's ornate architectural details. Old-fashioned gazebos look like fancy tiered wedding cakes with lots of frosting on them.
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Sketch in the basic lines of the gazebo and the surrounding yard. Begin by sketching a large triangle shape in the top center area of the page to represent the main roof. Draw a large box shape under this triangle to represent the body of the gazebo. Trim off the peak of the triangle by drawing a horizontal line from one side to the other to represent the base of the gazebo's cupola (mounted on top of the main roof). Sketch another small box for the cupola on that horizontal line and add a small triangular roof to the top of it. Finish these main forms by drawing a large narrow, rectangular box at the bottom of the main box to represent the floor and steps up to the gazebo.
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3
Continue sketching, adding curved lines for the foliage to the left and right of the building (These early lines can look like cumulus cloud shapes.). Be sure to extend the lines of the foliage on the sides of the gazebo up into the sky area and arch them slightly above the gazebo's roof. This will give the impression that the gazebo is nestled inside a closed-in garden space. Next, from either the right or lower left corner, draw two wide diagonal parallel lines that converge as they reach the base of the gazebo to represent the stone walkway.
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Now, draw in the two vertical side column posts of the gazebo (one on far left, one on far right), allowing some of the front foliage lines to overlap them. In doing so, the overlapping foliage will create depth in the drawing. Continue sketching in the remaining middle column posts, face boards underneath the roof, as well as the steps leading up to the floor of the gazebo. Draw in one pair of horizontal handrails between the posts, about one-third the way up each post from the base. Leave the space between the two center posts open for the doorway.
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Fill in the lines and angles of the main roof, working your way up to the cupola where you will have to add small posts, face board lines, a base and handrails as well as details to the small triangular roof.
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Develop the foliage more. Make the foliage believable by overlapping the rounded cloud forms over one another. Don't worry about the foliage being perfect. The foliage should be sketched more freely than the straight architectural lines of the gazebo so as to contrast the difference between natural forms and man-made forms. Don't forget that the gazebo is to be integrated with nature. Blend the foliage in and draw the natural forms growing up on it, around it and against it. Add rounded stepping stones to the walkway, starting with larger rock forms in the foreground and diminishing the size and textures of the stones as they approach the gazebo.
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Now add fine detailing to the gazebo. First add decorative corbels to the posts and the face boards. Draw the shapes of the corbels first, adding curvilinear line details (Corbels are decorative brackets used on Victorian porches. Victorian designers would use forms from nature, such as shells, leaves and floral forms, as the basis for corbel designs.).
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Add "sawtooth" lines (like a crimping scissors' lines) to the middle of the face boards, and draw in corbels and sawtooth lines on the cupola. Finish off the cupola with a decorative finial (a crowning ornament).
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Sketch in a series of short, parallel diagonal lines coming down from the handrails, extending to the floor of the gazebo. Repeat and cross these lines with another set of diagonal lines going the other direction. This diagonal series of lines will represent the latticework below the handrails, similar to latticework found below the porch floors of old houses.
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Finish the drawing by completing details that you feel will enhance your drawing. Add details to the steps. Lightly draw in foliage on the far side of the gazebo. Drawing less detail here is fine. Not everything in a freehand drawing needs to be completed. Be careful here. If you draw too much detail into the foliage areas, it will detract from the delicate details you have created in the gazebo. It is only necessary to create an impression of foliage surrounding the gazebo. Use detailed line work for things such as flowers in the foreground, or delicate foliage close to the gazebo itself.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want a more finished black line drawing of the gazebo, lay a piece of tracing paper over the sketch you've created and trace over your freehand line drawing with a black marker.
According to architectural historian H. Russell Zimmerman, in the Victorian era, line drawings of buildings with gazebos were placed in newspapers by architects to proudly announce the building of their designs.
Look at the work of autistic genius Steven Wiltshire who draws buildings and cities from memory to give you an idea of the creative possibilities for freehand drawings of buildings.
Keep all your drawing pencils sharp and ready to use, so you don't lose concentration while drawing by having to get up and sharpen your pencils. Breaks in your concentration will adversely affect your results.
