My Building Challenge Results: 2 Minutes Per Building
I took my own 2-minute building challenge - same rules, same pressure, same timer. Here are my honest results: which buildings flowed naturally, which ones had me scrambling, and how the systematic approach held up under real pressure.
Time to put my money where my mouth is - again.
You've got the building challenge assignment, you understand the systematic approach, now let me show you how it actually works when I'm facing the same timer and the same pressure you are.
I recorded myself doing this exact challenge with these same building images. Same 2-minute limit, same rules, and definitely the same occasional "this is getting complicated" moments.
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Here's what actually happened when I tried to practice what I preach, hit play and watch video...
Building #1: Starting Simple (Thank Goodness)
Simple house - perfect way to ease into this. Found my closest corner, used my pencil to establish the angles. This one's going back pretty steep on one side, wider on the other.
About as equal wide as it is tall, so I could establish my basic box pretty quickly. Added the roof angle, figured out where that little lean-to section attached.
What worked: The extra time really helped here. I could measure relationships properly - if I stacked four equal sections tall, that's roughly the height. Those kind of proportional checks are harder to do in just one minute.
Reality check: Even with a "simple" house, there are still multiple sections to figure out. But the systematic approach kept me organized.
Building #2: When Things Get Complicated Fast
This one hit me with multiple connected buildings right away. Not just one box - a whole series of them.
Had to find the main angle, then figure out where the first building stops and the next one begins. Each section has its own proportions, but they all follow the same tracking system.
The breakthrough moment: Those tracking lines become your lifeline with complex architecture. Once I established the main perspective angle, I could draw series of parallel lines that guided everything else.
Strategic reminder: I kept thinking "box things out first" - don't get lost in the architectural details, just establish the major masses.
Building #3: The Circular Challenge
Corner building with curved sections - now we're mixing boxes and tubes.
Found the bottom angle, established how it wraps around. The key insight here: that circular section is still following perspective rules. It's basically a tube that tracks around the corner following the same perspective system.
What I learned: Even when buildings have curves, you can still use the systematic approach. The circular part tracks around the perspective lines just like rectangular sections do.
Added balcony details, railings, doors - but only after getting the main structure solid.
Building #4: Tubes and Boxes Combined
Another complex one with that curved section connecting to rectangular masses. This time I approached it as a box connected to a tube - two basic shapes working together.
The tracking revelation: All those windows and doorways follow the tracking lines. The ones on the side get skinnier as they recede. The columns all follow the same perspective system.
Time management: With only 2 minutes, I had to prioritize. Get the main structure, indicate the major divisions, suggest details without getting lost in them.
Building #5: When Very Complicated Becomes Manageable
This looked intimidating at first - multiple buildings, different heights, that spire going way up. But the systematic approach broke it down.
Main building first: Established the primary box going back in space. Then additions: Another building joining it, then stacking another box on top. Finally details: That spire tracking upward following the same perspective system.
Key insight: As buildings recede, the tracking lines get steeper. Things get more angled as they move toward the vanishing point. The perspective becomes more obvious, not less.
Building #6: Series of Connected Structures
Row of buildings, each with different proportions but all following the same perspective system.
Found that main bottom angle, established the top tracking line. The end building is roughly twice as wide as the middle sections.
Proportional thinking: Used one section to measure the others. This building is about two of those, that section is about half of this one.
The tracking magic: Once I got those main perspective lines established, every roof, every window row, every detail had a clear place to go.
Building #7: Another Tube-and-Box Combination
This one had multiple cylindrical sections connected to rectangular masses. Same approach - identify the basic shapes, understand how they connect, let tracking lines guide the details.
Complex made simple: Bigger tube, smaller tube, rectangular sections - all following the same perspective system.
Details under pressure: With limited time, I had to indicate windows getting smaller as they recede, show the roof wrapping around the curved sections, suggest rather than render.
Building #8: Three-Section Challenge
Two main sections plus an attached addition. Each part has its own proportions but they all track together.
The systematic advantage: Because I understand tracking lines, I could quickly establish where each section connects and how they relate to each other.
Window management: Indicated windows on the front (larger) and side (getting smaller as they recede). Let tracking lines tell me where everything belongs.
Building #9: The Barn Variation
Simpler architectural style but still requiring systematic thinking. Main barn plus attached sections.
Different challenge: This one tested whether the approach works for more rural/agricultural architecture, not just urban buildings.
Same principles: Find closest corner, establish angles, build out the connected masses following tracking lines.
Building #10: Round Tower Integration
Curved tower section integrated with rectangular buildings. Mixed geometric forms all following the same perspective system.
The finale insight: That round section tracks around eye level, then curves back following the perspective. Even complex curved architecture follows predictable rules.
Detail management: Indicated fancy windows, architectural details, but always as additions to solid structural foundation.
What I Learned About My Own Teaching
The extra minute matters: Buildings really do benefit from that additional time, but not for adding details - for better structural understanding.
Tracking lines are everything: With architecture, those perspective guidelines become obvious helpers rather than hidden principles.
Complex becomes manageable: Even the most intimidating buildings break down into connected basic shapes.
Time pressure reveals true understanding: When you can't overthink, you default to whatever method feels most natural. I was relieved that my systematic approach held up under pressure.
The Honesty Assessment
Buildings that flowed well: The simpler residential structures, buildings with obvious rectangular masses, anything where tracking lines were clear.
Buildings that challenged me: Multiple curved sections, buildings with many small additions, structures where proportions weren't immediately obvious.
Overall feeling: More confident than with cars, actually. Architecture really does make tracking lines more obvious, which makes the systematic approach easier to apply.
Timing reality: Two minutes felt right for buildings. Enough time to think through complex structures without getting lost in details.
The Teaching Takeaway
What I love about this challenge is how it proves that good drawing isn't about artistic talent or architectural knowledge. It's about seeing clearly and applying systematic principles.
Every single building, no matter how complex, started with the same approach: basic shapes, perspective angles, tracking relationships.
The buildings that went well weren't easier buildings - they were buildings where I stuck most closely to the systematic method.
Complete Foundation Drawing Series:
- How to Draw Cars: Foundation Method - Master the systematic box approach
- 1-Minute Car Drawing Challenge - Test your skills under pressure
- Teacher Car Challenge Results - Real demonstration under pressure
- Student Car Drawing Critique - Learn from common mistakes
- Understanding Tracking Lines - The observation skill that changes everything
- How to Draw Buildings: Foundation Method - Apply systematic approach to architecture
- The 2-Minute Building Challenge - Test your foundation skills with buildings
- My Building Challenge Results ← You are here
- Student Building Critiques - Coming next
Which building in my challenge surprised you most? And more importantly - how did YOUR building challenge go? Drop a comment and let me know which ones felt manageable and which ones had you questioning everything when that 2-minute timer ran out!
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