VISUAL AND IMAGINATIVE PRINCIPLES OF FORM-MAKING IN ARCHITECTURE: THE SYNTHESIS OF DRAWING, PAINTING, AND DIGITAL VISUALIZATION

Abstract

The article examines the visual and imaginative principles of form-making in architecture through the synthesis of academic drawing, painting, and digital visualization. The aim of the study is to identify the role of traditional artistic disciplines and digital tools in the formation of an architectural image, as well as to analyze the patterns of their interaction in contemporary design practice and professional training of architects and designers. Particular attention is paid to defining the principles of sequential and iterative form-making based on the interaction of analog and digital visualization tools. Research methods. The study employs a complex of methods, including formal-compositional and artistic-analytical analysis of architectural images, comparative analysis of analog and digital visualization tools, visual observation, and structural-semantic analysis. The research is based on the examination of educational and professional architectural projects that demonstrate a gradual and cyclical transition from hand drawing and painterly interpretation of form to digital models and visualizations. Results. The research reveals that drawing and painting remain fundamental instruments of architectural thinking, enabling deep spatial and imaginative comprehension of a design concept. Digital visualization significantly expands the possibilities of architectural representation, enhancing its communicative and presentational capacity; however, it also requires critical consideration due to the risks of standardization and the dominance of visual effect over conceptual thinking. The article proposes a model of interaction between drawing, painting, and digital visualization as complementary stages of a unified creative and design process. The synthesis of analog and digital means contributes to the creation of an integral visual and imaginative structure of an architectural object, combining artistic intuition, constructive logic, and technological precision. Conclusions. The visual and imaginative principles of architectural form-making are grounded in the interaction of drawing, painting, and digital visualization as complementary components of a unified creative process. The proposed approach makes it possible to interpret architectural form-making as a dynamic and iterative system in which analog and digital tools are not opposed to each other but function in interrelation. Such a synthesis ensures the multidimensionality of the architectural image, improves the quality of design solutions, and fosters the development of professional thinking in future architects and designers. The findings are relevant for the advancement of architectural education and for understanding contemporary trends in architectural visual culture.