At the stage when architects or their clients need an accurate portrait of their buildings-to-be, renderers, also called delineators or architectural illustrators, who are often architects themselves, are employed for their special skills.
Architectural drawings function both to describe and entice. Used to sell a project and therefore critical to the success of a firm, they are often beautiful artworks on their own. Unlike most other types of drawings, architectural drawings are not pictures of existing things, but realistic portrayals of complex ideas.
With computers now commonplace in architectural practice, historical architectural drawings in pencil, pen, and watercolor are increasingly valued as compelling art and windows onto the past. Historical architectural drawings are included in the collections of major art museums worldwide.
