The purpose of this article is to define the distinctive characteristics of architectural drawing in relation to the broader field of the art of drawing. In seeking to identify the characteristics that distinguish an architect’s graphic activities from drawing in the broad sense as a field of the visual arts, the author turns his attention to the psychological aspects of seeing space and the purpose behind the creation of artefacts. One of the key factors here is the analytical process of identifying spatial relationships and deciding which elements of the composition should be recounted and brought out visually in relation to the others, as the deliberate omission of the latter will only serve to enhance the clarity of the design concept or the record of observations from life. This approach to the act of drawing emphasises the importance of careful observation, which enables the artist to transfer a seen or imagined object onto the substrate through visual memory. Sketches, conceptual drawings, working drawings, and fi nally illustrations and architectural visualisations play many important roles in the design process – from recording initial, vague ideas, through increasingly precise depictions of the building’s layout, form and structure, as well as its systems and building materials, to compelling visualisations. It is worth noting, however, that the subject of architectural drawing is not limited solely to the design process. Every drawing that recognises the proportions and geometric relationships of its subject, even in an abstract interpretation – one that diff ers from visual experience – possesses characteristics that bring it closer to the architectural way of thinking.