The Secret iPad Drawing Shortcut Your Competitors Will Envy

Architects and designers are under constant pressure to present design ideas quickly — and beautifully enough to move clients toward decisions. Hand sketches don’t cut it anymore, and 3D models often bog you down with too much detail, way too early.

But what if there were a way to blend speed, beauty, and precision into a single workflow — one that keeps your options open while impressing clients in real time?

Click the image below to watch the full video on YouTube.

The Shortcut Workflow

In this lesson (taken straight from my Procreate Accelerator course, now available as part of my new Live Draw-Along Workshop), you’ll see how to turn a rough idea into a compelling rendering in less than two hours.

The process starts by importing a site photograph, expanding it, and establishing perspective lines with nothing more than a red pen. From there, you drop in plan and section sketches, align them in perspective, and use Procreate’s drawing assist to build forms on the fly.

Once the framework is in place, the magic begins:

• Block in color and texture with brushes that mimic vegetation, stone, and water

• Layer shadows using Multiply blend mode for instant realism

• Add entourage and details to bring the design to life

The result? Renderings that carry the charm of hand drawing with the speed and clarity of digital design. My colleague Don Nesmith and I used this exact workflow to prepare a backyard concept in time for a client meeting — and it worked.

Why This Matters

In today’s competitive design world, the ability to move from idea to polished presentation in hours — not days — is what sets you apart. This workflow not only saves time, it also keeps your design process open-ended. Instead of locking into overly specific models, you’re free to explore and iterate while still producing presentation-ready images.

Download the Free File
To follow along, download the free Procreate file that accompanies this lesson:
👉 Download the Free File

Learn More
If you’d like to dive deeper, my Live Draw-Along Workshop includes this lesson plus four more weeks of guided practice. You’ll also get lifetime access to my entire self-guided course library — so you can revisit these workflows anytime.
👉 Learn about the Live Draw-Along Workshop

Closing Thought
Whether you’re an experienced architect trying to stand out, or a young designer looking to speed up your workflow, this shortcut gives you a competitive edge. It blends the speed of digital with the charm of hand drawing — and once you try it, you’ll never go back.