sonianicolson.com

Hi, I’m Sonia - Architect, Educator and the artist behind Reykjavík Sketcher. Follow me on Instagram @sonianicolson

Architect & former University Lecturer helping architecture students get in, stand out and feel confident 🎓
⬇️ FREE Architect Lettering Workbook
sonianicolson.com | ✍🏼 Reykjavík Sketcher I help students, creatives and women in design build confidence in their skills, draw just like an architect, and design careers they love. I share my life in Iceland with my Viking and our two bilingual kids, while documenting life in Iceland through hand-drawn sketches and commissions.

17/03/2026

How to write like an architect ✍🏼

How to Write Like an Architect ✍🏼📐 Ever noticed how architects have that super clear, all-caps handwriting? It’s not just aesthetic, it’s functional. Clean, legible, confident lettering is a skill anyone can learn. Here’s how to get started 👇🏼 ➖ Think like a designer. Architectural letters are drawn, not scribbled. Straight verticals, tidy curves (more oval than round), and subtle upward slants = the secret sauce. 🟰 Use guide lines. Practice between a top and baseline so every letter fits neatly inside its own box. Consistency over perfection. ✖️ Cross your lines. Overlapping lines create cleaner intersections, just like in drawings. ✍🏼 Keep practising. You’ll develop your own confident, stylised look in time. The goal? Letters that look designed, not rushed. — ✍🏼 Want to learn how to Write Like an Architect? This free workbook is perfect for: ✔ Students building portfolios ✔ Sketchbook lovers ✔ Designers who want crisp, confident lettering 📩 DM me “LETTERING” and I’ll send it to you right away (or grab it via the link in my bio) 📌 save this if you want to improve your drawings ➕ follow @sonianicolson for tutorials, tips, and creative support — 👩🏻‍💻 I’m Sonia - Chartered Architect, Educator & Creative Mentor. I help students and creative entrepreneurs design and build fulfilling careers in interior design, architecture, and urban sketching. — #howtowritelikearchitect #architectlettering #architecturallettering #architecturestudent #interiordesignstudent #portfoliohelp #architecttips #handdrawing #architecthandwriting #sketchbookinspo #letteringpractice #creativebusinessmentor #drawjustlikeanarchitect

13/03/2026

I help architecture students feel more confident through hand drawing because when you draw something by hand, you can’t hide from the idea - you have to understand it - and that clarity changes everything.

11/03/2026

Most architecture students don’t lack talent. They lack clear, calm teaching.

You’re not behind - you’re learning.

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10/03/2026

Architecture didn’t start with software. It started with thinking.

✍🏼 Hand drawing isn’t about being “old school”. It’s about learning how to see, decide, and communicate ideas clearly.

Software comes later. The thinking comes first.

✍🏼 Follow for calm, practical architecture advice.

09/03/2026

Feeling behind is one of the most common things I hear from architecture students.

It’s not a personal failure.
It’s part of learning how to think differently.

You don’t need to rush this.
You need time, repetition, and support.

Most first-year students feel like everyone else gets it faster. That doesn’t mean you’re bad at architecture. It means you’re learning something complex for the first time.

📌 SAVE this for later
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26/02/2026

When I was teaching first year Interior Architecture & Design, the students who were struggling were almost never the least capable.

They were the ones who hadn’t been shown how to:

👉🏼 Read their own drawings
👉🏼 Explain their ideas
👉🏼 Communicate their thinking clearly

That’s not a talent problem. That’s a teaching gap and it’s exactly what I worked on with them.

Once they understood what tutors were actually looking for, their confidence changed very quickly - and their work did too.

If you’re an architecture or design student and you feel like you’re guessing your way through studio, you’re not the only one.

This page exists to make the things that were never properly explained…simple and calm.

💬 What’s one thing you feel like you’ve had to figure out on your own?

💁🏻‍♀️ Hi, I’m Sonia - architect, former university lecturer & mentor. I help students communicate their ideas through hand drawing and visual thinking.

➕ follow for calm, clear architecture guidance

23/02/2026

Most students don’t struggle with drawing because they’re “bad at drawing”. They struggle because no one ever explained perspective properly.

When I was teaching first-year Interior Architecture, this was the moment everything clicked for my students, and their work improved immediately.

So I turned that exact method into a step-by-step workbook.

Inside you’ll learn:
- How to set up 1 & 2 point perspective
- Where the eye line actually goes
- How to scale people and furniture correctly
- How to make your drawings look spatial, not flat

This is for: Architecture students, Interior Design students, and your Portfolio preparation.

Available now: https://sonianicolson.com/shop-sonia-nicolson/how-to-draw-perspectives-ebook

If you want confident, clear drawings - this is your starting point.

Sonia Nicolson
Architect & former University Lecturer

23/02/2026

Architecture & Interior Design Students...this is for you.

One of the biggest things that instantly makes a portfolio look more professional is architectural lettering. But most students were never actually taught how to do it.

So I created a FREE Workbook to help you:
- Improve your layout instantly
- Make your drawings look more professional
- Build confidence in your presentation

This is the same method I taught my university students. Download your FREE copy here: https://subscribepage.io/l6o6d3

If you're applying to study architecture or building your portfolio - start with this.

Sonia Nicolson
Architect & former University Lecturer
Helping students draw with confidence.