Spanish bougainvillea – a drawing tutorial with Dan Hogman

Architect and artist Dan Hogman sketches a charming bougainvillea laden Spanish door with details captivating enough to make it look real.

by Dan HogmanPublished on : Aug 13, 2019

“While a photo is a direct representation of a subject, a sketch looks deeper into the author’s feeling and state of mind, at that time and place. The process of freehand sketching today is more relevant than ever. It’s not just a way to 'interpret' a subject. It’s a way of seeing, observing, understanding the space," says avid architecture and urban sketcher Dan Hogman.

In this video here, the artist brings alive a beautiful Spanish door that he probably captured during one of his many travels. The wooden batten door, with a cloud of ornamental bougainvillea on the top, is revealed in mesmerising detailing of myriad patterns and textures. The documentation of this impressive doorway by Hogman definitely calls for attention, as it hints at hiding a secret getaway.

Watch this space every Wednesday for more tutorials by Dan Hogman.

Read on:

What do you think?

Exploring Los Angeles - a drawing tutorial with Dan Hogman

by Dan HogmanJun 03, 2019

Architecture01 min. read

Landscape architecture – a drawing tutorial with Dan Hogman

by Dan HogmanAug 07, 2019

About Author

Dan Hogman

Past Contributor

Dan boasts of a diverse portfolio of projects - high rise commercial, residential, mixed-use, housing, institutional and master planning, employing creative solutions that are efficient, contextually appropriate and aesthetically uncompromising. An avid architectural sketcher with a sharp eye and trained hand, he focuses on capturing the essence of his design concepts in quick hand sketches or elaborate BIM models.

Soil Stories: a pavilion and a soaring roof to foster community, ecology and chess

Architecture 05 mins. read

Soil Stories: a pavilion and a soaring roof to foster community, ecology and chess

Sep 02, 2026

by Pranjal Maheshwari Sep 02, 2026

Designed by Kerala-based Magicline Studio for a retired teacher and acclaimed chess player, the multimodal pavilion and its porous walls rest gently amid the landscape.

The Balearic Social Housing Model and its systems’ hacks win the OBEL Award 2026

Architecture 08 mins. read

The Balearic Social Housing Model and its systems’ hacks win the OBEL Award 2026

Sep 01, 2026

by Mrinmayee Bhoot Sep 01, 2026

For its current award cycle, the Denmark-based institute looks at architecture as part of larger, ongoing processes, and practices hacking into incumbent systems to benefit all.

The Bangladesh embassy in Bhutan spans distinct contexts with a central water body

Architecture 06 mins. read

The Bangladesh embassy in Bhutan spans distinct contexts with a central water body

Aug 28, 2026

by Mrinmayee Bhoot Aug 28, 2026

Dhaka-based architecture studio SHATTOTO designs the Bangladesh Chancery Complex and Ambassador's Residence by balancing Bhutanese traditional details with a distinctly Bangla character.

Architectural Fantasies: An alt-stream of idiosyncratic American architecture

Architecture 11 mins. read

Architectural Fantasies: An alt-stream of idiosyncratic American architecture

Aug 27, 2026

by Jincy Iype Aug 27, 2026

Tra Publishing’s new title by Jo Farb Hernández surveys 60+ self-built ‘art environments’ across the US, where creativity, improvisation and whimsy expand the architectural canon.