If you need to draw an abandoned building or place, Clip studio assets offer a variety of tools to create an atmospheric scene.

From 3D models and brushes to textures and image materials.

 

In this guide, I collected the most useful tools that hopefully will be helpful to you.

3D models and primitives

Clip Studio Assets offers a variety of different pre-made 3D models of items such as old houses, destroyed or cracked walls and pillars, and shacks.

 

You can choose a 3D model that will be the base of your drawing.

Download the asset from Clip Studio and place it on your canvas.

You can adjust the angle of the camera to your liking and covert the 3D object layer to Lines and Tones by going to Layer -> Convert to lines and Tones.

 

However, if you need to build a scene from scratch, you can use a grid and primitive shapes to help you create a 3D base for your drawing.

 

Use primitive 3D objects to create different shapes.

You can also use primitive shapes to add details to already existing models and draw over them.

 

 

When you convert the layer with 3D objects, you get a new folder with the line art and the fill and the original layer is not deleted.

You can use the original 3D layer to add more details to your drawing over the already converted line art.

 

 

Convert the 3D object to Lines and Tones and then use the 3D object layer to add a primitive shape and draw over it on a new layer.

 

Afterwards hide the 3D object layer and combine the two line art layers together.

Line art and texture brushes

You can find many different brushes for line art that help achieve a more worn out and decayed texture.

 

 

You can also find very specificvbrushes, like this amazing brush for shattered glass.

Brushes like these speed up the drawing process and help add more details to your drawing.

Some brushes have a white background colour.

If you're not sure yet what colour palette you'll be using, keep the fill colour white and then simply change your lineart layer properties to Linear Burn.

 

Instead of converting the shapes it's better to draw over them to avoid making the scene look too "clean".

If you are using a 3D model of a structure that does not appear to be damaged in any way, you can use these brushes to add details that will create a feeling that the place was abandoned.

 

This is how the 3D object looks like when converted to Lines and Tones:

And this is how the image can look when you add details with different brushes:

Construction material is a very important factor to consider when drawing an abandoned place.

A house made entirely out of wood will fall apart in about 50 years or even faster where as a house made out of stone will last for more than a century.

 

One of the biggest dangers to an abandoned building is water!

Water dissolves drywall, rots wood, rusts metal and melts plaster, and during winter when the weather gets cold and freezes the water in place, it weakens the strength of concrete and masonry.

 

Add more texture and details to the structure by accentuating the places affected by water the most.

Use an extra layer of texture to convey the corrosion and decay of the building.

Add more texture to the walls to convey how old is the structure.

Vegetation

Water also invites other undesirable elements into the building, like growth of plants, fungi and moss. Vegetation will attracts birds and animals, who will also contribute to decay of the building.

If you look up pictures of abandoned places, you’ll see how much vegetation they host.

The longer the building stays uninhabited, the more space plants will take up.

Drawing a lot of vegetation is a great way to show for how long this place was abandoned.

 

Draw a lot of vegetation to indicate the passage of time.

I recommend starting by adding plants and moss along the walls and on the floor where the cracks are more visible and prominent and then add more details, like vines and flowers.

 

Remember the more time had passed since the place was abandoned, the less it will look like it was inhabited before.

Nature will slowly take over and claim it back.

You can add more details like shattered glass on the floor, dust, dirt and even broken furniture.

 

In case you're drawing a relatively recently abandoned house where the interior wasn't exposed to bad weather, you can decorate the walls with wallpaper and paint.

But keep in mind that wallpaper will slowly either peel off or start bubbling due to the excess moist that collects in the walls.

By adding details to the walls, you will create a more convincing look for your abandoned place.

 

If you want to add furniture to the place, don't forget that the material of the furniture will predict its "durability".

Wooden furniture will decay much faster.

 

When colouring your drawing, keep in mind that metals have a tendency to corrode, the paint and the wallpapers will slowly peel off.

Another great way to add texture is to use hatching and blotchy aquarelle brushes.

Using aquarelle brushes, accentuate the places where the water did the most damage to the structure.

Add more details to your drawing and create desired look for your scene.