From Static Lines to Moving Narratives: Inside "Dynamic Sketching: AI-Powered Architecture"

Dynamic Sketching: AI-Powered Architecture was an immersive two-day PAACADEMY workshop that redefined how architects and designers can ideate, visualize, and communicate their concepts. Led by expert instructors, the sessions introduced participants to a powerful workflow that moves from expressive sketch generation in MidJourney to professional-grade animations using AI tools like Kling AI, Archivincy, and Rendair.

Rather than treating sketching as a static step in the design process, the workshop framed it as a living medium. Through progressive prompting, stylistic exploration, and animation workflows, participants learned to transform their sketches into dynamic narratives that speak with clarity, mood, and movement.

Sketching with Intelligence: Prompting, Styles, and Generative Tools

Day 1 immersed participants in the world of AI-based sketch generation, focusing on the craft of prompt design and stylistic exploration in MidJourney. The instructors began by introducing the concept of progressive prompting, demonstrating how structured, iterative prompt development can evolve a vague idea into a clear and expressive architectural sketch.

Participants built their first prompts from scratch, learning to control structure, hierarchy, and descriptive clarity. Live demonstrations showed how a single concept could evolve through multiple stages of refinement, emphasizing the power of language in steering AI output. By leveraging MidJourney’s automatic prompt tools, attendees explored how AI can support rapid ideation without sacrificing creative authorship.

The session then expanded into an exploration of 10+ architectural sketching styles ranging from loose pencil drawings and ink sketches to charcoal, axonometric perspectives, and hybrid techniques. Each style was matched with its conceptual strengths and best use cases, encouraging participants to align mood and technique with design intent. Comparative exercises between MidJourney, DeepSeek, and ChatGPT highlighted how different AI models interpret architectural prompts, giving participants nuanced control over the character and language of their sketches.

Hands-on sessions were central to the day’s flow. Participants created and refined multiple stylistically distinct sketches for the same project, experimenting with prompt variations to control line quality, texture, perspective, and atmosphere. By the end of Day 1, they had developed a repeatable methodology for generating expressive sketches that transcend photorealism, focusing on conceptual strength and mood.

Breathing Life into Sketches: Animation Workflows and Presentation

Day 2 shifted the focus from generation to animation. Participants learned how to bring static sketches to life using a series of AI tools tailored for architectural storytelling. The day opened with an introduction to Kling AI and MidJourney’s animation features, setting the stage for dynamic camera movements, transitions, and narrative sequencing.

The instructors explained the fundamentals of camera logic in architectural animation, demonstrating how subtle pans, zooms, and layered movements can enhance spatial perception and emotional impact. Live demos showed the process of transforming Day 1 sketches into animated sequences, with participants following along to animate their own outputs directly inside MidJourney.

The session advanced into professional animation workflows using Rendair, where attendees learned to layer transitions, refine motion paths, and introduce atmospheric depth for cinematic results. These tools allowed participants to achieve smooth, professional sketch animations that could rival polished presentation visuals while retaining the charm of hand-drawn expression.

The final exercise was a creative showcase. Each participant was tasked with producing a 12-second animated sketch video based on a given architectural theme. The session ended with a group review and professional feedback, highlighting how these new workflows can elevate presentations, competitions, and client pitches.

A New Paradigm of Architectural Storytelling

Across both sessions, Dynamic Sketching: AI-Powered Architecture reframed sketching as more than an early-stage tool. By combining AI-driven prompting, stylistic intelligence, and animation workflows, participants gained the ability to generate expressive sketches and transform them into moving architectural narratives.

The workshop emphasized a shift in the architect’s role from static image maker to storyteller, structuring AI tools to explore and communicate ideas with clarity, depth, and emotion.

Join the experience! Discover PAACADEMY’s upcoming workshops and stay at the forefront of design and technology.