"You have one minute to sketch this drink bottle" as this was the instruction given to us during the workshop.
Following the initial sketch of the drink-bottle, we were given a couple more minutes to sketch other variations of the bottle such as size, handles, and angles. The sketches were down quickly to demonstrate 'thinking'. Thinking refers to the idea that is captured by sketching in order to communicate ideas. This technique was explored through this workshop activity, as we focused on transferring our ideas onto paper without worrying about the end result.
The idea of 'thinking' was repeated once again to demonstrate different variations of a lamp.
In contrast to this idea, designers can also sketch 'to show' in order to portray an aesthetically pleasing image to convey a feeling or vision. 'Showing' is a sketching communication tool to help an audience visualise. This method is predominately used when the designer wants to showcase and present the final design.
Furthermore, other useful tips for sketching:
- Aim to make mistakes, let mistakes inform your next sketch. More mistakes = faster progress
- Be efficient when sketching, don't add more detail than you need too
- Experiment with different styles of drawing; 2D, 3D and in between styles to develop your sense of illustration
- Sketch a lot, always be sketching to help show your design process
- No erasers, if you make a mistake draw another one
- Use annotations to supplement drawings
- Use hatching to indicate materials/ texture/ colour
From this workshop, I learnt that sketching isn't always picture perfect as the sketch fidelity can vary as its influenced by whether the designer is intending to illustrate 'thinking' juxtaposed to 'showing'. It's simply a matter of "letting your hand take over". As a growing designer, I will continue to implement and experience with different sketching techniques in order to discover my style and creativity.
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