Comments for design & make

Comment on the importance of sketching by Paymaan

Paymaan — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:23:42 +0000

Just wanted to say you are one great engineer, thanks for sharing your work.

Paymaan.

Comment on the importance of sketching by Kelly C

Kelly C — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:24:56 +0000

Great article! I agree that starting with a decent sketch is the way to quickly iterate your design ideas. There are few (if any) design tools that are as intuitive as a pen/pencil and piece of paper.

Also, the “mock up” rant sounds like it would be a great follow on!

Comment on the importance of sketching by Jerome Demers

Jerome Demers — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:56:25 +0000

I sketch before going into CAD. You have to know how to draw before trying to CAD anything. My first concept is not always the most efficient. I draw many concept of the thing I want to design then I close my book for few days and even weeks then I open it up again and work on the same project and will normally find better solutions. Then I CAD. After that, it’s a mix of both.

Comment on the importance of sketching by Patron Zero

Patron Zero — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 04:14:09 +0000

Sketching is a very important skill as much as learning to make the most rudimentary paper-cardstock models of what you are sorting out. Just being able to physically turn a model in one’s hand can be quite inspiring.

Comment on the importance of sketching by tim

tim — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 01:01:19 +0000

I would posit that the answer may be specific to each person. Some folks may prefer to do there thinking with a pencil and then go to the computer while other folks can go to the computer first. I think the same is sometime said about writers and programmers.

Comment on the importance of sketching by joel

joel — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:22:23 +0000

No but I have a couple of comfortable angles to make straight, quick lines and I spin the sketchbook around a lot as I’m working. Which is why when I use a Cintiq to sketch digitally I like the small size one, since it can be spun around easily.

Comment on the importance of sketching by Stourley Kracklite

Stourley Kracklite — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:59:38 +0000

Do you use a straightedge for some of the Fineliner work? Thanks!

Comment on the importance of sketching by joel

joel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:08:45 +0000

Wow, thanks Colin. I’ve always loved to draw since I was little, but very tight… the formal instruction I’ve gotten (art class in school, then in design school) has always encouraged me to loosen up, sketch bigger, faster. And I’ve had to loosen up as a professional designer– no time for laboring over one sketch for hours.

@Sam- for a long time I used ballpoint pen exclusively, especially a slightly dry one– using a light touch for construction lines then pressing harder to tighten it up. Even a bold roller ball or marker can give great results… I love a really loose, sketchy style (even though I struggle to loosen up so much!)

@Isabelle- yes this is the actual page, but I had a good jump on the design going into it… not every page in my sketchbook looks so clean

Comment on the importance of sketching by Isabelle Desjeux

Isabelle Desjeux — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:40:51 +0000

I am not a designer, but I do teach drawing. I am sure this entry applies to many other occupations too. In fact, I am in a crusade to get everybody to learn to draw as a useful tool. Great post, that I will share! Of course, your blue lines don’t show many “mistakes”… was this really how your drawing came out first time?

Comment on the importance of sketching by Sam

Sam — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:20:54 +0000

A good pen does make a lot of difference. I’m a fan of the Pilot Precise V7 line, and I always get frustrated when I’m forced by circumstance to sketch with a standard ballpoint. Seeing your drawings, it is clear that I should get a lighter colored pen or pencil for construction lines – I tend to go straight to the black pen which is probably too limiting.

I’ve been trying to sketch more and it is having a positive impact – as with everything I just need to be more focused about it (as you are).

As for the traditional non-repro colors, I do a lot of work with artists reproducing their work in wood or plastic on my CNC router and have gotten pretty handy using channels in Photoshop to remove nearly any contrasting color construction line – I tell them to draw their main art in black ink, and then use any other color for all the other markings. Scan, process in PS, Live Trace in Illustrator and send into the CNC toolchain. Yay, technology!