SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: CHOW HONG DA

STUDENT ID NO: 0318571

WORD COUNT: 708

ENGLISH 1 (ELG 30505)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: PROCESS ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: 2ND MAY 2014

How to Produce an Attractive Sketch

A sketch is a rapidly executed freehand drawing of an object, scenery or any

interesting sight that is not intended as a finished work. Art and design students are

expected to have rudimentary sketching skills as it is a useful tool to record what the

artist finds interesting and develop ideas from the sketch. It is also a quick way to

demonstrate an image, idea or principle in graphic detail. Whether you are sketching

for fun or jotting down scenery for your portfolio, learning how to use proper

sketching techniques can help produce attractive sketches that pictures what your

witness for others to see.

Before starting your sketching adventure, you must first prepare good materials.

This may seem wasteful, as sketches are not your final work, but a poorly drawn

sketch will convey a poor image for the artist to refer from, thus ruining the final

result. Be it casual sketchers or serious artists, having the right tools are a must. Go

to the nearest stationery store and gather up some essential tools including pencils

from the range of 6H to 4B, fine art paper for easier time sketching, a drawing board,

high quality erasers that don’t leave smudges and many more that you deem useful.

Do note that being over prepared is better than being underprepared. After buying

your materials, do take your free time to test them out so that you can check for

faulty materials and also help you get comfortable with your tools. Test out different

drawing styles to find what fits you best and choose an easy subject for sketching to

get the feel before embarking to your sketching site.

Now that you have practiced your sketching and feel confident that you can sketch

anything, it’s time to start actual sketching. First, you should find a suitable location

you think will produce a nice sketch. Anywhere works, including a dense jungle, an

urban street, your pet, skyscrapers, your family, or even yourself. Getting a suitable

subject you find comfortable sketching helps you easily sit down and start your

sketch. While you found a subject to sketch, try to search different angles of the

same subject to find the best point of view and generate more ideas for your work.

While sketching, do get yourself relaxed and comfortable with the scenery, such as

listening to soothing music while sketching or feel the atmosphere in your bones to

immerse yourself deeper into the subject. Once you start sketching remember to not

draw too heavily as it is just a draft for your reference. A simpler drawing is easier to

erase and is quicker to produce if you do not have the time to sit down for your

sketching.

After you’ve completed your sketch, you might think to yourself that your work here

is done. It is far from over. If you have the time, do a second sketch of the

surroundings to get more ideas, maybe in a different, opposite angle for your

reference. Getting multiple points of view is great for your art as you can find minute

details that you might miss from a single point of reference. When you are home,

you can refine your sketches by shading, coloring or redrawing to further enhance

your sketch. You may also apply labels for objects in your sketch for future reference

and help easily identify what is in your drawing. Refine your drawing until you are

satisfied with the end product and remember to not overdo it. Once you are done,

you can apply a fixative to seal the image and place it in your scrapbook or portfolio

or scan it and save it in your computer.

As the saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”, a sketch is a perfect

medium to communicate ideas and preserve details as compared to writing. A

beautiful sketch in itself both tells a story and inspires tales. These steps might seem

like a hassle, but to produce the perfect sketch, spending time to hone these skills is

essential. The starting point of all masterpieces is a firm idea conceived from a

thousand visions, to create a truly beautiful piece of art; a passion to sketch is the

great beginning.