1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENTS
NAME: Natalie Ki Xiao Xuan
STUDENT ID NO: 0318918
WORD COUNT: 872
ENGLISH 1 (ELG 30505)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: PROCESS ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSION DATE: 2ND
MAY 2014
2. DRAFT #1
Sketching is the most common and useful style of visual communication, it is widely used, and
the concept is to produce a rough draft of a drawing, no matter what the subject, with rapid
pacing, as it is not meant to be the 'final' product of the drawing. It is also a useful way to jot down
inspiration which can later be revised for development of an idea, or to portray an idea or principle
to another. Sketching can be done is any medium, but it is mostly done in dry mediums such as
pen, pencil, graphite and charcoal. In Architecture, sketching is the first step to creating a design
idea to the client. In order to get the job done well, ideas relating to the project are vital, therefore
sketching down their inspiration is important, especially when it comes to project design later on.
Whilst there is no particular stated guideline or rules to be met when learning how to sketch, there
are certain qualities and matters to consider when producing an attractive sketch. To be able to
sketch well, one should at least consider and be prepared for the tools that will come in play, the
inspiration, technique, subject of the sketch, purpose and attributes.
Before the actual sketching begins, some preparations must be met. The first is the basic tools
required to sketch. What kind of tools would you need in order to draw out your subject? A
medium would have to be selected as this is one of the two main equipments one has to consider
before actually sketching. Pencil or pen is the easiest to obtain and work with when it comes to
rough sketches, but some would prefer pastels or water-based mediums like paint. The other
main equipment is the surface you would be sketching on. For example, bigger subjects that
require more detailing and space than a smaller subject would require a larger sized sketch-pad.
The material of the surface is also something to take note of. If you are using pen to sketch, it
would be much more convenient to sketch on a surface that is more durable and less likely to be
ripped or torn whilst sketching. For example, using a pen to sketch on something fragile like thin
paper wouldn’t be the best option. Other appropriate tools are things such as erasers, rulers,
protractors, clipboards, and so on, so forth. They may not be as vital, but varying on the purpose
of the sketch, some would be considered of high importance. Personal preference would cause
the selected tools and materials vary, therefore experimentation with a variety of substances can
clarify any uncertainty for future sketching. For an architect, freehand drawings are acceptable,
but would require certain skill as the logical proportions of the idea would have to be clearly
described - lest they risk a misunderstanding of their sketch. With this in mind, it would make
drawing instruments like rulers and protractors much more paramount than it would be to
someone whose subject does not require the same qualities as an architectural sketch.
Other than the drawing utensils, there is something just as - if not more - critical to assess. It's the
subject of your sketch. A subject must be chosen when it comes to sketching, and it is
fundamental that it is understood well in order to compose an attractive sketch. Features of the
subject have to be taken into consideration, for instance, what unique qualities does the subject
have? How about the angles and overall shape? Architects would have to bear in mind the
structure as a whole, including its size and basic traits. However, despite popular belief, the
equipment and subject isn’t the only thing that one would have to acknowledge. There is a key
accent that will affect the completed sketch. This accent is the attitude of the artist. Many overlook
the importance of having a good attitude when it comes to graphic portrayal. Keeping yourself
motivated and inspired with creativity will be an indispensable drive when it comes to the actual
process of sketching. It prevents the artist from ceasing to continue forth when frustration starts to
affect the sketch. Effort tends to affect the sketch more than any amount of artistic skill.
Characters such as concentration, positive emotions and determination would aid the sketch
seem more appealing as one would tend to draw clearly with confidence.
When it comes to the actual sketching of your subject, the architect sketching for a client would
have to know the basic fundamental visual properties of sketching. These would include the
position, a form’s location relative to its environment or visual field, the orientation, the position
relative to the ground plane or view-point, and the visual inertia, which is the degree of
concentration of a form, depending on the geometry as well as the line of sight. All of these
elements are of great significance to an architectural sketch. Relating back to a sketch of a
3. building, floor plan or any still-life sketch in general, the first thing to keep in mind at all times is to
draw what you see. If the subject of the architect’s sketch comes from an existing structure,
sketching from a reference image tends to help tremendously. Buildings and other architectural
structures are always more visually appealing when it is logically proportional and realistic.
Therefore, the sketch should be as close to its realistic mirage as it can to make the sketch seem
more pragmatic. It would also be wise to have yourself very well prepared with the tools that you
might require organized nearby when you sit down to sketch. Other than that, some people find
the small factors such as the surface you draw on and the orientation of their sketch-pad helpful
as well.
To conclude, there can be multiple factors that affect how attractive a sketch can be. From things
such as the materials you use, the tools you apply, the subject you study and the mental
preparations you make, the main message is that while artistic talent can make the process
easier, it doesn’t guarantee a beautiful sketch. Sketching can be done whether you are a child or
an adult and everyone tends to sketch in a unique way. It’s the personal passion, effort and
dedication you apply when sketching that makes your drawing aesthetically pleasing.
4. FINAL
Sketching is the most common and useful style of visual communication. The
concept is to produce a rough draft of a drawing, no matter what the subject, with
rapid pacing. Sketching is a useful way to jot down inspiration, which can later be
revised for further development of an idea, or to portray an idea to another.
Sketching can be done in any medium, but it is mostly done in dry mediums such
as pen, pencil, graphite and charcoal. In Architecture, sketching is the first step to
presenting a design idea to the client. In order to get the job done well, ideas
relating to the project are vital, therefore sketching down inspiration is important.
Whilst there is no particular guideline or rules to be met when learning how to
sketch, there are certain qualities and matters to consider when producing an
attractive sketch. To be able to sketch well, one should at least consider and be
prepare for the tools required, the inspiration, technique, subject of the sketch,
purpose and attributes.
Before the actual sketching begins, the basic tools required to sketch must be
assembled. What kind of tools would you need in order to draw out your subject?
A medium, which is one of the two main equipments required, would have to be
selected beforehand. Pencil or pen is the easiest to obtain and work with when it
comes to rough sketches, but some would prefer pastels or water-based
mediums like paint. The other main equipment is the surface you would be
sketching on. For example, bigger subjects that require more detailing and space
than a smaller subject would require a larger sized sketch-pad. If you are using
pen to sketch, it would be much more convenient to sketch on a surface that is
5. more durable and less likely to be damaged whilst sketching. Other appropriate
tools are things such as erasers, rulers, protractors, clipboards, and so on. They
may not be as vital, but varying on the purpose of the sketch, some would be
considered of high importance. Personal preference would cause the selected
tools and materials vary, therefore experimentation with a variety of substances
can clarify any uncertainty for future sketching. For an architect, freehand
drawings are acceptable, but would require certain skill as the logical proportions
of the idea would have to be clearly described - lest they risk a misunderstanding
of their sketch. With this in mind, it would make drawing instruments like rulers
and protractors much more paramount than it would be to someone whose
subject does not require the same qualities as an architectural sketch.
Other than the drawing utensils, the subject of your sketch should be decided
prior to starting as it is fundamental to understand it well in order to compose an
attractive sketch. Features of the subject have to be taken into consideration. For
instance, what unique qualities does the subject have? How about the angles
and overall shape? Architects would have to bear in mind the structure as a
whole, including its size and basic traits. However, the equipment and subject
isn’t the only thing that one would have to acknowledge. There is a key accent
that will affect the completed sketch. This accent is the attitude of the artist. Many
overlook the importance of having a good attitude when it comes to drawing.
Keeping yourself motivated and inspired with creativity will be an indispensable
drive when it comes to the actual process of sketching. It prevents the artist from
6. ceasing to continue forth when frustration starts to affect the sketch. Effort tends
to affect the sketch more than any amount of artistic skill. Characteristics such as
concentration, confidence, optimism and determination can actually make a
notable difference.
When it comes to the actual sketching of the subject, the architect sketching for a
client would have to know the basic fundamental visual properties of sketching.
These would include ‘the position’, meaning a form’s location in its environment,
the orientation, the position relative to the ground plane or view-point, and the
visual inertia, which is the degree of concentration of a form, depending on the
geometry as well as the line of sight. All of these elements are of great
significance to an architectural sketch. Relating back to a sketch of a building,
floor plan or any still-life sketch in general, the first thing to keep in mind at all
times is to draw what you see. Sketching from a reference image tends to help
tremendously because buildings and other architectural structures are always
more visually appealing when it is logically proportional. Therefore, the sketch
should be as close to its realistic mirage as it can to make the sketch seem more
pragmatic.
To conclude, there can be multiple factors that affect how attractive a sketch can
be. From things such as the tools or materials, the subject and the mental
preparations you make, the main message is that while artistic talent can make
the process easier, it doesn’t guarantee a beautiful sketch. Sketching can be
7. done whether you are a child or an adult and everyone tends to sketch in a
unique way. It’s the personal passion, effort and dedication you apply when
sketching that makes your drawing aesthetically pleasing.
