1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: DANICA GAN JIA-EN
STUDENT ID NO: 0323708
WORD COUNT: 781
ENGLISH 1 (ELG 30505)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: PROCESS ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSION DATE:11th
MAY2015

2. THE PROCESS OF SKETCHING A POTATO MASHER
There are many ways to present ideas such as mind mapping, writing down
notes in point form or even sketching. I use sketching as a primary language for
capturing my thoughts, exploring my ideas, and then sharing those ideas. The
Oxford Dictionary (2005) defines a sketch as “a simple picture that is drawn quickly
and does not have many details.” According to Rohde (2011), “sketching provides a
unique space that can help people think differently, generate a variety of ideas
quickly, explore alternatives with less risk, and encourage constructive discussions
with colleagues and clients”. To illustrate this point, I have chosen to sketch a potato
masher by firstly describing it, then explaining how it is used in everyday life, listing
the required stationery used in sketching, describing the process of sketching and
reflecting on how I feel about the whole process.
The potato masher that I have selected has a smooth, sturdy stainless steel
head with a handle. This handle helps to absorb the pressure exerted to mash the
various soft foods. A “ting” sound can be heard whenever the head knocks against
the bowl or container where the food is being crushed. The head is cold in room
temperature but heats up when mashing hot root vegetables, fruits or legumes.
Before the potato masher was invented, people used their hands to mash food but
this became difficult when dealing with hot food. The heat from the food can damage
the nerves at the tips of their fingers and over time they might lose their sense of
touch as their nerves become numbed. Using hands to mash food can be unhygienic
in food preparation and some may suffer from diarrhoea or food poisoning. Though
the potato masher may seem to have limited use, we have seen it used beyond the
home and commercial kitchens. Our roadside burger stall hawkers use it to press on
the burgers that they are frying. Personally, I find it handy in assisting me in my

3. kitchen and I have even used it to help my younger brother to produce a few craft
pieces from play dough. As for sketching it, I learn to develop my skills in drawing
curvy and straight lines besides looking at it from different angles to find the right
shade of light.
In order to produce a sketch of the potato masher, some basic stationery is
used for sketching such as H and B pencils, an eraser and a piece of fine art paper.
Referring to a Wikihow website, I learnt the following characteristics of each of the
stationery used. The first type of pencil used is the H pencil which has the hardest
lead to sketch thin, straight, non-blendable lines. On the other hand, B pencil has the
softest lead and is meant for making shadows and blurry lines for a sketch. In
addition, a putty eraser or a kneaded eraser is recommended to erase mistakes or
lighten the lines so that the art paper is not torn accidentally. Then, fine art paper is
recommended for easy sketching and the best overall appearance. Besides that,
finding the right angle of light would produce a fine outcome of the sketch. Last but
not the least, a cleared workspace is vital before beginning to sketch so as not to be
distracted while sketching.
To start my sketch, holding the H pencil, I moved my hand lightly over the
paper without stopping. I made light strokes because this was just the foundation of
my sketch. The straight lines for the handle as well as part of the metal head were
drawn first. Next, the wavy lines for the metal head were drawn with some difficulty
as to achieve the correct perspective and the eraser was often used at this stage.
When I had achieved the outline that I desired, I used a B pencil to define my
strokes. Then, I carefully shaded the details and shadows. I had to remind myself
constantly not to lay my hand on my sketch to prevent unnecessary smudges that

4. might damage my sketch. When I accidentally made some smudges, I used a
kneaded eraser to erase them.
Finally, I completed my sketch in a span of 15 minutes. It might not be the
most perfect sketch because I am just a beginner and will need more time to improve
myself. Yet, all hard work pays off. So when I saw the final product of my sketch, it
gave me some sense of accomplishment as it was my maiden sketch. This exercise
has motivated me to do more sketching as it would help me, being a non-artist, to
enhance my drawing skills as I pursue my dreams in architecture.
References:
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th ed). (2005). Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Rohde, M. (2011, January 25). Sketching the Visual Thinking Power Tool. Issue
no. 322. Retrieved from alistapart.com/article/sketching-the-visual-thinking-power-
tool
www.wikihow.com/sketch