How to produce an attractive sketch

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: JOYCE WEE YI QIN
STUDENT ID NO: 0319602
WORD COUNT: 616
ENGLISH 1 (ELG 30505)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: PROCESS ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSION DATE: 2ND
MAY 2014

2. How to produce an attractive sketch
I’ve always been mesmerized by beautiful sketches of buildings, portraits, the way each
stroke falls perfectly on the paper. A sketch is a drawing that is not considered as a finished
work, but a preliminary exploration. Although simple, a sketch is able to capture essentials
of a subject without appearing laboured and overworked. After days and days of practice, I
realize that sketches aren’t that hard
To produce an attractive sketch, you have to identify the suitable materials for your sketch.
If you plan on producing a sketch while moving around, it is better to have an A5 sized
sketchpad. As for the medium, pencils are most preferable for sketching as they can be
easily erased when mistakes occurs. I personally prefer using watercolour after a rough
pencil sketch because I love playing around with colours. They make it easier to bring out
the mood of the sketch. Getting a good eraser is also essential for sketching. Some erasers
leave dark ugly stains which look worse than mistakes and that surely makes one feel
frustrated.
The second step in producing an attractive sketch is to choose a subject. This step is not
as easy as it seems. The reason being, there is so much around us that has the potential of
being sketched. Your subject could be the annoying alarm clock sitting on your bedside or
even the view from your window. There will be times when you are stuck at the perspective
and size when sketching landscapes, my advice is to capture the view with a camera
before sketching to give the landscape a boundary. That way, the subject can be narrowed
down. Also, another good piece of advice is to not be too ambitious when sketching.
Moving on, is to begin sketching. For this final step, it is important not to feel pressured
by the blank piece of paper staring up at you. I often start by having a rough sketch using a

3. 2H to fill up the paper so it won’t look so scarily empty. Avoid pressing the pencil too hard
or else it will be hard to rub the lead off the paper and will leave a mark which will affect
your sketch. After that, darken and refine the basic shape using a 2B. While drawing, make
sure everything is in proportion. After that, a HB pencil can be used to add in the shadow,
tone and texture. If things don’t seem right, take some time to think of the solution. Prevent
from editing your piece rashly. Try darkening to hide mistakes instead of erasing them.
Once satisfied with the darken draft then it will be it. If not, you can finalize your sketch with
0.1 and 0.2 Artline pens to bring out the subject and shading. Once done wait for a few
minutes before erasing the extra pencil lines to prevent smudging. An optional step, which
is the step I enjoy most, is to brush on some colours on your sketch, preferably watercolour
because of its clear character. And there you have it, your piece of sketch.
Above are only basics of sketching, of course it is not a standardize process which you
have to follow strictly. As time comes, you’ll find yourself your own style of sketching. Keep
in mind that it is important what the public see through your sketch, can they experience
what you experienced while sketching? However, it is a higher level to achieve and it takes
lots and lots of practice. Hence, it is important to practice while you have time. In a way,
you can simply have a small sketchpad with you all the time so you can basically sketch
anything anywhere. Have fun sketching!