About how long did it take you to really dial sketching down?
When I got to university it felt like everybody could sketch… except me. Most people had done art, or a foundation year before going to university… I hadn’t. I still remember really vividly the one (one of the very few) tutorials we had on sketching, where we had rulers and erasers taken off us, and spent ages sketching a matchbox, only to be told to screw up the sketch and throw it in the bin. It felt a bit harsh at the time, but it was the beginning of understanding that a sketch isn’t always meant to be a masterpiece. It took me ages to catch up, and hours of practice and tips from others. I’m not really sure I’ve dialled sketching down, but for me the Sharpie was a revelation, it lets me get the idea down, without being too prescious about the sketch itself, and this can be really important. I tend to use sketching as a form of communication, so the Sharpie is my favourite tool!
Do you feel like you have to learn to draw each object or can you just draw any object at any time?
I don’t think you can learn to draw everything… I think as soon as you develop a style (which took me a long while, but when somebody commented on me having a unique style I was pretty chuffed!), and a favourite perspective, you can draw most objects. Then move from there with perspectives and styles that suit different products (although I’ve found it difficult to shake off that style I spent so long trying to find…!)
Rendering, How long did it take you to learn? Marker? Digital?
This is probably my weakest suit. I’m still working on establishing a render style that doesn’t take me the whole day!
Does anyone else get freaking frustrated on insta by looking at those super amazing digital renderings some godlike automotive designers are producing these days? Seriously.
I love seeing what other people are up to, it’s great to see how people approach things differently, I agree though, it can be frustrating when you can’t replicate it. But you never stop learning!!
Rate the importance each, Digital and Manual Sketching. Which do you find more difficult?
I think they all have their own importance, it depends what you’re using it for, none are more or less important than the others, it’s all about what works for you. For me, it’s ideas with a Sharpie, a pile of A3 paper and headphones; then A Wacom and Sketchbook pro, or an iPad and Procreate for something more polished, more pitch presentation level. I also love digital sketching to overlay products, build CAD, sketch over the top of it to get the look / feel right, then take it back in to CAD, it helps me think.