Looking to improve

Hey 250gb, I’ve been following your thread since April. Just wanted to say that I’m impressed by your quick improvement and receptiveness to feedback. Have you tried sketching entirely in sharpie? Working with thick markers definitely changed the game for me when I went back to using regular pens. My lines become more dynamic and fast.

While it seems on first sight that your sketch work has only improved marginally (that is a compliment), if you look at the communicative value you have made a giant leap. The way you have started to do contouring, more voluminous shading and sharpening your details, proportions and perspective work this is becoming a great success story. I also like how you moved from consumer products more towards footwear and automotive. I especially like your marker work for the sneakers - also look at rkuchinsky’s work on how to spice up these drawings. Your car sketches are good and some good design work being done as well, the sketches have a 90s feel to them so with more development (and the on target feedback you are getting) you can only get more towards the cutting edge. Great stuff!

Thanks Michael :slight_smile:


Hey thanks Lychee, good to know I am on the right track, sharpie sounds like a good idea I will try it :slight_smile:


Thanks ralph, I enjoy your feedback. Will check out rkuchinsky’s work and see if I can implement.

Ok next topic. Coffee makers/machines

Tried my hand at solely using a sharpie for the line work. Finding it tough, hats off to Michael who seems to sketch this way in a lot of his work and get it spot on… The fumes are giving me headaches. Might have to see if the papermate flair gives off less of a pong

Looks like you got the hang of it though! Use in a well ventilated area! :slight_smile:

NICE! There’s a lot of character in that sketch. It looks like a coffee maker for sure, but what would additionally help is to doodle in a coffee cup. Can be on the product or on the table/ground. Gives context to the product and also helps visualize scale.

Thanks for the comments. Tried another…

very nice!

Great! I dig that yellow bold vertical accent, looks inviting and fun. I suggest working in a cast shadow next. It’s simple but helps give some weight/dimension to your concept. Over time of practicing with shadows, you’ll figure out how to make them work in your favor.

Thanks guys I am taking your advice on board :slight_smile:

I tried to go with a self service petrol/gas station type of machine for this one (now i look at it, it kinda reminds me of an old arcade machine lol):

I started a sketchbook that i will use when I am out and about. No coffee shop sketches yet… just car park. Apologies as I am unable to scan these ones…

Really digging that petrol station edition coffee maker. A few refinements to think about:

  1. could the shape of the drip tray echo the upside down us shape of the flat surface it fits on?
  2. does that orange thing on the side need to be there under the cup dispenser? Feels superfluous and would be an extra part ($$$)

These are some of the things I think about when I look at sketches. I might do an overlay of that one if you are cool with it.

Hey Michael, I see what you mean.

Feel free to do an overlay it would be great to see your take on it.

all right, I took you sketch out for a spin. I figured I would do a digital sketch.

I like what you did there… I guess mine was very 90’s lol. I noticed you omitted the cup dispenser… Any reason or just for ease of sketch? Cheers :slight_smile:

Another coffee maker… Maybe this one would work well in the corner of the kitchen…

I like these petrol station coffee maker concepts! Especially this latest one. Keep it up :slight_smile:

I don’t know if you have Photoshop, but you can improve your sketchbook photo with a levels adjustment. Hope this helps:


Thanks I will try this

I love seeing so much improvement in your work. Definitely photoshop photos of your sketch pages. You can take the saturation down to 0 as well which will help when using levels.

Just one designer’s take. I tend to like to group things into as few elements as possible. So all the controls are at the top (I was indicated a touch screen there and just one or two physical buttons. The drip tray part break relates very much to the form to visually eliminate a line again. The cup dispenser I just didn’t think it needed the extra complication. Most gas stations have those dispenser things built into the counter or racks on the counter. This way it would be conceivable easier to gang 3 or 4 of these in a row as well. But I didn’t put too much thought into it. If I was doing this as project this would be an area of investigation of course.