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 MAY 2015

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

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

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