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

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

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!