Draw Like A Designer

Drawing education? Is it worth it?

drawn22 — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 02:08:05 +0000

Is developing drawing skills at an art school worth it? Can a person gain the same insight and develop their skills to the same or even better level on their own?

The Punching Bag – Blog

drawn22 — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:43:25 +0000

I certainly hope this blog doesnt become a cliche and quotes punching bag. Thats not my intent, I find the articulation of ideas in a short, sometimes humorous and intelligent passages to provoke thought. Anyway here my punch for today…

“Good design is a lot like clear thinking made visual” – Edward Tufte

Take this quote with the view that drawing is visual thinking and you could almost edit it to:

“Good design is a lot like design drawing”

Could it be?

Is Drawing a skill?

drawn22 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:14:18 +0000

The following quote by Chris Pullman got me thinking…Is drawing a skill? Or are the values that drawing hold the skills? Heres the quote and allow me explain:

“Design is not the narrow application of formal skills, it is a way of thinking”

If Pullman was talking in the sense, of say a formal skill in an software application, then his quote holds truth. But could it hold truth in drawing? And is drawing a formal skill? Perhaps communication, visual observation, thinking and the ability to generate images are the skills and drawing is the means to those skills?

Design Drawing Conversation With Scott Savage

drawn22 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:33:16 +0000

Scott Savage uses drawing for everything in his design process. He finds articulating ideas with pencil in hand, far better than verbally expressing his ideas. Especially in a visual profession.

Scott reminds us that getting better at drawing is similar to a sport or music, it takes practice. He speaks briefly on the use of digital media in designing, highlighting some of its uses and limitations. Where he urges designers to not generate their ideas on the computer. He encourages everyone to make use of drawing, saying that its not about how well you draw, its about how well your drawing communicates.

To listen to and/or download this podcast, click here – Design Drawing Conversation with Scott Savage

Design Drawing Conversation with Michael Findlay

drawn22 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:31:09 +0000

For Michael Findlay drawing is a rehearsal and the ease and speed of drawing is its greatest use. Michael says he uses drawing to test ideas, or as a start to projects when ideas arn’t focused enough. Michael talks briefly about how drawings can be a bit like advertising, they can be seen to be selling an idea or concept. And some drawings could look so good that they make the idea seem good, even though it might be flawed. I which case a drawing could be miss leading. However he commends the value in learning to create effects by and on paper. Comparing it to adding effects in a 3D CAD program and the values and meaning such simply generated effects have on the viewer.

You can listen to and/or download the podcast here - Design Drawing Conversation With Michael Findlay

Journey through Rome

drawn22 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:53:59 +0000

Check out this video by David Macaulay. David Macaulay is an acclaimed author and illustrator best know for he’s award winning international best seller The Way Things Work.

In this video Macaulay has made a wide range of sketching and drawings on rome. Every sketch shows a detail, captures an idea. He then takes us on a very interesting series of sketch tours through rome and shows how drawing can be used to communicate a range of stories from a range of views, angles, perspectives and various levels of details. And he uses drawing to make sense of things. Here’s more info on the book Rome Antics.

He alludes to how communication has lots of layers, from a complex drawing to a simple title. And that details come from observation in a variety of ways. Interestingly he shows how vanishing points and perspective are irrelevant as long as the image makes sense. And for me, it gives his drawings a strong character. Because i think, even though we see in “perspective and vanishing points” because we perceive in 3 dimensions we don’t remember or visualize in perfection. Unless you have a photo-graphic memory.

for more on David Macaulay, follow this link to his website.

Thanks Scott!

Design Drawing Conversations with Nick Laird

drawn22 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:55:24 +0000

Nick takes us through he’s training in drawing and how a variety of the drawing skills are useful to the designer to communicate the bigger picture. By using drawings to communicate and by using images to make sense of complex situations. He touches on craftsmanship and design and talks of the modern mix of medias in business and the design process. Where drawings are used in digital collaboration and hand drawings get rendered with digital media. Nick argues that he sees drawings as a form of rhetoric, persuading people to see things a certain way. And chats about what he likes about drawing!

Listen carefully for Nick’s 3 part model on the use of drawing!

You can listen to and/or download the podcast here Design Drawing Conversation with Nick Laird

Design Drawing Conversation with Dr Mark McGuire

drawn22 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:49:42 +0000

Dr Mark McGuire talks about the variety in which drawing can serve the individual. From recording and working through ideas in the design thinking process to how drawing can help you maintain your sanity. Talks about the variety of drawing types that can be used by the designer and about the use of digital media to produce drawings. Using working drawings to work through ideas as well as strategies and approaches to ideas.

For more information on Mark click here.

You can listen to and/or download the podcast here Design Drawing Conversations with Dr Mark McGuire

Design Drawing Conversation with Andrew Wallace

drawn22 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:47:53 +0000

Industrial designer Andrew Wallace joins us in a conversation on design drawing. Andrew talks about the importance of using drawing to communicate in the design practice, how drawing can help in the design thinking process and how good drawing can add value your clients. Andrew also talks the ease of learning to draw for design and a few tips on how to improve your drawing ability.

For more information on Andrew click here

You can listen to and/or download the podcast here Design Drawing Conversation with Andrew Wallace

Design Drawing Conversation with Gavin O Brien

drawn22 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:45:46 +0000

Gavin O Brien discusses the use of drawing in design and communication. Gavin shows how the type of drawing used by the designer is linked to the intention of the piece. He argues that drawing is “irreducibly essential” to the design and talks about how drawing makes you look harder. We also discuss the role of drawing with digital media and the importance of drawing.

For more information on Gavin click here

You can listen to and/or download the podcast here Design Drawing Conversation with Gavin O Brien