With the rise of numerous gadgets and applications for vectoring, photo manipulations, 3D modelling and illustration, the old pencil and paper are least getting noticed, kept inside drawers and sometimes never used again. I remembered attending a graphic design convention where one of the speakers (from an animation studio) forgot what is that “writing instrument with graphite” called. Everyone laughed when the audience figured it out for him that he is referring to a “pencil”.
Every creative person and even those who are not into design work might have used a pencil or a pen and a paper at some point of their work process. But with the popularity of sketching applications on tablets and other devices, the traditional way of conceptualizing an idea on a piece of paper are replaced by virtual sketch pads and sticky notes. 
Levels of sketching via idsketching
This article will teach you the importance of sketching and how your pen and paper will help you in conceptualizing and building your next successful design work. Take time to shut down your laptops and set aside those drawing tablets for a while as I give you some benefits of sketching your ideas first on paper, how other designers benefit from it and some tips on getting it started. |
Why bother sketching?
An initial way to spark creativity
There is always that creative feeling when you are holding a pencil than holding a mouse. It gives you more freedom to illustrate what’s in your mind on paper than on a computer. By means of drawing rough lines and shapes, you begin to use that spark of creativity within you to come up with interesting concepts that can be the initial foundation of your next awesome design work.
Character Sketch Process | LuigiL
Easy, fast and can be done anywhere
Sketching doesn’t only happens in your work table. It can took place anywhere you need to record something, list an idea or just be inspired by the environment you are in. Bring a small notebook and a pen everywhere you go. Who knows, you might just find notable ideas as you go.
Some sketches of Suhita while traveling in different places
An effective visual communication tool
You might meet a potential client while not at work or in public places and you might talk about things relating to your design work. Your pen and notebook in hand can be a great communication tool. Through rough sketches or just showing up your sketchbook, you can easily describe what you do and your creative process for an instant client work.
Sketches of initial ideas for a new blog design | Anatom!c
Visual exploration
When you start your project with a sketch, you will not limit yourself with a single variation of your idea. Through sketching, you can explore multiple options you could take in a particular design concept.
Early exploration of pose and style | FireFox OS brand mascots | Martijn Rijven
Great ideas comes from rough sketches
Oftentimes, when you still have nothing in mind, scribbling and doodling triggers your imagination and gives birth to the awesome idea you’ve been figuring out for hell years!
Early concept sketches of Twitter’s Brid logo via DesignTAXI
Improve your drawing skills and discover new skills
As a designer, you must be equipped with that extra skills you use in your design work. By means of sketching, one important skill is developed, drawing. The ability to draw and visualize things on paper instantly can be your greatest weapon. A designer who can easily illustrate his ideas or concepts will most likely win a client over those who can’t even draw a distinguishable object. Also, by sketching, you might just discover your other skills like art direction, creating storyboards or character designing.
How designers and artists benefit from sketching
It is always fascinating to see how a designer transforms his/her sketches into an amazing design work. Rough scribbles in a piece of paper can be a start of the next successful design. That is why more successful designers start their creative process by sketches and drawings. For the past months, YTD have featured a lot of awesome projects and interviewed some great designers and artists across the globe about their works and took a closer look on their creative processes. We always ask a particular question to most of them. That is,
“Can you share us your creative process? From where did you start?”
It is not a surprise that the common denominator of their answers is the skill we’ve been talking about in here. Here are some of them:
In his UCreative Spotlight interview, he answered:
“Projects in art direction can be really different, depending on the needs of the client. I think the most important part in the project is listening to the client speaking about his needs. Try to be reactive. Sometimes, the final idea comes during the first ten minutes of the meeting, while making some doodles on a sketch book. Then I begin the research stage; doing sketches and picking up pictures to make a mood-board. In doing this, I build the idea with the drawing and try to pass on the emotional direction with the mood-board. For the last stage, I just need to develop and put the finishing touches. That’s it!”
In an interview about his Game of Thrones Playing Cards Project, he answered:
“After choosing a character and few thumbnails for the overall layout, I begin drawing. Then it's just the tedious process of hatching lines, which is my attempt to retain a classic illustrated look in the cards vs the standard comic look.”
In his UCreative Spotlight interview, he answered:
“I start like I think most pencillers do. Maybe a couple of sketches on the script and layouts and thumbs and carry them out to finish with pencils. I think all the choices really come in the layout stage and I try saving the more exciting panel for last as a reward.”
In her Ucreative Spotlight interview, she answered:
“I always start with research. I'm a list person and I usually end up making a lot of those in the beginning stages, along with writing down snippets of information about the topic at hand. From here I move to the "looking" stage. I flood myself with visuals–looking through books, magazines, and art and design sites. Then I start loosely sketching or putting something tangible down on paper. Sometimes I add another step in there, but this is usually the start to my process.”
In an interview about his NatGeo Rebranding Project, he answered:
“I started generating assets by sketching logo variations and several applications of those new logos. From there, I began creating the logo and applying it to simple stationary. From that point, every single element followed the standard that was laid out in the previous elements, and I knocked them out one-by-one to give you the completed project.”
In his UCreative Spotlight interview, he answered:
“For my personal work, the concepts always begin in my sketchbook. I don't use thumbnails as often as I should, but I'll usually play with the idea on paper and in my mind enough that by the time I'm creating the final work, I have a good idea of where it will go.”
In an interview about his “Fluid Animals” Calendar Project, he answered:
“It really is very simple, I always start with a pencil drawing, not a rough sketch, but a finished drawing, then I scan it and trace it in Illustrator, then it's just the simple process of choosing colors and getting those transparent effects perfect.”
In an interview about her Watercolor Patterns, she answered:
“Everything starts with an idea. Then I think about it for some time. Next I create draft sketches. I think it is the most difficult moment – to apply the picture in my mind on the paper. Some persistence, a drop of inspiration, particular time – and voilà, I have a result.”
In an interview feature, he answered:
“Totally depends. Generally, as digital as I've become, it starts with a sketch. It could be the most crude rough sketch that anyone else would not understand, but if I'm doing layout, I'm going to start with sketches in my book. It's going to say what the basic proportions are, blocking out typographic elements and how squares and rectangles and shapes are holding that visual weight. That's easiest way to get going. You can push things around on the computer forever and sometimes not get it right.”
Ok, sketching is pretty cool but how can I get started?
This is the big question that might comes out of your mind. Well, I know that there is always that feeling of doubt when you are facing a clean blank sheet of paper and that hesitation of what to draw and where to start. Fortunately, I have listed some effective tips you might give a try to get started with sketching.
1. Start by listing some words/terms/initial thoughts that best describe your idea. These words, when properly analyzed can give you the starting point of what to sketch.
Sketches from the identity design process of Butterfield Photography via JustCreative
2. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Remember you are sketching to come up with INITIAL ideas to be used for your FINAL designs. So mistakes are inevitable and most of the time, they give rise to new opportunities and better ideas.
Character pose exploration via KingSketches
3. Sketch anything and anywhere. Bring with you a pen and a sketchbook or a small notebook wherever you go. Sketch anything that you think are interesting and can be an inspiration for your next designs. Do it in a subway, a park or in a restaurant. Some of the most brilliant ideas might come across your way at an instant so better be ready to record them.
Pocket sketches by SketchySteven
If those tips are still not enough for you to try sketching and drawing, then consider this advice from American graphic designer and filmmaker Saul Bass: