Update

Greenwich (by Justin Ostrander)

Greenwich Hybrid Drawing

This is the finished version of what began as a sketch (see Sketch Search). As can be seen the sketch developed into a a hybrid drawing to include an overlay on an aerial view of the site, and perspectives of the site (one of which is part of the original sketch).

To Conclude

To conclude this term of work, I learnt how to process sketches and the idea of sketching differently. This class resulted in me thinking of ideating by using more than just a pen or pencil with paper. I will probably not be able to use everything I learnt from this term in my academic work - at least not in the foreseeable future. However, I am certain that these new skills will be useful in my professional work, though perhaps not in the most obvious way. It is unlikely that I will be able to make use of an exercise like the Drawing Machine one, however I have learnt to go about sketching in non-conventional methods and I am sure I can apply this to at least some of my future projects. The same goes for the Sketchbooks exercise, however I am keen to incorporate the book-binding skills I learnt from that exercise in my final presentations (when, for my home university, I am likely to have to produce a booklet) just to make the project more personal and aesthetically interesting. Exercises like that the sketching exercises we have done in class and the hybrid sketch research we did by ourselves are already a part of my personal and academic work, as sketching is something I have always been pushed to practice, by my school and university, and by myself. Whilst the hybrid sketches is one of the ways in which I have been taught to develop and render projects. All-in-all, there are many new skills I have learnt from this term, I look forward to using and developing them in the future.

Sketch Exercises 2

Circles

To the Right

House From When I Was 5

Detail on the Person to My Right - Boot Detail

Architecture Detail

Sketch Exercises 1

Look to the Right

Circles

Listening to Music: Sample 1 (top), Sample 2 (bottom)

From Home to Chelsea

Hybrid Sketches

Hybrid Sketches

Sketches that use both analogue and digital media and techniques in their production.

All sketches have been produced by Stephanie Sartori using a combination of hand drawing and rendering with Photoshop.

Hotel Traditions: Greenhouse

Hotel Traditions: Reception Desks

Hotel Traditions: Lobby

Well Designed Object, Sketch #3

Well Designed Object, Sketch #1

Lincoln Building: Living Room

Broadcasting Studio

Stairs

Sea-Dragon

I greatly admire all of the work, of which only a sample can be seen above, produced by Stephanie Sartori. Having worked with her, I know her precise and detailed method of drawing out everything by hand in great detail, including projects done for personal leisure, then inking them, rendering by hand using markers and/or colour pencils, and then scanning in the work to Photoshop to finish the sketch. I believe that this process, drawn out as is it is, gives her work the perfect balance between realistic and conceptual. In her field of Environmental & Interior Design, this is an excellent skill to have as it allows her clients to understand the full potential of her abilities - both in design and practice, without feeling overshadowed by her ideas or feeling like they are unable to contribute by adding or editing her concepts. All in all, Sartori's style is a style which I believe is perfect for every form of design and could be easily adapted for every need.

Sketch Search

Header: http://archleague.org/2012/07/call-for-entries-the-moleskine-grand-central-terminal-sketchbook/

10 (and more) excellent sketches

1. Victoria and Albert Museum (personal viewing)
Design for the Viceroy's House by Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens

I consider this excellent sketch because it is easily identifiable with it's designer. Whilst many architects tend to shy away from colour in their sketches, Lutyens has used it to give the house a more realistic feel to it.

2. Victoria and Albert Museum (personal viewing)

Design for a Palace by Inigo Jones (1618-19)

This sketch manages to look formal and almost finished from a distance (because of the addition of the light wash of colour), but up close it is clear that this was an experiment and study sketch meant to reflect Jones studying the facades created by the Italian Architect Andrea Palladio.

3. Victoria and Albert Museum (personal viewing)

Manchester Town Hall by Alfred Waterhouse

I like this set of sketches because it reminds me of when - as students - we get handed a new brief, and the first thing we do is pull out our trace and pencils and start ideating. Yet despite that feel of architect just ideating, the sketches are beautifully done and clearly a lot of time and thought was put into their production.

4. Alphabet (personal sketches)

These sketches were a summer project (each letter took at least 6-7 hours), and I did them by setting myself a series of rules. I like this set of sketches as, even though I adhered to the rules I had set myself, it is easy to the see the development in the pattern and these is - to me as the designer at least - a distinguishable difference between the first and last pattern.

5. Airport sketches (personal sketch)

I like this page of sketches as I did them whilst waiting in an airport. Though I did originally start by drawing what I could see, I progressed to drawing things from my imagination and memory. The entire page was done using a single 0.05 nib pen, and I did this in order to experiment and refine my drawing and rendering technique.

6. People at Portobello (personal sketch)

This page was an assignment, we were required to draw five people in five minutes. I like this page because I think I managed to accurately and effectively depict the activity and movements of the individuals and the market place itself in the short time frame I was given.

7. Stairs by Justin Ostrander (sketches from anywhere)

I chose this sketch because - though it is a finished drawing - it retains a 'sketchy' quality to it in the manner in which the stone tiles were individually rendered.

8. Lion Fountain by Justin Ostrander(sketches from anywhere)

Clearly a sketch from when the designer was younger, I like this sketch because it is clear that the designer went into preserving the details despite it being an experimental sketch.

9.  Greenwich by Justin Ostrander (sketches from anywhere)

This sketch was an on-site sketch, yet a great deal of effort has been made to make the sketch as accurate and informative as possible (both for the viewer and for a future, polished version). This single sketch includes a plan, elevations and a perspective.

10.  Structure of Westminster Abbey by Justin Ostrander (sketches from anywhere)

This sketch was done as an exploratory study of the structure of Westminster Abbey. I like it because - despite looking at a very specific aspect of the building - it still conveys a sense of the abbey and provides an interesting point of view.

11.  Westminster Abbey by Justin Ostrander (sketches from anywhere) 

I like this page of exploratory studies because it gives you various details of the building allowing you understand the overall aesthetic and feel of the building without overly complex drawings.

 5 Innovative Sketchbooks

1. Pencil-holding sketchbook

http://traditionallymoderndesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/sketchbook-covers.html

I like this sketchbook because it takes care the problem that I always have, "Where do I put my pen, pencil, and eraser?".

2. Sketchbook like a handbag

http://kitdunsmore.wordpress.com/tag/sketchbook-carrier/

I like the idea of this sketchbook as it could so easily be taken further, maybe by adding a purse compartment to the back, thus allowing you to have a purse and sketchbook on the same strap.

3. Bamboo cover

http://inhabitat.com/green-gift-guide-for-her-2008-2/sketchbook-giftguide1/

I like this sketchbook, firstly for the simplicity of it's construction, especially the binding. And secondly, because it is an eco-friendly sketchbook, one which has and can be recycled.

4. Burlap cover

http://outworldarts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mini-burlap-linen-sketchstitch-book.html

I like the small size of this sketchbook, it really is a pocket size book, and one that has a personal, "old-timey" feel to it.

 5. Stitchbook

http://outworldarts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/stitch-books-sketch-books-for-stitchers.html

Though a book like this does not apply to me, I like the adaptation of a sketchbook to a stitch book, so that those who sew can practice and plan just as other designers do in a medium more fitting to skills.

5 Innovative Drawing and Sketch Practices

1. Half-and-half

Personal Sketches

Fountain

Taj Mahal Minaret, Agra, India

I like these sketches because, provided the object/ scenery/ etc. is symmetrical, it is an effective way of showing the detail of the object, without the overall object getting lost. I like this method of drawing as it allows you to focus your energy on making sure one side is technically accurate, whilst the other side reflects a more realistic view.

2. Motion Drawing - Elevation

Personal sketches

I like this drawing because of the amount of information that is conveyed in what are essentially four very simple drawings. There is no distraction of shading or colour, but rather just a simple, line drawing.

3. Motion Drawing - Colour

Personal sketches

I like this sketch because I was able to effectively convey a lot of information just by using the simple technique of using colours. Because I was looking that the brush strokes required for basting a piece of chicken, I was able to use an actualy brush, and then use two colours to help understand the brush movement, with a third colour (blue) showing how I moved the brush to produce the green and red below it.

4. Chuck Close

Online source

http://www.artsconnected.org/collection/121795/chuck-close?print=true

Chuck Close is an artist who has learned to produce art despite a disability, and thus his work is produced in a unique manner, producing a very beautiful effect with the artwork changing depending upon your distance from it.

5. Si Scott

Online source

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Resonate-Animal-Series_01/125085

Si Scott has produced some produced some beautiful work in the (attached) project. Like with Chuck Close, his work is completely different based upon your proximity to the work.

Some interesting videos about sketching and innovation:

- http://www.ted.com/talks/leah_buechley_how_to_sketch_with_electronics.html

(I have linked this video because it helps me think about sketching and it's uses in a different way)

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

(Even though this video is not about sketching, it uses sketches, and I like the way the visual and auditory communication are synced)

- http://www.ted.com/talks/sunni_brown.html

(This video has helped me redefine what I think sketching is, to now include what I would think of as "doodling")

- http://www.ted.com/talks/aparna_rao_high_tech_art_with_a_sense_of_humor.html

(I have added this because - whilst the innovation itself is fascinating - it is a reminded that innovation gets its inspiration from the simplest of places like our daily life)

- http://www.ted.com/talks/beatrice_coron_stories_cut_from_paper.html (This video shows a new way of sketches, but these sketches tell stories)

Deconstruction

Deconstruction

Mapping

Plan, Elevation (right)

Axon

Exploded Axon

Two methods of photographic deconstruction

I really enjoyed this exercise, because even though the object I chose to take apart was very simple - as was the process itself - and didn't require any tools, I was able to apply a number of methods to show how it could be deconstructed. I particularly enjoyed the printing method (shown in "Mapping") as it was extremely simple, but I think the most effective way of showing the different components of the toy, and at 1:1 scale too. I then returned to more conventional methods of using a plan, elevation, axon, and exploded axon. But it is these drawings that really helped me understand how the different pieces went together. Because of these drawings, standard as they are, I had to really focus on the way the different parts hooked into and around each other to draw them and it was only whilst doing this that I really noticed the design of each of the individual pieces. There were so many points - through all the pieces - when I realised that the extreme proportions of the joints had been designed just to allow for the easily dismantling and putting together of the plane. And I learned this only through the examination of the pieces that I had to do in order to draw them repeatedly. Doing the drawings like the plan, elevation, and axon, really allowed me to learn how the designer had designed some joints to be aesthetic and others to be hidden away, and so I think it was very useful for me to do all the drawings I did in order to fully understand the plane as a whole and as its various components coming together to form the whole.