Industrial Technology
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Workplace Communication
Freehand drawing and sketching
Students will develop:
Competence in designing, managing and communicating within a relevant industry context
This unit of work addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcome:
H3.1 A student is skilled in sketching, producing and interpreting drawings
Source: Board of Studies (1999) Stage 6 Industrial technology, preliminary and HSC courses. Board of Studies, Sydney.
The main focus of this unit is to help provide an understanding of the essentials elements of freehand sketching and to help develop the skills used in drawing and sketching for use in the development of your project.
Freehand drawing and sketching is much emphasised in the Industrial Technology course because this skill is an essential tool in interpreting ideas and visual thinking. Freehand drawing provides the ability to conceptualise and modify design ideas from the first idea through to the final choice of the project.
Freehand drawing and sketching is a means of quickly putting your thoughts down on paper.
Freehand drawing and sketching differs from instrumental drawing primarily in the amount of time and accuracy required.
In appearance, the completed freehand drawing is entirely different from the clean-cut precision of a mechanically ruled or computer generated working drawing, it has a rough and natural appeal, but should be clear, concise and suitable for the intended purpose. A poorly presented freehand drawing is unlikely to be appreciated, understood, or accepted.
Any of the types of working drawing used in the various Industry-specific content areas of Industrial Technology, may be used in freehand drawing.
Freehand sketches and drawings are quickly drawn to communicate ideas fast and freely. Try to sketch while you think of ideas. Freehand sketches and drawings are sometimes called concept sketches: they are often very basic drawings, which are far from finished but they nevertheless convey a lot of information about a project.
Sketches of your ideas should attempt to provide answers to the problem outlined in the Statement of Intent and meet as many of the operational requirements of your specification as possible. Try and produce a number of sketches related to your Statement of Intent to illustrate changes in your thinking. These sketches need not be completely different ideas for your project, but ideas related to the central concept.
To build on your ideas add notes to indicate key design features (good and bad), construction skills and measurements.
The combination of quick sketches and notes are beneficial in providing evidence of the evolution of your project’s design from initial concept to completion.
Basic skills
There are a variety of grades of pencil available for sketching, they range from a very hard 9H to a very soft EE. A suitable pencil for sketching would be a 2B. Sketch lightly to begin with as you will unavoidably make mistakes and will want to remove some of the errors made. You will need to practise controlling the pressure applied to the pencil. The pressure can control the thickness of the line produced.
Shading can also improve the appearance of a simple sketch, by simulating the effect of light and shade on an object. The shade requirement is determined by deciding on the position of a light source.
Freehand sketches and drawings can be quickly prepared on grid paper. This can help in keeping lines straight and to maintain proportion. Grid paper can come in various sizes and profiles: square grids can support orthogonal projection and allow enlargement of projects and components, 45° and 30° grids allow for pictorial drawing in oblique and isometric.
A technique used frequently in freehand sketches and drawings is to create a ‘box’ or ‘crate’ that serves as a guide for your sketch. Simply draw a box, which will enclose the object you want to draw. Lightly draw the box then draw the object within the box. You can also draw a circle of a given diameter by first sketching the box that it will fit into.
Mark points half way along each side where the circle will touch. Sketch a curve to touch these points and it will form your circle. An ellipse can be created using this technique also, but this time we draw the rectangle box that the ellipse will fit into. This technique is handy for drawing oblique or isometric circles.
Activity
Go to the following web site:
and select Part two: An Introduction. Follow the steps of each lesson and practice all exercises to develop your skills.
Other resources
The following web site could assist you in developing your freehand drawing and sketching skills:
This site provides some freehand drawing lessons, examples and exercises on a range of drawing techniques such as exploded views, single point and two point perspective drawings, oblique projection, isometric projection, orthographic projection and architectural drawing.
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