Sure, we have computers and programs and gadgets that do a lot for us, but nothing will ever replace the immediacy and intimacy of the hand-drawn sketch. You don’t need to be a master, but you do need to develop and hone your drawing skills in order to be a truly effective designer. Certainly, there are designers who have managed to have a successful career without knowing how to draw even the simplest things. It can be done. However, not having any drawing skills makes the design process all the harder.
Why should you learn to draw?
- It makes you a better communicator
You are able to literally draw your client a picture of what you mean. You need to remember that you are a designer and a visual thinker, able to conceptualize shapes and volumes in a way your client may not be able to do. A simple drawing can help you both get on the same page. It also helps you work with other creatives like photographers or illustrators—you will be able to tell them exactly what they need to know. - Being able to draw means you can offer more to your clients
Over the course of your career, you will find that all of your skills will come into play, from copy editing to presentation skills to organizational skills. If you are able to draw, that means you have one more facet to offer. If you are designing logos, being able to draw will help you conceptualize and come up with non-typographic solutions. - Being able to draw will save you money
What if you need some quick sketches to present to a client? You could either hire someone to create them for you or do them yourself. It’s up to you. - Drawing makes you a better designer
Learning to draw helps develop the following skills:- It develops your eye for detail
- It trains your eye to see the balance of light and dark on the page, a skill that will definitely help you with typography
- It helps you become aware of the source of light
- It helps you develop and see the visual perspective at play
How do you learn to draw?
EVERYONE can learn to draw. It does not take any specific manual dexterity, just some sharpening of your observational skills. Take a class as soon as you can. Learn the basics, then practice as much as you can. Every person you know who can draw has been working on those skills diligently for years.
- Learn to draw what you see, not what you think you see. This is a skill that you can acquire, and we will do an exercise in class that will show you how to start doing just that. The human brain is wired to see and record basic, essential details and let the rest go. As a creative creator, you need to stop and process more than these basic details by asking yourself questions like the following:
- What is the shape of the object I am drawing?
- How does the object I am drawing compare other objects near it?
- Is it bigger than the object next to it? Smaller?
- Close to something or far away from it?
- Where does this line that makes my object begin?
- Where does it end?
- Does it slant, curve or bend?
The point it, you need to detach and examine what your eye is actually recording. You will get the hang of it, fear not. You can practice observing things carefully whenever you find yourself with nothing to do: simply look around yourself, asking the questions and noting how the surroundings relate spatially to one another.
- Develop all facets of your observational skills. I created this handout to help you do just that.
Additional Reading / Articles Cited
Design FAQ: Do Designers need to know how to Draw?
I used this article a LOT to write this lesson, it is a great read.
Learning to Draw: The One Drawing Skill Every Beginning Artist Need
