Chapter

FreeHand
Sketching

Essential Question
Why is freehand sketching still such an important tool
for engineers with the abundance of CAD programs?

Freehand sketching is used in engineering graphics

to quickly communicate your ideas or designs.
CAD program may not be available, especially
during field work
Freehand sketching is not sloppy sketching! Your
sketches need to be interpreted by others on your
design team

Class Goals
Sketching philosophy
Sketching Techniques & Skills

The Importance of Sketching

The process of sketching promotes:
spatial thinking,
visualization,
logical, systemic ways of creating geometry.
It should be understood as a convenient method
for quickly expressing and communicating ideas
graphically.

Sketching Principles
Sketching is a rapid, freehand method of drawing
without the use of straight edge and/or drawing
instruments.

Sketching Examples
This is not artistic sketching,
but technical sketching
Emphasis will be on sketching
geometric figures to represent
features of objects

A Comparison of
Mechanically Drawn and
Freehand Sketched
Lines

Learning Skills (abc): Freehand arcs

Learning Skills (abc) : Freehand lines

Learning Skills (abc) : Freehand circles

Learning Skills (abc): Freehand ellipses

Learning
the
RULES

Technique and Visual Memory

basic structure

proportion

necessary details

Visual Memory Proverb

draw what you see

not what you know

Sketching Technique

Use very light construction lines

Box in the rough outline of the object
Darken only the lines you wish to keep
Clean up the edges and rough spots

Alphabet of Lines
Review Alphabet of lines
Line type & weight
Purpose of each line type

Sketching Technique

Examples of Good and Bad

Straight Line Technique

Examples of Good and Bad

Straight Line Technique

1st Pass
2nd Pass

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Horizontal lines are typically sketched from left to
right.
Vertical lines are best sketched with a downward,
pulling motion.
To sketch curved lines for arcs, cylinders, and
rounded shapes, first, draw lines to indicate the
center of the curve.

Learning The Rules (grammar)

More than relative size

Proportions and Construction Lines

The relative proportions of
the primary dimensions of an
object is more important than
their actual physical sizes. A
proportion is the ratio
between any two dimensions
of an object.

Sketching Long Lines

Sketching Long Lines

Sketching Curved Lines

Straight lines

Sketching lines are often drawn by a sequence of

two or three passes with the pencil.

Curved lines

Use multiple guide points.

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Orient paper to be comfortable
Mark end points of the lines to be sketched
Relax and draw in direction comfortable to you
Draw long lines as a series of short lines
Use grid paper when available
Do not use straight edges to draw lines!

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Advice on Freehand Sketching

Show Time.

Using sketching effectively in design Drawing, sketching and designing (1/19)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqKdUXtJTHg&f
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