The Importance of Sketching.

Salam Everyone,

The matter of sketching has been a long debate between Arch/Design students, especially in the digital world. From my point of view, sketching is very important to us in the creative/building industry. Above is a drawing called 'Hand drawing a Hand' by Escher (Read posting Mission Impossible: Escher's World, in Designers@PUO) that I'm using to illustrate the importance of sketching.

Below is an excerpt I found interesting from a PAM's 2008/9 skecthbook. It is from the President of PAM,read on to appreciate the importance of sketching from his point of view: -

A note from the President of PAM,

In this time of computer-aided drawings, computer generated perspectives, and 3D animations, what more with software bearing the name of “Sketch-up”; the physical act of sketching and drawing by hand seems to be losing favour among the younger generations of architects who are more at ease and proficient in ‘drawing’ and ‘sketching’ with the keyboard.

Nevertheless, throughout the history of architecture and up to the present hi-tech age, sketching – the act of drawing in search of ideas and solutions – has always been the repertoire of many a great architect: from the old masters such as Michelango and Lernardo Da Vinci to modern masters like Le Corbusier, Louis Khan, Alvar Aalto, Steven Holl, Frank Gehry, …, etc. These great architects all excel in the art of sketching and drawing.

…Alvar Aalto once declared, “God created paper for the purpose of drawing architecture on it…”

Ar. Lee Chor Wah

PAM President 2007 – 2008 (Architecture Sketchbook 2007-2008).

What do you think?

DRN