Chapter 13 Visual Communication: Drawings, Renderings, and Models 435 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Freehand sketching is a desirable skill because sketches are not fixed in stone. Both clients and team members prefer to have input into a design. Sketches promise the opportunity for an exchange of ideas. In addition, the ability to create quick perspective sketches in client conferences and in team meetings is a highly useful skill that enhances communication among team members. Sketching tools are portable and readily available. Inte- rior designers often joke that they still draw on napkins— an inexpensive surface during a luncheon meeting. At the simplest level, manual tools might be bond paper and a pencil or disposable black felt-tip pen. Digital tablets also work well. When and Where to Sketch Designers and design students, sketch often and anywhere. With enrollment in a sketching class, instruc- tors require design students to carry a sketchbook with them wherever they go. The goal is to practice frequently and sketch everywhere. As ideas come to students, they are to sketch them. If they are waiting for a class to begin, students are to sketch an interior detail near them. Research indicates that the frequency of sketching is an important part of improving comfort level and skill. Your confidence in sketching is visible as your skill progresses. Sketching Types There are several different types of sketches. They all require the need to perceive edges of forms, nega- tive and positive space, light and shadows, proportion, and spatial relationships. As you review the types of sketches, evaluate the images for each sketching tech- nique. What do the images communicate to the viewer? ■ Doodle. A rough drawing made casually and in a matter of minutes, a doodle allows a person to visually think and work through ideas. A doodle is not sophisticated or fully developed. Designers doodle when capturing an intriguing detail or a new thought. See Figure 13-7. Robert Work MFA, Colorado State University Figure 13-7 A doodle sketch allows designers to think visually to work through ideas.