20110427 kc how drawing skills

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76 • MAY 2011 W W W .H OW DES IG N.C OM

Every Sunday aternoon, Ken Carbone clips The New York Times arts calendar and tucks it in his ever-present journal. Darting about Manhattan during the ollowingweek, he’ll check the listing whenever spare minutespop up between appointments. Finding a nearby gallery,he’ll duck inside to sketch its latest exhibit.

“Pencil sketches orce me to really look at a work o art,” says Carbone, acclaimed designer and oundingpartner o Carbone Smolan Agency in New York City.“Drawing provides a lasting memory o the work andbroadens my creative reerences or design.”

Carbone is one o many designers who nd sketch-ing to be the gateway leading to stronger creativity and smarter designs. For them, drawing is, as HenriMatisse said, like “putting a line around an idea.”

Yet scores o today’s designers shun drawing. Somebelieve computers negate the need to draw. Otherseel they lack drawing talent. And many have lie-long phobias about pressing pencil to paper. Theseolks oreit remarkable ways to expand creativity, say designers who nd drawing as revitalizing as breathingpure oxygen.

“Drawing is the best way or me to translate ideasrom my head to the real world,” says Dave Wernercreative director at Minor Studios in San Francisco“I’ll sketch and also write little notes. Beore long, myideas—good and bad—are out in ront o me ratherthan hidden in my head.”

Philadelphia-based designer and blogger MelissaMorris Ivone agrees. “Ideas in my head are still a bitblurry,” she says. “Putting them on paper makes themreal. And rom there, I can edit as necessary.”

O course, you don’t have to draw to be a gooddesigner. Many non-drawing designers travel throughtheir careers without being blistered or rained uponBut die-hard drawers say these ellow designers aresort o like guitarists who never learn to read musicor tennis players who never perect their backhandsThey may play some ne songs and win some biggames, but they’ll always be somewhat handicappedon their paths to glory.

I you’re a compulsive drawer, telling you this is abit like talking to Noah about the food. You alreadyknow sketching sparks creativity and helps you notice

Have you lost touch with your artistic roots? Or perhaps

you never learned to draw in the rst place? Six dedicated

sketchers explain why all designers should draw and oer

7 ways to make it work or you. B Y S A M H A R R I S O N



W W W .H OW DES IG N.C OM HO W • 7

lie in resh ways. You probably already use drawing tokick-start design projects and explain ideas to clients.

But i, on the other hand, you’ve stashed away yoursketchbooks—or never really bothered opening themto begin with—stay tuned. Several habitual sketchershave hints on how you can begin drawing with brio.

1. STOP FRETTING AND GRAB A PENCIL“The rst thing is to not be precious about it,” Carbonesays. “Just grab easily available tools and learn to lovethe mistakes you make. I’ve seen designers buy expen-sive materials only to get rustrated with their early results. They’re taking things way too seriously.”

Ivone is another drawer who recommends cutting yoursel some slack. “I a drawing isn’t working out oneday, no worries,” she says. “There’s always tomorrow. Atone point, I wanted every single sketch to be good. Soinstead o spending an hour drawing or un, I’d spendour hours in a cloud o eraser dust. And then I wouldstop drawing completely just to avoid ailure. I have toremember that it’s OK to make mistakes. It’s OK to beloose and messy.”

To keep the momentum fowing, Kate BingamanBurt, a Portland, OR-based designer, blogger, proes-sor and illustrator, suggests drawing around a theme.“I you want to sketch more, pick a topic and explorearound that issue,” she says. “A blank piece o paperis scary. Having a project with structure makes it lessrightening.”

Atlanta-based Hank Richardson, Portolio Cen-ter’s design master, agrees that moving with celerity makes drawing less intimidating. “The aster you draw

something on the page, the quicker you get intoexpressing yoursel,” he says. “Beore you know it,

you’re consumed in the creative and design process.“When students tell me they can’t draw, I know

there’s a ear they need to overcome,” he continues.“I’ll ask them to pick a paragraph rom their class notesand use drawing to communicate what they’ve written.Pretty soon, they orget the ear because they’re toobusy communicating their message.”

Richardson says ear also melts when peopleremember that drawing and illustration are two di-erent activities. “Some designers think their sketcheshave to be polished illustrations,” he says. “This causesear and resistance. Just relax and keep putting lineson paper.”

2. GIVE YOURSELF THE TIME AND TOOLSCreating daily cartoons or his school newspaperhelped Werner overcome any early ears he had aboutdrawing. “The more you draw,” he says, “the easier itbecomes and the better you get.”

Creating daily drawings also taught Werner to carry a sketchbook. “Not all ideas happen sitting behinda desk,” he says, “so I like having something nearby whenever an idea pops in my head. I also really like

Wacom tablets. At rst it was like learning to draw allover again, but it’s now become a powerul tool. Andhaving an undo button alone is worth the price!”

Carbone also advocates or daily drawing. In addi-tion to sketching at his agency, he makes sure to drawor himsel at least ve hours a week. He spends someo his time drawing a model with other artists in a




quiet Soho studio. “Lie drawing is such an anomaly in today’s digital world,” he says, “and in most designcircles it’s probably seen as uncool. But or me, it’slike going to the gym to stay in shape. It’s a way toengage mental and physical muscles to ensure thatthey’re working at optimum levels. A nude may nevershow up in one o my designs, but the undamentalso what I learn rom drawing the nude denitely does.Proportion, structure, composition and relationshipsare all there.”

Carbone, like Werner, has added technology to hisquiver o drawing tools. “I’ve been working with theBrushes app on my iPad,” he says. “I love the surpris-ingly natural eel and range this app allows. And, in theend, there’s nothing to clean up.”

3. USE DRAWING TO DRIVE YOUR DESIGNSIn addition to drawing or un, discover ways to injectsketching into your creative process and design rou-tines. “Because drawing is a basic discipline, I really pay attention to the undamentals o lines, contours,shading and perspective,” Ivone says. “Designers don’thave to produce ne art with a 2B pencil. But under-standing basic principles helps create better work.”

Nicolas Maitret, creative director with Stone Yamashita Partners in New York City, calls drawinga stepping-stone between a designer’s imaginationand the real world. “Through drawing, ideas are born,ormed and developed,” he says. “They become clearer,stronger and better.”

When Bingaman Burt teaches graphic design atPortland State University, she insists that her studentsnever start projects on the computer. “I tell themto begin with a piece o paper and keep the laptopclosed,” she says. “Looking at those ideas on paper andperhaps adding or editing will make the end resultssmarter and richer.”

Drawing is also part o Werner’s design processwhether he’s explaining concepts to clients or distilling complicated objects into icons or logos. “Drawingis a key part o a designer’s voice,” he says. “It’s like anatural extension o handwriting—no one draws quitethe same way as another person.”

Carbone says his initial sketches oten set direction or the design team at his agency. “A loose sketchis all I need to communicate the essence o an idea,”he says. “These sketches put the design process inmotion, whether it’s a brand identity, signage systemor website. Then we’ll work as a team to develop thenal solution.”

4. USE DRAWING WHEN COLLABORATINGAs a designer, you’re a visual person. You see things in

your mind. But most clients aren’t visual people. That’why it’s oten so dicult to collaborate and communicate with clients on a project. You’re explaining wha

you see in your head, but their minds can’t visualize itDrawings help close these communication gaps.

For example, Maitret works mostly with multidisciplinary teams at Stone Yamashita. And he uses drawingto provide a common language or collaboration. “Inone project, we assembled a team o designers, marketers, bankers and risk managers to create a nanciaproduct or a major retailer,” he says. “Drawing becamethe shared vocabulary as we sketched everything romstore layouts to user scenarios to brochures and packaging. Drawing was the intuitive tool we could all useand comprehend.

“When collaborating with clients, we encouragethem to draw—not in a realistic way, but using stickgures and such,” Maitret continues. “Working withbankers and risk managers, we asked them to drawuser situations to help develop the team’s ideas. It’s apowerul exercise.”




5. USE DRAWING WHEN PITCHING IDEASMaitret also nds drawing to be a great way to pres-ent ideas. “When you sketch in real time with yourclients or encourage them to draw, you rerame yourrelationship with these customers,” he says. “Ratherthan pitching and selling your ideas, you’re co-creatingthem with your clients. I used to draw for my clients.Increasingly, I draw with them.

“It’s much harder than drawing on your own,”Maitret continues, “but it can transorm a client-

vendor dynamic into a true partnership. You createan environment where you deeply understand yourclient’s perspective and your client implicitly trusts

your input.”Like Maitret, Carbone uses drawing to involve

clients in the design process. “This is easy to do,especially i you know your client well,” he says. “I well-timed, it can be powerul and surprising, even ina major presentation to a CEO.”

Carbone says clients are delighted—and sur-prised—when he draws during a presentation. “Someeven remark, ‘hey, you can draw,’ as i designers are nolonger capable o drawing.”

The architect Santiago Calatrava is amous orsketching with watercolors when presenting his ideasor commissions. His archives include more than100,000 sketches, and he oten binds copies o hisdrawings into keepsake books or clients.

“I heard a story about Calatrava sketching an ideaat a high-powered dinner or a board o directors,”Carbone says. “As legend has it, Calatrava used abrush and red wine rom the chairman’s glass.”

Werner says his clients love to see drawings. “I I show a sketchbook or scans o concept sketches,the decision-makers are instantly intrigued,” he says.“There’s just something human and tangible aboutsketches that resonates with people.”

1 Draw anything and everything.

Don’t wait around looking or the right tools and the perect sub-

jects. Just start drawing and keep drawing. “Draw anything in ront o

you,” says Ken Carbone, creative director and co-ounder o Carbone

Smolan Agency. “A coee cup. Your hand. Your dog. Groups are avail-

able in most cities or lie drawing, so join one. Or start your own. At

our agency, we host a drawing night or team members once a month.

We hire a model and have wine, cheese and music. It’s lots o un, and

every designer likes getting away rom using the mouse now and then.”

2 Draw to communicate.

Stop worrying about how well you draw and ocus on how you can

communicate with your sketches. “Writing and drawing are siblings,”

says Hank Richardson, head o Portolio Center’s design school. “You

don’t necessarily need good grammar to express yoursel in writing, and

you don’t need to be a skilled illustrator to express yoursel in drawing.

Try going through part o your day without speaking or writing. Instead,

draw what you need to communicate—a cup o coee, a smiling ace,

an umbrella, whatever. You’ll soon appreciate drawing’s true value.”

3 Draw to have fun.

Remember the un you had drawing as a kid? You didn’t worry

about how it was going to turn out—you just enjoyed doing it. Get

back to that attitude. “My husband and I doodle pictures o each other

or un,” says reelance designer Melissa Morris Ivone. “We twist reality,

so he gets 10-pack abs, and my head sits atop a Dolly Parton body. Or

we’ll wind up with monkey bodies or bird wings or extra appendages.

The goal is to be as random as possible—and to nd new ways to make

each other laugh.”

Quick DrawHave you stopped drawing? Or did you never really start? Three drawing

anatics oer ast tips to inspire you to pick up a pencil.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Ken Carbone’s poster commemorating the art o Frida Kahloand Diego Rivera began as a drawing in his sketchbook.

H o m a g e t o F r i d a K a h l o a n d D i e g o R i v e r a d e s i g n e d b y K e n C a r b o n e A G I / U S A




And sketching is a great way to pitch ideas on thefy. “All you need is a napkin and pen,” Ivone says. “No

WiFi necessary. And i the client doesn’t like it, jusgrab another napkin and try again.”

6. CONSIDER ILLUSTRATIONS FOR CLIENTSMany designers take the bold leap o including theiown drawing in nished projects. And many more lookor ways to incorporate the illustrations o others intheir work rather than orever relying on photography.

“I think illustration is an alternative to photographyi it’s the right t and schedules permit,” Carbonesays. “Illustration is ideal or projects that might becampaign-related or modest in scope.”

Werner incorporates illustrative elements intomany o his designs. “In the digital age, having a nonperect element like a hand-drawn line can go a longway,” he says.

Werner’s sketches are major players in the websitehe created to promote himsel ater graduation (wwwokaydave.com). “The whole concept was to not jusshow projects in their nal pristine conditions,” hesays, “but also to showcase the oten messy ideas andcreative processes behind them.”

Bingaman Burt also eatures drawings on herwebsite, including the Daily Purchase Project, whereshe’s posted drawings o her purchases every daysince February 5, 2006 (www.katebingamanburt.comdaily-purchase-drawings).

“I used to hate drawing until I created this automated project where I had to draw daily,” she says“Now it’s the rst thing I do beore starting other projects—and I love it. It’s a jumpstart, a way to discoverthings about mysel and new ways o working.”

In addition to being a design catalyst, the projechas provided Bingaman Burt with other opportunitiesincluding “Obsessive Consumption,” a book eatur

Recommended ResourcesBelow, our six contributors list their avorite books, blogs and other

resources to help instruct and inspire you to draw.

Kate Bingaman Burt

I enjoy anything Maria Kalman touches: www.mairakalman.com

Lynda Barry is a genius: www.marlysmagazine.com

Sister Corita’s Rules should be read by everyone: www.bit.ly/hnXoLKSome avorite illustration blogs:

www.blog.drawn.ca

www.grainedit.com

www.book-by-its-cover.com

www.doodlersanonymous.com

www.pikaland.com

Ken Carbone

For a look at what contemporary drawing can be, I suggest reviewing

the work o William Kentridge. This monumentally important artist

works in an endless variety o media, but he uses drawing as a common

point o departure. I also recommend James McMullan’s excellent blog

on drawing or The New York Times: www.opinionator.blogs.nytimes.

com/category/line-by-line. Some avorite books on drawing include:

“Undressed Art: Why We Draw” by Peter Steinhart, “The Practice and

Science o Drawing” by Harold Speed and “The Human Machine” by

George Bridgeman.

Melissa Morris Ivone

I really enjoy “An Illustrated Lie” by Danny Gregory and “Street

Sketchbook” by Tristan Manco. It’s also inspiring to see how other artists

handle their sketchbooks, and that’s why I love these two blogs:

www.paulheaston.blogspot.com

www.petescully.com

Nicolas Maitret

I recommend any books on the drawings o Michelangelo, Rembrandt,

Schiele, Klimt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Van Gogh, Goya and Picasso. I

also recommend “The Back o the Napkin” by Dan Roam, and Christoph

Niemann’s work: www.christophniemann.com

Hank Richardson

“How to Draw the Human Figure” by John R. Grabach was a un little

book rom years ago that rst taught me about orm and drawing. Other

avorite books: “Drawing is Thinking” by Milton Glaser, “Illustrated

Voice” by Craig Frazier, “The Pencil” by Paul Calle, “Hirscheld On Line”

by Al Hirscheld, “The Principles o Uncertainty” by Maira Kalman,

“Behind The Lines” by R.O. Blechman, “A Bestiary” by Richard Wilbur

and Alexander Calder, “Underground” by David MacAulay and “Ways o

Seeing” by John Berger.

Dave Werner

I learned drawing basics as a kid through Ed Emberley’s series o books:

www.edemberley.com. “Make a World” by Emberley is still my avorite

drawing book o all time and probably infuenced me more than any

other resource. It simplies drawing into clear, step-by-step combinations

o lines and shapes. I also learned a lot rom trying to emulate Calvin &

Hobbes comics. Bill Watterson did an incredible job with nature and acial

expressions. And lately, I’ve really been enjoying Frank Chimero’s work:

www.work.rankchimero.com




WEB EXTRATake a step-by-step look at a set of Ken Carbone’s life drawings.

HOWdesign.com/Carbone

ing three years o her daily-purchase drawings. “Anaccidental reelance illustration career was also born,”she says. “Not only do I now enjoy drawing or mysel,but I also love drawing or other people. It’s win-win.”

Another online drawing venture is Ivone’s 160Pages Project (www.160pages.blogspot.com). Over-fowing with inspiration ollowing a HOW DesignConerence, she vowed to ll 160 journal pages. Shehas yet to reach that goal, but she’s making headway—and the sketches she has posted on her blog havereceived rave reviews.

“I never considered mysel much o a drawer,” shesays, “but when I posted the drawings on my blog,people really seemed to enjoy them. What I love aboutthe project is how clearly I can see my progression.Maybe there really is something to that old clichéabout practice making perect.”

7. MAKE DRAWING AN OBSESSION“We learn through movement,” writes Milton Glaserin “Drawing Is Thinking.” “The computer does thingsthat people may not be able to do, but at a price. Thereis something about the struggle and the energy tomake something that is being compromised. A teachero mine once said that every object contains the energy o its maker.”

Designers who ocus their energies on persistently drawing learn to love what they make—oten to thepoint o obsession. “I am obsessed with making linesand marks,” says Bingaman Burt, “rom sketching outrough ideas leading to larger projects to making simpleline drawings. My pen is my BFF.”

Ivone became passionate about sketching ater her very rst drawing class. “I love the way drawing makesme look at the world,” she says. “I notice shadows onthe foor and refections in my coee mug. Those littledetails seem to matter so much more now.”

Portolio Center’s Richardson agrees with the see-ing-eye value o drawing. “Drawing orces us to look at things,” he says, “and to examine what we don’tordinarily stop to see.”

Carbone claims the hours he spends drawing arehis most productive. “In the graphic design world,there’s a broad cast o characters involved in bringinga design to lie—designers, clients, printers and pro-grammers, to name a ew. Not so with my drawings.

When I complete a drawing, it’s a direct refection o my intent, uncompromised and pure.

“Drawing,” he says, “is a beautiul obsession.”

Sam Harrison is a speaker, workshop leader and writer on creativity. A requent contributor to HOW magazine, he is the author o “IdeaSelling: Success-

ully pitch your creative ideas to bosses, clients andother decision makers,” “IdeaSpotting: How to fnd

your next great idea” and “Zing! Five steps and 101tips or creativity on command.” Catch him at HOW Design Live, June 22–27 (HOWdesignlive.com).

www.zingzone.com; www.mydesignshop.com

KATE BINGAMAN BURT PORTLAND, OR

www.katebingamanburt.com/blog

KEN CARBONE NEW YORK CITY www.carbonesmolan.com

NICOLAS MAITRET NEW YOR K CIT Y www.sypartners.com

MELISSA MORRIS IVONE PHILADELPHIA

www.160pages.blogspot.com; www.operationnice.com

HANK RICHARDSON ATLANTA www.portoliocenter.edu

DAVE WERNER SAN FRANCISCO www.okaydave.com

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