English - Assigment 1 - Process Essay

In this assignment, we are given the task to write a  process essay on how to produce a good sketch.


How to Produce an Attractive Sketch

Have you ever been mesmerised by the beauty of some magnificent buildings around the world? Have they ever stunned you with their utmost sophistication of artistic beauty? The leaning tower of Pisa, Lloyd’s Building, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Taj Mahal are only a few of the architectural wonders of the world. Many people admire these buildings, and frequently arranged trips to these wonders to take tons of pictures as memories. But have this idea ever crossed your mind that photos of popular buildings are just everywhere on the internet? There is almost no significant difference if we just photoshop ourselves into a photo downloaded from the internet. In this era where information is just about everywhere, perhaps what values most is something we do ourselves that is different, and not easily acquired by others. One of the ways to do this is through sketching. I know many of us had the impression burned into our minds that sketching is something only for the gifted, for the artists, and the only thing that we can ever put on paper is a stickman. Well, that is not necessarily true. Everyone can sketch decently once we know the steps and methods of doing it.

            First things first: know your sketching surfaces. In order to create an appropriate sketch, we must first select the right surface for sketching as the texture of the paper directly affects the quality and tonality of our sketch. Nowadays there are various types of sketchbooks available on the market, but all types of papers are generally divided into two, that is rough paper and smooth paper. How do we define ‘rough’? Rough papers have noticeably bumpy surfaces. When shading with a pencil, the irregularity of the paper creates pits of white spots throughout the area. It is usually used for works with high contrast and less detail, and also for watercolour works where the bumpy surface is utilised for aesthetic effect. Smooth paper, on the other hand, has a more regular and less “toothy” surface. People who plan to sketch lots of details usually opt for this kind of paper. The use of watercolour on this kind of paper is also a lot cleaner compared to rough paper as it does not bleed around the painted spot. So, if you want to sketch a building with lots of details, it is advisable to choose a smooth paper and vice versa.

            Once you have an idea of what paper to choose, the drawing tools comes next. For sketching, the common tools used are pencils and mechanical pencils. Pencils are graded with various levels of H (for hardness) and B (for blackness). Pencils that are commercially available range from 6H to 6B. Hard pencils are usually used for the first sketches, as they are supposed to be light and thin. Darker pencils are then used to do the real sketching, when bolder and more obvious lines are required. Mechanical pencils are used for the details, especially when they are too minute to be drawn with a pencil. Having one of two mechanical pencils is always handy as you do not have to sharpen your pencils just to reach the tight spaces. Also, you might want to have some gel pen with you, and sometimes even a Sharpie to do the magic.

Bear in mind that a good sketch requires layers and layers of sketching. Even the finest of sketchers do not sketch the whole picture right away. A typical sketch starts with the foundation. In this stage, the lines should be very light and barely noticeable. Use a 6H pencil and glide on the paper without exerting much pressure. You should get the outline or the “skeleton” of the building you are sketching. Once you are satisfied with it, move on to a darker pencil, i.e. 2B, and start drawing the lines more precisely. Always make sure that the components of your building are to scale and add details to the sketch too. Feel free to use darker pencils like 6B to add to the contrast. Another important aspect of the sketch is to determine the direction of light source. Having light coming from a fixed position helps you determine the position and shape of shadows, as well as parts to have darker shades and vice versa. It also makes your sketching a lot more realistic.

Sketching is always hard at first, but once you fall in love with it, you will always be enthusiastic to sketch everything that interests you. You should understand that in order to improve on something, practise is always part of the equation. According to the famous writer Stephen King, talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. No one is born an artist, so do not hesitate to try something new, perhaps the next Picasso is in the making! 

I learned a lot about the sketching process and also the method to produce a good process essay.

After doing research I needed to think of the arrangement and compilation of information into my essay.

 I rechecked my essay repeatedly to minimize errors and also to improve it if required.