Freehand drawing – a follow up to the creativity project

When thinking of my projects one and two, I realise that I very seriously miss brainstorming skills, and in design this means the ability to produce quick and to scale freehand drawings.

I do have some limited background in art and namely for as long as I could remember myself – drawings and painting was about fun, not about accuracy. I had always been a part of an art club and never expected to perform in art. The first time I had to compete in the field of art, I lost severely, and thereafter lost all interest in drawing and painting.

So, knowing that beside sample boards, drawing and sketching are the domains where I need to give a push to myself, I enrolled into KLC’s very promising Freehand drawing short course.

A very big difference between those two courses is that sample boards is about delivering well defined product in the industry, while freehand drawing is about a technique which a client may even not be aware if one is capable of. It is more of a skill, which is auxiliary to the rest, and which may remain backstage if we so choose.

The course’s tutor did not quite keep to the programme, but nevertheless made the course hours mostly interesting and worthwhile.

Here is what I learned:

• ·    There are simple exercises one can do, just to accustom his hand to drawing. To remind ourselves that it is a very accessible skill it is good to get used to sketch using any medium, like really any – discarded paper, crayons for all purposes, scraps…
• ·      When drawings objects – ideally go for cubes for a start. This was the exercise most appreciated – draw six cubes and shade them. Infinite source of exploration and training – how do the cubes evolve in the distance? What is the value of the shades on lighter and darker sides, and so on.

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• ·   There were of course exercises less appreciated – like enlarging a picture with the use of a grid.

·       There were exercises exercise in the leaflet we never properly did, such as drawing from observation…

It seems that the course was a bit too short for everything that is in the freehand drawing – on one side the numerous techniques meant to help us find our drawing “feet”, on the other hand learn the standards that are expected in the field of interior design.

The course’s most relevant to interior design exercise should have been the one-point perspective – it sort of got lost between the many different ways to shade and the enlarging. Nevertheless, I am, like many others, set to do my one point as soon as possible.

So, I like to look at the bounty of knowledge, as a starting point, and here is the list of what I want to take with me:

• ·    To draw a straight line without a ruler – look at the end of the line. Never tried it properly – here is a mine full of exercise already!
• ·   Cross-hatching, or etching – an exercise of applying subsequent layers of hatching to a field. Every layer leaves a piece unhatched and changes direction! That is how values are learnt – very useful and what I should do more often
• ·       How to check the result of a sketch – turn it upside down or take a distance!
• ·       Erasing is not allowed – shapes are corrected through other shapes
• ·       Erasing is only allowed where the light spills should be done.

And for the way forward, not surprisingly – practice!

• ·   When shown my mark making from the creativity post – the tutor advised me to try do them with different density – that is how the shades will come!
• ·       Most of our surroundings are cubes and tubes – one kind of sketching to practice a lot
• ·   Practice in any free moment – even when TV is on, or while on telephone…
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Always the diligent student, I picked a very customised practice for the weekend. I went through my Kelly Hoppen books and tried to sketch some of the most common silhouettes:

Finally, now that I am at Kelly and furniture, I am thinking – how many of those varieties can be found in Ikea? Checked this weekend – not many. Am not tempted to sketch Ikea, but am thinking already of a following post and exercise…

So, post may be something about influential designers and how to use the work – will inevitably lead to a presentation of Kelly’s books in my possession I’m afraid. Or sourcing? Going beyond Ikea is so tricky!

Or revisit project 1 – through space planning, and naturally some one point perspectives…. What do you think?

Two rooms – two projects, are there different ways to go about a job?

My two projects are at the heart of this blog – one my future master bedroom, the other - my future living room, as you can see on the plan of my intentions.

Living and dining area – project one

Project 1 started as a course assignment – I have already shared the mood board with you, and here are some brave photos from the existing situation – the mythical “before” stage:

Being so much under the influence of all the beautiful design books, I even went beyond what the BAID course suggested, and first looked into the zoning, as you may see:

The course asked for a suggested floor plan, lighting plan and an elevation, and most importantly a clear marking of the focal point. At this point in time I am only sharing with you the floor plan:

Before I go on with my verdict, may I just once again suggest that all comments on the proposed solution are welcome, and anyway, it is not final!

My personal feelings on project one are mixed, and I still feel it is a nice first try. Nevertheless, I am also so very far from getting it right. Here is why:

• ·       Proper mood/sample board is really necessary. And I regret to admit that some decisions have already been made – I have a door which has to stay as it is – to match the other doors in the hallway. I also just installed a new door to the bathroom the colour of which is in line with my initial amateur’s mood board.  The floor is also super recent – as replaced and aligned with the entrance area… so here we are simply requested to line the dots, and yet it is not so easy.
• ·       Space planning solves problems, but I am not at all sure it is the best, most rational, thoroughly visually pleasing solution. And the sky is the limit – I have so many variations, in so many forms….
•        The room lacks symmetry, and symmetry, as you shall see, makes life soo easy. I have therefore to be real clever in the future
• ·       Lighting – I spare you the details at this point in time, but the obvious intention is to have the zones enhanced by individual, well layered lighting; and if I don’t have the budget to re-work the  ceiling or the wiring, how shall it happen? More of a challenge coming her.
• ·    Elevations – another wonderful course, taught us that it is requested to see an elevation to make a decision - and as vertical storage is crucial for small spaces, not having it decided when designing, just doesn’t help.

And enough of critical thinking here, onto the next project.

Project 2 – Master bedroom

I never had a formal zoning plan, but it was firm in my head – hotel- room-like bedroom – with writing desk and cute seating area.

All of the above described has to be fitted in the following existing situation:

Interestingly, project 2, another BAID assignment, did not request for zoning plan, or for concept board. It only asked for cool – actually cold-coloured scheme, so that a fictional south exposure is properly addressed. This was more than welcome, as the future master bedroom has 2 windows, lavish sunlight, and I found my personal inspiration in the following souvenir from Indonesia: 

So, without formal introduction to concept board making, I decided that this framed piece of Batik shall be my concept board. If I see some criticism in it, it is mostly the fact that there are very few shades of blue – so the future result risks to be more 2D than 3D… we’ll see.

Next, came the sample board, previously presented, and of course the floor plan:

At the sight of the result, I felt deepest satisfaction. If there is fault with what I suggest, on to you to point it out... I mostly like the fact that all requested functions fit in, unlike other small spaces, it is not one bedroom equals one double bed, and so visually pleasing, thanks to the symmetry!

For the last one, check the elevation hereunder:

To me, this room clicks. I do not know if I will carry it out as imagined, but the design result gives me the confidence to proceed! If you have been careful in fact, you may have noticed that the feature wall was ready when I started blogging – just check the earlier posts.

So, I will continue with this one, and as to project one – it needs to be revisited! What makes it difficult is the lack of space, symmetry and to a point a certain doubt in the feasibility – I find it just too extravagant for my budget, for Brussels.

On to you – what are the three (or five?) most important things to modify in project 1?

Now, as it has happened before – I did not deliver the promised topic – so it happens that my daily interior meanderings took me elsewhere… so, next there’s going to be input on my last course (freehand drawing with KLC – and I believe it may be the answer to some of project 1 issues – if only were I able to quickly sketch the outcome of every idea while brainstorming?). Alternatively - my personal style or my love for small spaces… or first attempts to revisit project one? Let me know what is your first choice!

What is possibly wrong with project one?