drawing

design 005
Woodworkers have a mixed blessing.

Ideas can come from anywhere and at anytime, but sometimes there seems no end to the inspiration that fills your mind. It can be a bit overwhelming at times.

So, how do you capture these bursts of woodworking illumination? The best way to flesh out your ideas is to simply sketch them.

A lot of woodworkers are intimidated at the idea of keeping a sketchbook.

What we’re talking about here are simple quick sketches to just get the basic idea down on paper, not a masterpiece of illustration.

The good news is you don’t have to be an artist or have gone through years of technical drawing and drafting courses to have a sketchbook full of your brilliant masterpieces.

Here’s a few quick and easy tips for improving your skills and gain the confidence to fill volumes of sketchbooks!

Can’t draw? Get over it.

This is the crucial first step. It doesn’t matter whether you have “drawing abilities” or not. These sketches are for you and you alone if you choose. Do you have ideas? Do you have the desire to make these ideas a reality? Do you have a pencil and paper? If you answered yes to all of these then you have the ability to draw your furniture concepts.

Sketch Everything

Think of sketching as simple furniture brainstorming. In other words, you simply put out any and every idea that comes to mind. Instead of doing this verbally, however, you are putting it down on paper in the form of a simple drawing. When an idea hits you, sketch it! Don’t contemplate whether it’s a good idea or not. Remember, this is furniture brainstorming. If you stop to analyze each idea, you’ll be second guessing yourself all day long. Wait until after you’ve drawn these ideas to evaluate whether they will work. It doesn’t matter how outlandish your ideas might seem, put it on paper first. You might be surprised in the end.

Make Your Sketchbook a Project File

It’s a good idea to save all of your past sketches, whether in a sketchbook or some type of file. First of all, this allows you to go back and see how far you’ve come in your designs and drawing abilities. Second, this becomes and instant reference for project ideas. I know in my case, I’ve rediscovered ideas and used elements that I had long forgotten about.

Keep Sketching

The last tip is most important. No matter what, don’t ever stop sketching your inspirations. Make it a regular practice to sit quietly and flesh out your ideas into your sketchbook. This simple act alone will do more for your design ability than you could ever imagine, plus you’ll really come to enjoy this precious time. Keep sketching. You’ll be glad you did.

The process of turning your ideas into 2D reality doesn’t have to be complicated or intimating. If you follow these simple tips and make it a regular practice you’ll turn sketch work into one of your most treasured activities.

Do you struggle with putting inspiration to sketchbook? What’s the biggest problem you face?

How would you like to design furniture that sells? Find out how in the Woodworking Can Pay The Bills E-course.

No, I’m not trying to resurrect your suppressed memories of torturous piano lessons. I’m bringing this into a realm you’re much more enthusiastic and passionate about; your woodworking.

Even though it was traumatic, the scales you practiced in piano (or whatever musical instrument you had to endure) had a purpose. They were designed to improve your skill and bring confidence in your ability. The same can be true in woodworking. You’re going to use different scales and dimensions to help you improve your designs and give you greater confidence as a designer and maker.

1/4 Scale

When you are satisfied with the overall design, it’s time to move from a thumbnail sketch to a scale drawing. A scale drawing is just a simple rendering of the overall form and important details drawn to proportionate scale. This is easiest to do with one of those triangular architect rules. It has various scale measurements on each side and each end.

I prefer to start with a ¼” scale drawing. This helps me to work out proportion and scale in greater ways. I can really begin to see how each part relates to the others. This also gives me a chance to correct dimensions of the piece as well as the individual parts.

This gives you one more chance to go back to the original sketches and make any design changes before moving forward.

Full Scale for Full Effect

Once you have a ¼” scale rendering, it’s time to move on to a full scale drawing. I know this can seem a little redundant, and admittedly, it can be somewhat of a formality, but it can also really be a time saver in the long run.

A full scale drawing is simply all the views, or “elevations” of the piece and any special details drawn to exact size and dimension. If there were any questions about proportion in the previous renderings, they will be answered here. Getting a look at the piece in full scale can really help you see any flaws in the overall design. This is also a chance to work out the details for elements like complex joinery, delicate molding profiles, and any carvings or embellishments.

I have to confess that I do not always use this step for the whole piece. If there are complicated joints and angles that I plan on using, I will do a full size drawing of these elements. It is, however, a good practice to get into early on in your design work. I typically generate my full size drawings on a simple antique drafting board with a basic drafting T-square and yard stick.

A Whole New Dimension

Once all of the details and measurements are worked out, it’s time to add a whole new dimension to your design. If you want to see what all the parts look like from every angle, then a scale model is in order. Whether it’s 1/4 scale or full size, a 3D model can really help work out some bugs.

A scale model is simply a quick three-dimensional reference tool for the real thing. All you need are materials like scrap wood, plywood, cardboard, framing lumber, screws, and even duct tape! I really enjoy this stage of design because you can essentially construct a piece of furniture in a matter of an hour or two.

If you do a full scale model, cut all the parts to size and join them with pocket screws, nails, or whatever suits you. The idea is to build a close representation of the finished piece. This is a great time to work out the process for executing complicated joinery or shaping complex curved parts. You can clearly see how each part works or doesn’t work within the context of the whole.

I have gotten to this stage in the design several times and realized, only then, that I needed to go back to square one and adjust some sizes and proportions, or add or remove some details. Believe me, better to discover these things now than when you’re building the actual piece.

It’s actually a lot of fun to build, and it gives other people an opportunity to give some valuable input as well, since they can observe the object with all sides and design elements right in front of them.

While all of these steps may not be necessary to go from pencil sketch to finished piece, each one can and should have its place in the vernacular of any woodworker who is actively designing their own pieces.

So, don’t forget to practice those scales next time the opportunity presents itself. I promise you it will not be as torturous as those childhood piano lessons were!

Have you employed scale drawing or models in your design process? What’s been holding you back if you haven’t?