Producing a sketch is harder than you think. Beauty can be expressed with just a simple black and white sketch. There are no rules in art, for beauty can be expressed in many ways. “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” – Plato this is the ultimatum in all forms of art. Learning the basics of sketching will prove very useful in architecture. Without the knowledge of the steps used for sketching, one is at a loss. But fret not, for there are many guidelines you can follow in order to produce a sketch worthy to wag your tail about.

For the subject of my sketch, I chose a cooking pot. It has a shiny metallic texture and feels very smooth and rigid. It makes a ringing sound when hit; much like a cymbal. My particular pot has a faint smell of instant noodle seasoning while there was no specific taste. This cooking instrument can be used in many ways, mostly related to the boiling of water. It can be used for cooking noodles, soup, or even to cook an egg. I chose this pot because I live on campus, and in my opinion, the easiest way to cook a meal is by using a pot.

          Before I sat down and began to sketch, I made sure all the equipment needed for the sketch were close at hand, such as paper, both light and dark pencils, and an eraser. Then I began to analyse the subject, leading me to look at it from all angles and try to determine its best aspect. Preferably something that best defines the subject. I tried not to draw it from a weird angle. For example, you wouldn’t want to display a painting from the side view. I positioned the pot to be drawn at eye level so I could get it right. During this process, I moved to the dining table for ample space and lighting.

          I started off with using a lighter pencil drawing in disjointed strokes, I tried not to focus on details just yet. In doing so, I found it easier to scale my work. Meaning, it prevented me from going over the border of the paper. In perspective of the light pencil, it allowed me to rework on my sketch over and over again until satisfactory. Obviously it will be harder to erase a darker pencil which would potentially damage the paper. Now I added details into the sketch by using a darker pencil. I followed up with the lighter lines, this time emphasizing on detail. Having done so, I completed the sketch with shading and texturing. For shading, I provided attention from where the light came from. One wouldn’t want to add shadows that bends towards the light source. I shaded the subject as though light was thrown onto it. Texturing proves to be somewhat an arduous task. The type of surface and the amount of texture determines the amount of light that is reflected off the surface (Wright, n.d.). For example, a hard surface such as glass or metal reflects a lot of light; a soft surface such as cloth, absorbs light. To me, this was the hardest part of the whole sketch, and so a few mistakes were made but then easily corrected with the sharp end of an eraser.

          The process from start to finish took me a little less than half an hour. It took me a considerable amount of time to determine how I wanted to express a shine on my pot and eliminate my own reflected image. This proved to be quite challenging after putting into action. Upon completing the sketch, I had a mixed feeling of being greatly relieved yet with a slight disapproval towards my sketch, as if I could do better. I would love to do it again and next time, hopefully creating a super duper attractive sketch worthy to boast about.