Is Drawing Dead?

[danspocket]

First, this forum is a God send. Literally. I'm quite thankful for everyone's advice.

My question: My Creative Director is hung up on the fact that I can't draw worth a crap. Never mind the fact that my design (print) work has been winning awards at previous shops (I'm new here). So, is drawing dead, or what?!?

At my previous shop, to show a client a sketch was laughable. We'd risk losing the account. But here - different region of the States, different shop - the CD is big on sketching.

Any thoughts?!?!

-dc

Drawing isn't dead but as far as logo design goes I've noticed that hand drawing will get you that much further.

example: http://www.hyena-empire.com/pics/logo_01.gif

But if your designs are that good then you don't need hand drawing. I can hand draw but I'm out of practice so my drawing look like crap now but it's not needed if you can work with what you got.

http://www.cbcamerica.com/images/webshots/banner-design.jpg
'Adventure, Excitement, A Jedi craves not these things.'
'Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.'

[Silence04]

i'll usually always start out with a thumbnail sketch for what ever job i'm doing... otherwise i'm just sitting at the computer trying different things till i get something i'd want to use, which isn't that bad, just take up more time.
as for what you should do....chances are your not gonna change the way the CD thinks, so you might as well start practicing.... or prove to him that you can put together a comp on the computer and print it out just as fast as someone could draw one by hand.

Taylor

Yea I draw comps by hand alot. Using the grid system you can easly come up with ideas and you don't have to be able to draw good just doodle.

http://www.cbcamerica.com/images/webshots/banner-design.jpg
'Adventure, Excitement, A Jedi craves not these things.'
'Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.'

[danspocket]

thanks for the advice/input.

i still do t-nails...just not of the 'show this to a client' quality. t-nails are where you hash out the skeletons - i know that. but my CD is from the 'old school,' and makes me feel like an ass with his critiques.

at my previous agency, to show a client a sketch - even if it were drawn by M.C. freak'n Etcher - would be laughable. clients, paying thousands of $$$, don't want to see sketches - they want to see graphics.

AHHHH!!!!!

(i suppose this is a nice problem to have, in the big picture. my brother's a cop, and he deals with real problems...not archaic CD's :)

[solcjoye]

I draw 95% of everything I do, I think doing everything within the computer makes things look TOO generic, but thats my .02 I dont think lack of drawing skill will kill your career, but I just think it limits your skill base, just like not knowing how to use a certain program does, etc.

Plus I think it all depends on the output of your work, somestuff requires drawing skill, some doesnt. Most of the work I do is for weddings (Invitations, save-the-date cards, etc. and ALMOST all of that needs to be handdrawn because of the look that the clients want in regards to them seeing my previous work which was also hand drawn.) But if you're clients are large companies that are looking for print ads etc. Then I think drawing isnt such an important skill to have.

-Sol

[ryaninwa]

it appears to me that most people now just sit in front of their computer screen and daze off spending most of the time on the computer, this sickens me because it mostly makes people lazy and UN creative.

[uncle carbunkle]

i've met art directors/clients who just want the product like, yesterday, and view 'doodling' as a waste of time, (to 'arty farty'). conversly, i've worked with those who need to see your 'roughs' (although if they're the least bit rough, you're in for it) like a math teacher demanding to see your process. i think they view it as proof that you're really as creative as you should be, (justifying your wage, i guess), rather than some goof at a computer ("i can do that, for goodness sake!" says client).





it all comes back to justifying the creative position as one worth paying for. sometimes the ability to communicate with a sketch (how many times have we all heard someone say that they couldn't draw to save their life?) is what it takes to prove your worth. so, i guess your sketches don't have to be 'beautiful' or bring tears to anyone's eyes, but to be able to quickly sketch something that accurately conveys what you have in your head, (although, for some, it's faster to just do it on the computer), is another tool to *wow* clients and bosses.





and it's fun! i like getting my hands dirty...it breaks up the monotony of carpel tunnel syndrome.

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In
practice, there is.