I came across this site – http://www.urbansketchers.org/

Trees from Urban Sketchers 

which champions and displays some incredible sketch works from 100 keen contributors in 30 countries of the world. It says

“.. Some are architects and illustrators, others are graphic designers, web developers, painters or educators, all sharing the same passion for drawing on location.”

– after purchasing next years diary from MOJO London. It’s a Moleskine diary with a large pocket at the rear and hand rubber bandy thing to stop the contents falling all over the floor, most of the time at least.

Mojo’s MOLESKINE 2012 diary

Moleskine too have a blog dedicated to showing off their users art and creative endeavours. Capturing life and location on paper has long been a creative passion and a much sort after skill. Moleskine is now the book of choice not only for writers emulating Chatwin, but artists recording the world.

I wonder if my accountant would like my tax return illustrated?

Which brings me back to using illustration to show clients how their new garden is going to look, does it have to be hand drawn? Tom Stuart Smith and team do a fine job at this but the hours it takes to render such masterpieces has to be only for the seriously creative client who is prepared to pay for that time? I was amazed to see some originals at the Garden Museum exhibition, they were enormous well over AO and the tiniest details drawn in (e.g.  sheep, cattle and little teeny people).

Broughton Grange Drawing from Guardian article

I used to draw a lot, sketch you could call it but I was far to slow to ‘sketch’ truth be told, I didn’t have the determination nor did I put in the hours to bring my skill levels up. One is not born being able to draw, though there are exceptions, mostly one has to learn, trial and error and one has to draw, draw, draw and then draw some more!

So the use of the 3D modelling tool Sketch Up has to be a bonus for ‘Sketch Lazy’ designers like me. Not only can I draw the model but once drawn I can ‘style’ it in seconds.

Sketch edges of a Sketch Up styled model

bold and bit brash

in black and white

or all Moody

Of course a filled sketch book cannot be replaced by a computer program there will always be something appealing about a book stuffed with scraps of paper, had drawn ‘notes’ and ideas but as a tool for communicating ideas efficiently to a client?

It wins hands down.

Presentation sheet for a client