Apropos of nothing …..

I've noticed that some folks can “visualize” things, much better than others.

Often, no matter how thoroughly I describe something, there are times when the “customer” just stares blankly.

But if I show them a drawing, … particularly a drawing that's correct in it's scale and proportion, … the “light bulb” pops on immediately.

And in those situations, I find a drawing rendered as a “3D Solid Model”, is more quickly grasped, than an “old school” isometric, or “wire frame” drawing.

When you do that, you've basically converted a "mechanical drawing" ( with all those pesky "details" ) ... into a picture.

And a Picture is worth, ..... well, you know.


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OTOH I've made more than one "prototype" to hand to a customer to see if we're using the language the same...

Randy, I picked up "The New Drawing On The Right Side Of the Brain" yesterday. I found it at a used book store for $8.50 in very good shape. I started to read it and like it. Now to start to practice.

SmoothBore, a bit late but, when i draw a picture i can get extremely close to proportions though not as accurate as auto cad but close enough no one person can see the difference. There is the golden rule which is a mathmatical equation that helps to keep proportions that are pleasing to the eye. I don't remember the formula as have really not had the need for it. I can draw an asymetrical or symetrical object and get very close to those proportions by eye. A measured drawing is great but impossible while with a customer discussing design while say on the jobsite or in the parking lot or their living room. Drawing by had can be done anywhere and you don't have to be an artist. With practice most anyone can draw it by hand then go to the measured drawing later when you want to sell the customer on the design.

FredW

Are you guys referring to the $4000 AutoCad program?

Type "sketchup" into Google. Enjoy.

While I read this thread I didn't comment, most salient points have been well covered. In general I'm in camp with Frank and Smoothbore. You have to be able to sketch, and draw by hand and using modern CAD is such a boon as to be a serious mistake to NOT use it.

 

I took I don't know how many mechanical drafting classes, at least 6 years worth from Jr. high through high school and as soon as CAD became available I took to it instantly.

 

I'm not so hot as an artistic drawing guy but I can make do. I always have graph paper handy with several colored pencils and pens. With only a little practice you can make sketches and dimension them on the spot at a coffee shop and turn broad sketches into technical drawings later. You can let the customer draw what they want and show them how the proportions will work in a picture frame or door or against the pyramids right there.

 

When I discovered Sketchup I dumped and completely uninstalled that mass memory hog AutoCad. It has too many bells and whistles I have zero use for. Heck, I don't even use Sketchup Pro, I use the freeware version.

 

Regardless, blacksmithing is like any other trade on earth. Being a one trick pony isn't a road to success. The more you can do the more likely you will have jobs lined up. The better you can communicate accurately with non-experts, the more likely you'll be backlogged with work. the more drawing methods you're good at the better you can communicate. Being able to convert a casual set of sketches made by someone over coffee into a house spanning dimensioned drawing YOU can use to design, make cut lists and order materials means YOU may make a profit.

 

For example, a couple are talking to you at a demo and think a yard sculpture would be just the thing and they have the money for something spectacular. You ask, "What do you want?" S/He say BIG flowers! "He adds something cool, like a dragon" At this point I'm thinking O-K-A-Y. How big, As tall as you are? As tall as the house? "UH?," they say, Now's when graph paper starts to shine. I've been able to get really young kids, 6+ to sketch pretty well scaled pictures on graph paper. Say a front door is 3 squares high and 1 wide, how high are the eave. Explain what eaves are and they get it darned close. It can actually take longer to explain it to adults but once they're on board, things go smoothly.

 

So, you find out the wife wants waste high flowers bordering her flower beds and shoulder high bordering the windows. But the husband wants entry gateway sized dragons next to the sidewalk, in the 10-12' range. Now, I can work with this. Mrs. does NOT want something threatening like DRAGONS! MR. wants the symbolic sentinels. How about 10' tall Snapdragons with teeth? You do a concept sketch o graph paper with THEIR house behind it.

 

You get my picture.

 

At one level or another all things are connected or the same. The more you can do the more successful you will be. Whatever you do.

 

Frosty The Lucky.