Why freehand sketching still matters

I recently came across an old sketch I made in Venice, sitting in San Giorgio Maggiore with my kids when they were much younger.

At the time, it was simply something we did together: sitting quietly, looking closely and drawing what was in front of us. Years later, the sketch brought the whole moment back and reminded me why I still love to sketch.

A photograph captures a place in an instant. A sketch makes you spend time with it. You notice proportion, edges, light, structure and the relationships between things. You start to see what you might otherwise walk straight past.

For me, sketching has never really been about producing a beautiful drawing. It’s about learning to see and learning to think.

Sketching in architecture

That’s still true in architecture. A quick sketch can test an idea, explain a relationship or simply ask, “What if we did this?” Because it’s rough and unfinished, it invites conversation and gives everyone permission to change it, challenge it and make it better.

A little time capsule

This particular sketch has another value. It’s a little time capsule: a reminder of Venice, sitting with my kids, and the three of us slowing down enough to really look. Well… to be honest, mainly me!

Not a perfect drawing. Just a good memory. Perhaps that’s the best reason to keep sketching.

Slow down. Look closely. Draw what you see. See what you missed.

Paul Lucas, Director, Cradle Design