An Art Director’s and a Designer’s inability to draw seriously distresses me. Over the years, I have met numerous young people who identify themselves as a creative professional yet they have zero ability to draw. If you cannot represent your ideas visually, how can you expect to make something original or be successful?
It begs the question, why aren’t designers drawing?
Being able to use your artistic talents for commercial purposes has long been a motivator for bringing people into the business. They don’t want to be full-time artists, but still have a burning desire deep down inside to create.
If you read interviews with almost ALL the leading designers, they share a love of drawing. So much so, that this was a primary reason for them going into design in the first place.
For as many problems that new technologies solve, there are as many more caused by them. I blame the learning curve for design software being a leading cause for a decline in the interest in drawing. It requires so much time to learn these tools and become proficient. So much instruction in design school is on using the tools, and softer skills like drawing are getting sacrificed.
I also think people do not like drawings as they look unfinished and sloppy. Messy. I, however, find beauty in these scratches and doodles. Milton Glaser once noted that (paraphrase) drawings are gray, giving you room to maneuver and explore, whereas artwork on the computer is black and white.
As discussed before, I also think designers are scarred for others to see their roughs; they only want their finished, beautiful designs to be seen by the world.
Back when desktop publishing was still in its infancy, I met McRay Magleby at the Art Director’s Club of Houston. When asked about his usage of these newfangled computers, he referred to work done on screen was “inking”. Just use the computer for finishing ideas. I’ve always liked that thought.
Rarely, though, does real insight and discovery occur while inking and finishing.
And isn’t that the value designers and artists bring to business — insight, perspective and discovery.
I equate this lack of ability to visually express yourself to “musicians” who cannot read music. How can you make music if you don’t have an understanding of the basic building blocks?
When I worked at JWT, there was an Art Director in the Dallas office named Mel Sharps who epitomized what I consider everything to be great in an AD. He could draw like a mad man. Asked for ideas, he would pull out a set of makers and a pad of trace, and fire off dozens of different concepts. Quickly. Accurately. Visually telegraphing the essence of what needed to be communicated. He did some great work.
As a designer, why would you want to tie your hands and not have this basic skill?