Ready to bring your industrial design sketches to life?
Follow these 24 sketching tips and learn how to start drawing from a reference picture. Check this out!


How to Boost Your Industrial Design Sketches Instantly in 24 tips
24 Drawing Tips to raise your Product Design skills

How to Boost Your Industrial Design Sketches Instantly

Today, I share with you
how to start drawing from a reference picture
and create your own product design!

I started to search on Google pictures for tools and found an interesting cordless grinder.
I like its mechanical features.

I share with you a series of 24 tips to improve your Industrial Design sketching skills!


I took my Wacom Cintiq 22HD tablet to draw with Sketchbook Pro.
It is a very light software with a nice pen tool by default.
I invite you to make it a try, it is free and easy to use. :)

When you draw,
remember to set up a strategy to make it easy and logical all along the way for you.

There is no single approach.

But the main rules to remember are:

  1. Draw light for your construction lines
  2. Draw loose without looking for perfection
  3. Draw from general to details (Main body form > handle > buttons > stickers and logo)
  4. Always visualize your perspective, even for details

Drawing TIP 1:
Take inspiration from existing products

Sketching TIP 1 Take inspiration from existing products

Drawing TIP 2:
Choose a wider angle of perspective

Sketching TIP 2 Choose a wider angle of perspective

Drawing TIP 3:
Draw the main sections

Sketching TIP 3 Draw the main sections

Drawing TIP 4:
Import existing details

Sketching TIP 4 Import existing details

Drawing TIP 5:
Sketch Roughly the shape of the focus point

Sketching TIP 5 Sketch Roughly the shape of the focus point

Drawing TIP 6:
Use construction lines to visualize better

Sketching TIP 6 Use construction lines to visualise better

Drawing TIP 7:
Always start with light lines

Sketching TIP 7 Always start with light lines

Drawing TIP 8:
Use bolder lines for the product itself

Sketching TIP 8 Use bolder lines for the product itself

Sketching TIP 9:
Think about functions

Sketching TIP 9 Think about functions

Drawing TIP 10:
Draw a minimalist handle to see through it

Sketching TIP 10 Draw a minimalist handle to see throught it

Drawing TIP 11:
Make sure the handle follows the same perspective

Sketching TIP 11 Make sure the handle follow the same perspective

Drawing TIP 12:
Draw by ignoring the handle first

Sketching TIP 12 Draw like if the handle was not there

Drawing TIP 13
“Scult” removing or adding material

Sketching TIP 13 Scult removing or adding material

Drawing TIP 14:
Details follow the perspective of the main volume!

Sketching TIP 14 Make sure details follow also the perspective of the main volume

Drawing TIP 15:
Use hatching to block some areas

Sketching TIP 15 Use hatching to block some areas

Sketching TIP 16:
Add some writing to space up!

Sketching TIP 16 Add some writing to space up

Sketching TIP 17:
Think “inside” the box!

Sketching TIP 17 Think inside the box

Sketching TIP 18:
Experiment!

Sketching TIP 18 Experiment

Drawing TIP 19:
Think of the user’s needs

Sketching TIP 20 Take your time to refine and relax

Drawing TIP 20:
Take your time to refine and relax

Sketching TIP 20 Take your time to refine and relax

Drawing TIP 21:
No need to be perfect. But make sure the perspective is correct.

Sketching TIP 21 No need to be perfect. But make sur the perspective is correct

Sketching TIP 22:
Add a logo using a frame.

Sketching TIP 22 Add a logo using a frame

Sketching TIP 23:
Add extra axis and circular curves for dynamism!

Sketching TIP 23 Add extra axis and circular curves for dynamism

Drawing TIP 24:
Add a quick shadow below

Sketching TIP 24 Add a quick shadow below

That’s it!

See also  Roll of paper challenge - Day 2 - How to regain motivation at drawing ?

They are plenty of secrets I use and discovered during my school or professional years.
I am happy to share them with you and hope they are helpful to your design journey!

Cheers,
Chou-Tac

1 comment

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Hello! I'm Chou-Tac, a Product Designer from France.

If the sketching methods I’ve acquired aid me in my life and in my industrial design career, I believe that they can also help you reach your dream goal as a student or professional designer.

Leave a comment in the blog or send me an email at choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com : )

Chou-Tac

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  • Andrés: “1. I´m from Colombia and I´m 49 years 2. I love to learn something new allways 3. Chat GPT brought…Jun 15, 06:36
  • Simona: “Hi, I’m Czech living in Italy, I’m 42. I graduated a few months ago in product design. I would like…Jun 14, 22:06
  • Simona: “Hi, I’m Czech living in Italy, I’m 42. I graduated a few months ago in product design. I would like…Jun 14, 22:05
  • Smash Karts: “This tutorial is fantastic! I loved how you broke down the steps for drawing a cube in 2-point perspective. The…Jun 14, 03:57
  • Chou-Tac: “Love that answer. :)Jun 14, 00:32
  • Chou-Tac: “That is a beautiful goal you have Mayhiv. :)Jun 13, 13:03
  • Foxy: “I love art and sketching. It heals me.Jun 12, 11:58
  • Foxy: “I love art and sketchingJun 12, 11:57
  • Mayhiv: “I’m from spain but living in Germany. almost 40 years old. I want to become Children llustrator. I discovered via…Jun 9, 03:31
  • Khushi: “I love to sketch,Jun 8, 19:19
  • Chou-Tac: “Yes, 2015 Antonis. Thank you for your support since the beginning of the blog!! :))Jun 8, 15:12
  • Chou-Tac: “Sure you can Leo :)) I invite you to try this tutorial. It is great for beginner to get instant…Jun 8, 15:10
  • Abdurahim: “From Ethiopia,20 year old B/c I have interest You tubeJun 8, 05:07
  • tpink: “NSW in Australia 50+ learnt art at school have more sketch books with 1 to 3 drawings in them then…Jun 8, 02:17
  • LEO DOHOGNE: “Chicago-78, To prove to myself I can draw more than stick people. Everything. I found you site in an internet…Jun 8, 01:46
  • Antonis: “Sweden / 46 New ideas and problem solving. Old follower. No problems. Want to evolve.Jun 8, 01:39
  • Keagan Degoede: “hi! Im from south africa , im 17 years old. im going to do mechatronics after school and i have…Jun 7, 22:55
  • Shravani shashank shende: “I come from india. My age is 21yrs . Because I am a product designer. And i want to improve…Jun 7, 13:35
  • Adi: “Accra GH, 37 yo. Learning to sketch for industrial design. Research looking for some, sort of product design workbook.Jun 6, 13:29
  • Chou-Tac: “Ola Miguel, Que tal? Estoy de acuerdo que dibujar con el mano esta mas la libertad de communicar con las…Jun 6, 01:00
  • Chou-Tac: “Awesome Bria! Congrats for your new job as an Art teacher! I am actually relocating to USA, and considering looking…Jun 6, 00:56
  • Chou-Tac: “Hey Mary, Singapore, so cool. I used to live and work there (Charles & Keith) for quite a few years.…Jun 6, 00:53
  • Chou-Tac: “Hey Joshua, please thank your colleague for the recommendation :D. Let me know how it goes. You may find this…Jun 6, 00:51
  • Joshua: “I’m from Costa Rica, 35yo Industrial Design Engineer with a masters degree in Interaction design. 2. Improving skills. 3. Recommendation…Jun 4, 21:29
  • Justine: “Aussie, 37 YO To better teach design students Google search :)Jun 4, 08:14
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