When you start learning how to draw as a beginner, you study and practice basic rules of perspective, line of geometry, and simple shapes such as square, circles… and so on.

We are going to see something that will change your daily habit when you draw. At the end of the video, you will know how to make your simple shape become more real. In other words, how you will transform a geometric shape to an object.

At the end of the video, you will see a small demo about a  flat box becoming a touch screen phone.


How to make your sketches of products more real industrial design - sketching tutorial
How to make your sketches of products more real industrial design – sketching tutorial


Recipe to draw from geometric shape to a more realistic object.

Give roundness to your edges and play with line - Industrial design sketchesweight
Draw box - Give roundness to your edges and play with line weight - Industrial design sketchesweight c

Round each corner add a radius to the edges.
Think of the box is made of clay, and you are sculpting it.

This simple technique will push you to the next level ! – Feel free to add some line weight below the object to give it more weight. (It’s like a dark and thin shadow below the rounded edges)

Draw a cylinder - Give roundness to your edges and play with line - Industrial design sketchesweight

Draw cylinder - Give roundness to your edges and play with line - Industrial design sketchesweight
Same logic here. Can you feel the difference?

Draw sphere - draw the full ellipses - Industrial design sketching
Reminder: Draw the full ellipses for the sphere contour line. Or your sphere may appear flat.

For the sphere, it’s already all rounded. So how to add more rounded edges ?? You simply can’t. But we can play with a bit of lighting and the contour lines. I bold a bit the edges of the contour lines, especially below the “ball”.

Draw shape with hole - Industrial design sketching
Make sure your contour lines go inside the hole to understand it. Play with your angle of contour lines to decide on the roundness.

sketch more real - phone drawing
Sketch more real with rounded corners – Phone drawing

From a flat box to a phone. – You don’t have to be perfect in your drawing. Make sure your perspective is fine and that your main shape is there. Then, everything will be alright.

That’s all for today!
Pretty easy right?

So now it’s time to take a pen and practice!
Let me know about your sketches in the comments, or let me a question if you have any.

Cheers,

Chou-Tac

2 comments

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  • Thanks. Great tips Chou. You should consider offering a design sketching course through Skillshare or Udemy as well.

    • Thanks Azhar. I appreciate and take note of these 2 websites. If you are client of these services, do you mind exchange with me your feedback about them by email ? I am actually preparing something more complete, fun and educative. Thank you.

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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