October 22, 2025

When Teachers Said “Just Practice”: Mario’s Search for Better Sketching

Introduction

Hello Sketchers, it’s Chou-Tac!
I’m happy to introduce Mario Van Mal, a 24-year-old Industrial Design Engineering student from the Netherlands. Mario was frustrated when teachers only told him that “practice” was the secret to better sketching, without offering real guidance.

With SKETCH LIKE THE PROS, Mario finally found the step-by-step structure and weekly exercises he needed to build his skills and confidence.

Let’s welcome Mario and be inspired by his commitment to mastering design sketching!

Mario Van Mal’s Background in Industrial Design Engineering

Hello, I’m Mario Van Mal, I’m 24 years old. And I live in the Netherlands.
Currently, I am an Industrial Designer Engineer student at TUDelft.

For me, design sketching is the most important communication tool we use for the beginning phase and also in the end for the end result and renderings. And I want to make this my main design tool.

Seeking Teacher’s Advice to Improve My Sketching

So, when I asked teachers and other students:
“How would I get to a higher level of design sketching?”

Their common answer is that:
“You should practice every day.”

How SKETCH LIKE THE PROS Supports My Practice

SKETCH LIKE THE PROS helps me to get these step-by-step exercises.
You can see a few sketches behind me on the wall.
So it helps me with the step-by-step exercises that I get every week.

Every week I get new videos I can do.
The exercises are small enough for me to actually do sketches more times a week.
Not every day, but almost.

My Recommendation for Aspiring Sketchers

I would suggest this course to everyone who needs that extra support to start sketching more on a daily basis.
So that’s it. Bye!

– Mario Van Mal, Netherlands | Industrial Designer Engineer Student

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