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82 Understanding the project e design process Understanding the space Understanding building structures e human interface Sustainable design Communicating design Organising the space 82 It might be assumed that pencil is the most appropriate method of mark-making in the sketchbook, but designers use a variety of materials. ere is no perfect pencil or pen to use; you should experiment and fi nd the one that gives you the most satisfying mark. You can use anything; traditional wood-cased graphite pencils, modern mechanical or technical pencils, ballpoint pens, fi bre-tip pens or fountain pens. Probably the one instrument that is least suited to sketching is the technical pen. ese should be kept for their proper purpose of dra ing on tracing paper or fi lm, and not used in sketchbooks as pen nibs can get blocked with the fi bres from the paper. When beginning to sketch, students are o en apprehensive about making marks on the pristine pages of a sketchbook, particularly if they feel they do not have a talent for sketching. is is a real shame, as one of the keys to producing informative (but not necessarily beautiful- looking) sketches is having a confi dence about mark-making that will only come through practice. One of the fi rst exercises you can try is to gather together pens and pencils of varying sorts and to simply draw in your sketchbook. Draw lines, squares and circles, in fact anything at all. Try cross-hatching the shapes you have drawn. Don 't aim for perfection and, if using a pencil, do not be tempted to erase any lines that you consider to be wrong – ignore them and carry on. Notice how the diff erent pens and pencils feel in your hand, and the range of diff erent marks they make. Which tool do you feel most comfortable with? e so er grades of graphite pencils most o en used for sketching make fl uid, dynamic lines that express spontaneity and movement. However, their lines can be prone to smudging. ey can have a fi nesse about them that is missing from other mark-making tools, and they allow subtle shading eff ects to be included in the sketch. Harder grades of pencil are not usually the most suitable for sketching as their feint, fi ne lines do not encourage freedom of expression, and they are not easy for others to see, which rather defeats the object of using sketching to communicate ideas. ey produce drawings that feel timid and mean. Ballpoint and fi bre-tip pens are o en a good choice. ey make bold, strong shapes on the paper and express confi dence. First-time sketchers are o en hesitant about using pens and would rather use pencils, but pens should be tried before you decide which is going to be your preferred method of mark-making. Tools for sketching