It seems at this point we should pause to define and compare the terms “drawing” and “drafting” as they relate to this textbook and the design profession. Hand drawing and hand drafting are unique design and communication tools used to investigate or visually describe a design solution.
Hand drawing
The term hand drawing describes the process of intuitively sketching organizational diagrams, loose (but proportional) orthogonal drawings, and perspectives.
Hand drawings are created with a pen, pencil, or marker on paper based media. They may also be created with acrylic paint, watercolor, or charcoal. Hand drawings evolve during the act of drawing.
While you may have an idea of what you want to describe in a hand drawing, the fluid nature of the drawing process allows you to modify and refine your ideas as you see them emerge on the sheet of paper.
Hand drafting
The term hand drafting almost always describes the process of creating a measured two-dimensional or three-dimensional drawing in perspective, isometric, plan, elevation, or section. Because of the precise nature of these drawings, they tend to be less intuitive than hand drawings.
The process of hand drafting requires more understanding of what you are drawing before you begin.
Computer drafting
The term computer drafting is used to describe the process of creating a measured drawing with computer-aided design (CAD) software. CAD software allows you to simultaneously generate perspective, plans, sections, and elevations from a single drawing or model. If you move a door in plan, it is automatically moved in elevation, section, and perspective.
This strength of CAD software is also its weakness as a design tool. The amount of information needed to understand a project before beginning a new computer drawing can be paralyzing, especially if formal ideas have not been initially investigated and resolved through hand drawing or hand drafting. This is one instance illustrating the importance of knowing how to hand draw.
We should be clear, as authors and educators we are not advocating the elimination of computer drafting in design education or the profession. In fact, we rely heavily on computer drafting software in teaching studios, our professional careers, and even designing this textbook.
Behind every “polished” computer drawing is a designer with a strong understanding of architectural graphic standards and solid foundation of drawing principles.
We believe you cannot achieve one without understanding the other.
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