Yes, when I saw the article I thought of him, and you cpartist.

I believe Mark works strictly by hand, as well.

There have been any number of studies demonstrating the hand/brain connection, especially where memory and creativity are concerned. This seems to apply whether you're taking notes in class or working on an extensive project.

I loved watching our architect sketch out ideas. He had designed one room with several rectangular casement windows in a series and I sighed and said, I really would love to have an arched window. He whipped out his tracing paper and started sketching a beautiful wall of windows with a big arch over them. There is just something about watching someone sketch.

Maybe not just drawing? When we remodeled our kitchen our architect offered 3 different possible plans and she made 3 different to scale models of the choices. I've always wished that I kept those. And yes-I also loved watching her sketch out her ideas.

Yep, it's the way good architects have worked for hundreds of years. Anyone (with a little practice) can work a CAD program. Working a 2B pencil takes a lot more moxy.

One of my little pleasures is borrowing Country Life from my library.

: )

And I am very, very jealous of your library's offerings, bp!

I'll never forget how we went to a local-very good-tile store to look for tiles for our non-existing yet master bath

we didn't have anything like elevations..we didn't have an architect..the contractor wasn't design-build firm ..we kinda "invented" how it will be-took us some time too- and the drafstman put it in blueprint, for the city, making sure of sizes and clearances, and all

in short we knew the idea but never saw it except for in our head

and as the store was very busy-we were lucky to get the old lady who owned the store and actually was a designer

and I remember starting telling her about the bathroom..gesticulating, you know..in a not-very-clear way

and she started sketching as I spoke

and it felt like a miracle

she listened to my rumblings, and sketched-and that was the first time that I actually saw our future bathroom, just emerging there, on a piece of paper. And it was as I pictured it, and I saw-it will be good. But I worked on that mental picture for many weeks-and she got it within seconds, based on my gestures and mumbling.

It was like watching a wizard at work.

I think most good designers conceptualize with a pen/pencil and paper. At least the ones I know do. Computers are great for developing an idea but a pencil's better for getting the initial "big idea", from the brain to paper.

I've always thought that while a CAD drawing my show what I know, a sketch will show what I'm thinking. And from just a few lines, one can tell if the pen/pencil is commanded by an architect or not.

And for the local stuff I do all the conceptualizing with the owners at the table as part of the design process. I can tell they like watching me draw.

ARG, , a sketch will show what I'm thinking. Yes, that. And somehow, that is evident even when we don't see the process, just the sketch. Or the image of the sketch, which is what we see on this forum, KWIM?

And sketching works well in the field also. I've drawn out a detail on scrap plywood and drive away to the sounds of circular saws implementing it where a CAD only guy might say "I'll have a PDF over in a few days" thereby likely removing him/herself from any future input on a design problem.

I still have some of the original tracing paper sketches our architect did. The evolution of the plan was like being a kid in a candy store for me.