Engineering Graphics, Class 4

Sketching and line techniques

Mohammad I. Kilani
Mechanical Engineering Department
University of Jordan

Sketching and Line Techniques

Even in the world of high

technology and computer skills,
sketching is still one of the most
important skills for engineers
and designers.
Sketching is one of the first
steps in communicating ideas
for a design, and it is used in
every step thereafter.
It is common practice for
designers to prepare sketches
that are turned over to drafters
for conversion to finished work
drawings.
Sketches consist of straight and
curved lines. With practice, you
can become skilled in creating
neat, sharp and clear sketches
involving all types of lines
introduced.

Sketching Lines

The lines used in creating

sketches closely correspond
to those used in creating
technical drawings, except,
of course, that they are not
as sharp and crisp.
The basic line types used in
making sketches are: visible
lines, hidden lines, center
lines, dimension lines,
sectioning lines, extension
lines and cutting plane lines.
These lines represent the
various lines available for
creating sketches.
The character of each line
should be closely monitored
when making sketches.

Types of Sketches: Orthographic and axonometric sketches

There are four types of sketches:

orthographic, axonometric,
oblique, and perspective.
Orthographic sketching relates to
flat impression of an object
showing no depth. Six principal
views of an object may be
incorporated in an orthographic
sketch: top, front, bottom, back,
right side and left side. The
views selected for use in a
sketch depend on the nature of
the subject and the judgment of
the sketcher.
Axonometric sketching may be
isometric, dimetric or trimetric.
The type most frequently used is
isometric, in which length and
width lines recede 30o to the
horizontal and height lines are
vertical

Types of Sketches: Oblique and perspective sketches

Oblique sketching
involves a combination
of a flat orthographic
front surface, with
depth lines receding at
a selected angle,
usually 45o.
Perspective sketching
involves creating a
graphic image of an
object as seen by a
human observer.
Consequently, depth
lines must recede to a
hypothetical vanishing
point, or points.

Sketching Materials and Graph Paper

An advantage of sketching is that

it requires very few material aids.
Whereas a drafter must have a
complete collection of tools,
sketching requires only a pencil
and a piece of paper.
Sketching done in a formal
working environment requires
three basic materials: pencil,
media (paper of graph paper),
and an eraser.
Graph paper simplifies the
sketching process considerably,
and should be used freely.

Sketching Techniques: Sketching Rules

Hold the pencil firmly,

but not so tightly, as
tension creates hand
fatigue.
Grip the pencil
approximately 25 mm to
40 mm up from the
point.
Maintain a comfortable
angle between the
pencil and the sketching
strokes.
Draw horizontal lines
from left to right using
short, slightly
overlapped strokes

Sketching Techniques: Sketching Rules

Draw vertical lines

from top to bottom
using short, slightly
overlapped strokes,
and using finger
and wrist
movement.
Inclined lines may
be made to conform
in direction to
horizontal or vertical
lines by Shifting
position with
respect to the paper
or, by turning the
paper slightly

Sketching Techniques: Sketching Straight Lines

Making straight lines on

graph paper is a simple
process of guiding the
pencil using the existing
lines.
If graph paper is not
available, pencil dots can
be positioned to plot the
path of the line.
The sketcher enters a
series of pencil dots on the
paper which provide a basic
outline as to the shape of
the object.
Using a series of short,
slightly overlapped strokes,
the pencil dots are
connected. This technique
is also used for curved
lines.

Sketching Circles

Sketch lightly the enclosing square of the circle

Mark the mid points of the sides of the enclosing square
Draw light arcs tangent to the sides of the square
Heavy in the final circle

Sketching Ellipses

Sketch lightly the enclosing rectangle of the ellipse

Mark the mid points of the sides of the enclosing
rectangle
Draw light arcs tangent to the sides of the ellipse
Heavy in the final ellipse

Proportion in Sketching

Sketches are not done to scale, but it is important that they be

made proportionately accurate.
In sketching, use graph paper whenever possible.

Sketching

Sketches are not done to scale,

but it is important that they be
made proportionately accurate.
In sketching, use graph paper
whenever possible. Examine
the position to be sketched
mentally and break it into its
component parts.
Beginning with the largest
component, estimate the
proportion of the of length to
width, and layout a box
enclosing that component.
Use construction line squares
and rectangles to block in
irregularly shaped components.
Repeat the two previous steps
until the entire object is
finished.

Isometric Sketching

Isometric sketching is
one of several simple
methods of preparing
pictorial sketches. This
methods helps in
learning multiview
projection.
To make an isometric
sketch from an actual
object, hold the object
in your hand, tilt it
toward you such that
the front corner
appears vertical
The two receding
bottom edges and
those parallel to them,
respectively, will
appear at about 30o
with horizontal

Isometric Sketching

Sketch the enclosing box

lightly, making AB vertical
and AC and AD
approximately 30o with
horizontal. Lines AB, AC,
and AD are called the
isometric axes
Make lines AB, AC, and AD
approximately proportional
in length to the actual
corresponding edges on
the object
Sketch the remaining lines
parallel, respectively, to
these three lines
Block in the recess and the
projecting block
Lighten all the construction
lines with a soft eraser and
heavy in all final lines.

Orthographic Sketching

Orthographic sketching
may involve sketching any
combination of the six
principal views of the
subject.
The appropriate views are
those that show the most
detail with the fewest
hidden lines.
A good rule is to select
the view which would give
the most of the
information about the
subject,
To ensure that the
sketched views align, the
entire sketch should be
blocked in before adding
details.
The details can be added
one view at a time.

Isometric Sketching on Isometric Paper

Using isometric
paper, individual
planes or faces may
be constructed to
build up a pictorial
visualization from a
given views
Sketch the isometric
of the enclosing box,
counting off the
isometric grid spaces
to equal the
corresponding
squares on the given
views
Sketch surface A.
Sketch additional
surfaces B, and C and
the small ellipse
Sketch additional
surfaces E, F, G, and
H to complete the
sketch