5 Big Tips for Sketching on Paper

Professional looking wireframes are important for communicating and selling your ideas. However, you want to use your time wisely while still getting the results you're looking for. Here are some tips to help you get high quality results as efficiently as possible.

 

 

Draw Straight Lines Freehand

Drawing a straight line is an essential component of good wire frames. If you can draw a good straight line you can draw well proportioned squares, rectangles and other shapes.

A good explanation of how to draw a straight line.

A goofy but useful lesson on drawing a freehand square

 

 

Sketch With Pencil First and Refine With Pen

Start with pencil so you can erase and refine as you go. When you feel you've made enough progress, make some permanent marks in pen. Reiterate until you're satisfied.

 

 

Use Ink to Define Shading, Line Weight, Contrast and Hierarchy

Shading and line weight will give your audience a sense of what's important. The right tones will emphasize the salient elements.

 

 

 

Make your handwritten text come alive

Hand written text should look as readable and uniform as possible. When done well it carries energy and feels good to read. This will make your comps look especially uniform and professional.

 

 

 

Use Color to Annotate

After you are finished your comps, what feedback did you get from your reviewers and peers? Make note of new trajectories right on the wireframes and do it boldly in red ink. Photo from Sockyung Hong

 

 

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