Paper or digital sketching?

[SunriseTacticalGear]

Hey guys,
I was just curious how you guys are sketching your concepts prior to cutting fabric?
I have just recently switched to my IPad using Procreate and Apple Pencil from years of a pencil and paper and binders full of drawings. I’m still watching YouTube videos and learning but my first impressions are looking good. I really like the ability to modify the sketch after the item is built rather then erasing and using white out if I used a pen. It’s much cleaner I can also move objects around on the paper if they end up too crowded. When I’m happy I send it to my air printer for a hard copy.
Have any of you guys taken the plunge, and what is your computer/software combo?
Scott

[Gear Dynamics]

We use Sketchup, but it’s more due to the fact that we have moved to laser cut products and parts.

For concept drawings, still paper and pencil, but generally not to scale, and only if it’s absolutely required. Once an idea is quickly sketched out, it can be easily whipped up in the CAD software.

It would be nice to have a program that can create 3D images from 2D parts. Proving designs is always a time consuming endeavour. I remember an article a while back, maybe on DIY Tac, where a member posted something like this. Just haven’t had time to investigate.

[essal]

For sketching? Paper. Just because I've way better at drawing with a pencil than I am with a stylus or Wacom tablet. It won't be a product drawing in the initial round, but it's so easy to trace it onto a new paper with a lightbox (or a window) and add some shadows with a marker. I personally like how rough paper sketches usually are, compared to digital. I've had a couple of Wacom tablets but I've gotten rid of them since they saw very little use. They were used with Photoshop.

At work our designers sketch on paper and do the technical drawings digital.

My personal workflow is a rough sketch with whatever I have on hand (pencil, pen and/or markers) and then play around with actual dimensions while making a pattern.

Edit: One thing I'll add, is that clients fucking love live sketching. The medium doesn't matter, but if you can whip out a 1-3 minute sketch of whatever you're talking about you'll be able to sell your ideas to anyone.

[Stone]

Paper and pencil/pen. No batteries required.
Cell phone snap and send it off to customer forapproval, if required

I already spend too much time on computers and cell phone to spend MORE time drawing on a tablet. But that's me.

Final patterns get drawn up in Autocad. However, I'm looking at other programs so patterns can be used for automated cutting solutions one day, should that be integrated into my workflow.

When it all comes down to it, you gotta cut fabric and sew it up.

-Dan

[MaritimeLBS]

Hi!

Long-time reader, first-time poster.

I'm just getting into this, its a passion project, and I wanted to learn as much as I could in the process, so my original sketches were done on a basic sketch book, and I went out and got myself 30' of old-school rolled pattern paper for full drawings. About 10% done, I realized that anything I come up with that requires more than basic industrial sewing will likely require moving into digital- the conversion fees for paper to digital are absurdly high- so anything I need laser-cut will have to be redone digitally. One more cool thing to learn.

I don't see it as a massive issue for me personally (as I said, passion project and learning experience), but if you're producing or selling off of a concept (that topic I know a bit about), turn-over could be an issue, and the fastest concept-to-completion time will come from going digital from the beginning, or at least after initial sketches.   

[gearmaker.org]

Please post an intro

Hi!

Long-time reader, first-time poster.

I'm just getting into this, its a passion project, and I wanted to learn as much as I could in the process, so my original sketches were done on a basic sketch book, and I went out and got myself 30' of old-school rolled pattern paper for full drawings. About 10% done, I realized that anything I come up with that requires more than basic industrial sewing will likely require moving into digital- the conversion fees for paper to digital are absurdly high- so anything I need laser-cut will have to be redone digitally. One more cool thing to learn.

I don't see it as a massive issue for me personally (as I said, passion project and learning experience), but if you're producing or selling off of a concept (that topic I know a bit about), turn-over could be an issue, and the fastest concept-to-completion time will come from going digital from the beginning, or at least after initial sketches.