CULTURE OF HAND DRAWING IN PREPARING DRAWINGS―USEFULNESS OF PUNCH DRAWING-HAND DRAWING IN
MECHANICAL DESIGN AND DRAWING―
Shigeo HIRANO1, 2 Susumu KISE2, Sozo SEKIGUTI 2 , Kazuya OKUSAKA2
and Tsutomu ARAKI3
1
Professor emeritus, Tokyo City University, Japan 2 Artner Co. Ltd, Japan
3
Tsukuba University of Technology, Japan
ABSTRACT: Hand drawing of an idea on paper gives clarity to any confusing part and helps us
understand the idea more clearly. The act of thinking while drawing with a pencil stimulates ourcreativity, enabling us to properly evaluate and analyze the points of an idea and to makeadjustments to it. Designers should not depend on 3D CAD, a design tool, but should reaffirm thesignificance of hand drawing, the origin of design, in order to supplement their decision-making andthinking abilities, which are required to produce creative designs. The greatest advantage of handdrawing is that only a pencil and a sheet of paper are needed to express an idea and punch drawing.
Keywords: Mechanical design and drawing, Idea, Punch drawing (rough sketch), Hand Drawing,
3D CAD
1. INTRODUCTION
Solutions for design problems are foundthroughdecision-making
processes.
Therefore, designers should not depend on
three-dimensional(3D)
computer-aided
design (CAD), a design tool, but should
reaffirm the significance of drawing by hand,the origin of design, to supplement theirdecision-making and thinking abilities, which
are required to produce creative designs.
The greatest advantage of drawing by hand isthat only a pencil and a sheet of paper are
needed to express an idea and to draw a punch
drawing (rough sketch).
This paper is organized as follows: 1) the
usefulness of 3D CAD; 2) the convenience ofdrawing by hand in creating an idea; 3) the
culture of drawing by hand in preparing
drawings; and 4) the significance of drawing
by hand and rough sketching in creating anidea, keeping in mind the relationshipbetween basic education and tools.

2. PROPER ROLE OF 3D CAD
The advantage of 3D CAD is that designers
can draw accurate lines and curves as they
imagine them without being influenced bytheir drawing ability and habit. Designers
recognize 3D CAD as a design support toolfor drawing lines at desired positions whilereflecting their images.
However, creative design is essentiallysomething that only man can do and is neverachieved automatically. Three-dimensional
CAD is only one means to embody an idea
generated by a designer’s potential, andsupports designers in developing their idea
through interactive communication withcomputers.
Also, 3D CAD plays animportant role in product manufacturing not
only as a design tool but also as the core ofmanufacturing information systems.
2.1 Usefulness of CAD
As a result of the improvement of visual andgraphic expression techniques, the design
process of extracting creative factors from adesigner’s formless idea and expressing theidea on a computer screen using pointing
devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or tablet,
will become more efficient by acquiring theskills for operating such devices. In addition,
3D CAD enables designers to model an idea
into a 3D shape, to easily select colors andmaterials in virtual simulations, and to
determine the design of the shape within theframework of standards and rules of drawingthat have been registered into the system inadvance. Moreover, using the zooming andfree-rotation functions in preparing drawings,
designers can check the model shape fromevery direction and understand the shape even
if they are not accustomed to two-dimensional(2D) drawings.
The sophisticated expression of 3D CAD
model data has enabled us to convey
information in a more visual and realisticmanner and to share information in a very
convenient way. However, the amount of
information conveyed by 3D CAD model dataalone is limited; 2D drawings are still often
used for conveying design information.
While the utilization of 3D CAD model data
is expanding, the fact remains that the design
process still depends on 2D projection
drawings.
2.2 Changing and evolving tools
The advantages of a 3D shape model are therealness and the clear expression of details.
However, a 3D shape model is not the final
drawing but merely a supplement forreviewing the entire design. On the other
hand, hand-drawn images play a very
important role in understanding the total scaleof the design. Therefore, designers canachieve a more realistic understanding of theirdesign by placing more importance on
drawing by hand, instead of 3D shapemodeling, as the final goal of the design
process.
Tools must continue to change and evolvewith the times, but the basics of techniques do
not change over time. Many engineers try toacquire creative and development abilities
through technical training, but these abilities
are best fostered by keen observation,
association, and memory.
3. USEFULNESS OF CONCEPTUALDESIGN AND ROUGH SKETCH(PUNCH DRAWING)
Conceptual design is the processes ofdeveloping new technical elements and thedesigners’ creativity plays a significant role,
but the abilities based on experience are of
relatively low importance. Design techniques
are acquired through repeated prototyping andsimulation, and the quality and productivity ofdevelopment techniques depend on theindividual abilities of the designers.
3.1 Process of conceptual design
Newly developed products are put into mass
production through the processes ofconceptual design and detailed design
including the design of functions, layouts,
structures, and production plans.
The following are the basic elements ofdesign that should be considered to improvethe completeness of conceptual design: 1)
required product specifications (functions,operability, and maintainability); 2) required
quality characteristics; 3) required cost; 4)
required delivery time; 5) required safety; and
6) required environmental friendliness anddisposability.
The mission of conceptual design is totransform an obscure image in the mind of adesigner into a concept drawing of a productand to explain how to meet the required
quality and cost target, what kind of parts to
use and how to assemble them.
If designers use 3D CAD when they are still
formulating an idea for the conceptual design,
they may want to first clarify the shape of a
product because of their nature as designers.
However, this is not the original course ofconceptual design. Designers then may startdetailed design while paying little attention to
the concept. When we see vendors smoothly“modeling” parts in their demonstration, it
appears that they are skillfully “designing”
them. However, it is not that they have aclear intent to “design” them but that they
only “produce shapes”. The “ability ofmodeling” and the “ability of design” are twodifferent spheres.
The first step of conceptual design is to draw
a rough sketch, on the basis of which
designers can gradually expand an image andselect ideas.
Rough sketching has asignificant role in conceptual design.
However, we are often surprised to find thatmany young designers today do not or cannot
draw a rough sketch. They cannot imagine a
3D model although they routinely use 3D
CAD for design.
The 3D CAD model of a part is not theexpression of an image in the mind ofdesigners but only the results of modeling ashape without detailed consideration.
Namely, they design the details to adjust theappearance of the shape after viewing andunderstanding the obtained model. This is
not the proper course of conceptual design.
Hand-drawn drawings and materials can beprepared in a shorter period of time than those
prepared using CAD. They are flexible andhelpful in figuring out the cost. Also, the 3D
images are easily understandable even to
nondesign department members so that moreconstructive opinions can be exchanged indesign reviews. If design reviews take place
after a design is almost completed using CAD,
designers may not like to have their design
questioned by others and therefore may
expend much effort in defense against theopinions from other departments. As a result,design reviews are not constructive but merely
argumentative.
When the conceptual design is expressed in arough sketch, designers can deal with aconsiderable change in the design because
they have not completed the detailed designusing CAD.
This takes some mentalpressure off the designers. As a result, thedesigners themselves can provide moreconstructive opinions in design reviews andalso accept opinions from other departments.
Having such composure of mind is the key fordesigners to create good-quality products.
For this reason, the first step of conceptual
design is to expand an image by drawing arough sketch.
3.2 Usefulness of rough sketch
At an initial phase of design, designers draw arough sketch that expresses the specifications
and structure of a product. Also, they always
look for hints for the invention and design of
new products in the requests from customers
and turn them into rough sketches.
Designers tend to casually doodle, that is, todraw a rough sketch, on a sheet of paper
nearby, particularly when they encounter
difficulties in generating an idea. Roughsketching is the process of seeking a “hint”
for generating an idea while doodling several
lines and three-dimensional shapes withcasual strokes of a pencil.
The necessary abilities in drawing by hand are
not techniques but the intuition and sensibility
to produce a kind of ambiguity. Strictness is
not required to draw a rough sketch, in which
we can jot down or draw a flash of inspiration
or idea and freely reflect our intention. A
blank piece of paper does not display helpful
icons or tell us anything at all, and that is why
it is the right environment for generating acreative idea.
Through the repeated process of drawing lines
anderasingundesired
lines
while
unconsciously controlling the angle of thepencil, we ceaselessly combine contradictoryelements such as existence and nonexistence
and fullness and emptiness, waiting for themto fuse together. In time, the lines start tolook different, as if they are alive. A cycleof one idea followed by another will beestablished at that time.
Lines show
unlimited possibilities; a line drawn
spontaneously will lead to a new line,resulting in a more innovative idea.
Designers attain an ideal image by reviewing
drawings and making modifications to them.
An idea that starts with a rough sketch is
gradually developed into a schematic. The
development of a true design through theprocess of making a clear sketch using a
combination of painting and projection
techniques and expanding on the details is thereal joy of drawing by hand.
4. CULTURE OF DRAWING BY HAND
4.1 Advantages of drawing by hand in
preparing drawings
The ability to imagine the structure of an
object is necessary for understanding an actual
3D shape on the basis of 2D drawings. Theinterpretation of drawings is required when an
object has an unfamiliar shape with which weare unused to dealing. In such a case,pictorial analysis and sketches of each part ofthe object will provide us with an outline andimage of the object. Then, we need not try
to memorize all the details of the drawings.
The designer’s intention is conveyed more
concretely by hand-drawn drawings than by
written descriptions and conversation.
Although the concept of design and drawing
is the same in drawing by hand and 3D CAD,
their roles are partly overlapping and partly
distinct. Both analog and digital versions
have their own benefits.
Drawings have various functions, but themost significant function is the conveyance of
information; this subordinates any otherfunction.
The preparation of drawings
therefore includes very spiritual aspects.
The acts of drawing lines and shapes andwriting to convey some information to others
must be associated with the desire that theintended meaning be correctly understood by
the recipients.
This is an obvious fact but is not wellrecognized by many people. We must
remember that each drawing has its intended
audience.

4.2 Purposes of drawings
Drawings have the functions of conveying,storing, searching and utilizing information,and offering a tool for thinking. They arevery simple views but also a keen insight into
the nature of drawings. If drawings arecompared to language, they must have afunction of thinking similar to that oflanguage.
To give an unambiguous meaning to drawings,
there are various rules established among
those who prepare drawings and those whoread and interpret them.
However, theeducation on drawing in Japan is too centeredon teaching drawing standards, the results ofwhich are drawings that lack “heart”, the mostimportant thing in product manufacturing.
We hope we can change this situation.
When manufacturing a product, we
imagine its shape in our mind.
A
real product can be manufactured on
the basis of the image alone if its
shape is very simple; however, if themechanism and structures are a little more
complicated, the image alone is insufficient tomanufacture the real product. We try to
express the image in the forms of paintings,
drawings, or clay models. These forms areconvenient for revising and improving thedesign.
In particular, drawings have
universality and are ideal for the
manufacturing of industrial products because
dimensions
must
bespecifiedformanufacturing them.
Drawings have the functions of conveying
information
andsupporting
thinking.
Detailed consideration becomes possible
when a design image is expressed in the formof drawings. Drawings help us to examine
detailed issues such as whether it is possible
to manufacture the product, to assemble theparts, and to satisfy the required functions andaccuracy of the final product, which we tend
to overlook if we are just thinking in ourmind.
The authors of this paper always make arough sketch before preparing a drawing. A
rough sketch is very effective for finding a
total balance of the shape, which is thenturned into a drawing. When turning asketch into a drawing, it is necessary to
calculate and determine the dimensions of areal product. This is an important process ofdesign that requires the ability to analyze on
the basis of principles and theories.
Each line and each number has its own
meaning. Students who do not know themeaning of those lines and numbers may feelthat preparing a drawing is a waste of time.
When someone becomes able to imagine the
3D shape of a product while viewing adrawing, then he/she can read and interpretdrawings. One can create good products
only when one becomes able to read andinterpret drawings. Well-prepared drawings
are necessary for creating good products.
Well-prepared drawings even have artistic
value.
5. IMAGE-TRAINING METTHOD
Recently, a growing number of young
designers have sought our advice because theycannot read and interpret drawings or they are
unskilled at drawing by hand. In response to
their needs, we have devised and introduced
an image-training method that uses drawing
by hand in creative activities.
Our image-training method is a means offostering design ability, namely, an effective
way of learning how to make ambiguous
decisions on the design (shape) and how todevise the shape. Below are an example oftheimage-training
methodanditsachievements followed by a discussion on the
improvement in the skills of mechanicaldesigners.
5.1 Current trend of new employees
The results of the skills assessment test, whichis conducted for new employees every year,
fall far short of our expectations. The lackof a basic understanding of mechanicalengineering may be the result of insufficient

education
providedbyeducational
institutions.
For example, 1) a small (decreasing) numberof courses related to design drawings,
processing practices, and measurements,
which are required for product manufacturing,are provided by educational institutions.
New employees therefore tend to lack thequalities of design engineers.
Also, 2)
design engineers need the knowledge andability to read and interpret drawings and to
figure out what the products will be on thebasis of the drawings; however, most new
employees do not have sufficient knowledge
or understanding.
These facts make us aware that it is themission and responsibility of companies to
explore any possibility of educating andfostering new employees so that they will
become industry-ready design engineers.
5.2 Introduction of image-training method
and its achievements
Not only the ability to make drawings but also
creativity and conceptual power are requiredin the design process. It is also important toconsider the association with otherdepartments
inevery
processofmanufacturing and to prepare for predictable
events from the phase of design. Therefore,
there is an increased need for education thatenhances the comprehensive imagination
required throughout the entire process ofdesign. To provide such education, we haveadopted the image-training method that uses
drawing by hand in creative activities.
The training is given in the form of exercises
written on an A4 sheet of paper, as shown in
Fig. 1. New employees work on them every
morning before they attend the conventional
training program.
In Exercise 1, the new employees are asked tobring to mind a mechanical drawing and to
draw a single-view drawing of a shape. Thisis for training to always retain interest in andobserve an object and incorporate the shape
into their idea. This training is importantbecause the new employees must bring tomind some known shapes when they design
something from scratch on blank paper.
In Exercise 2, they are asked to develop athree-axis orthographic view from asingle-view drawing.
In Exercise 3, which is aimed at improving
the ability of drawing by hand, they are asked
to create a single-view drawing from a 2D
drawing.
In Exercise 4, they are asked to prepare a
production drawing of a part on the basis of a
2D assembly drawing. This training seems
difficult but is very effective for new
employees who have little experience indesign.

Exercise 1
Connecting rod
Exercise 2

Univrsal joint

A chart called a skill map is used in ourcompany to assess the skills of engineers.
This chart consists of five grades from E1 for
new employees to E5 for those who have 20
or more years of experience. Approximately
twelve items are prepared in each grade.
Among the 12 items at E1, the following three
items of mechanical drawing assess the
improvement in the skills related to roughsketching and drawing by hand.
・ Preparation of drawings: Ability to makesimple single-view drawings and sketches.
・ Skill: Ability to read and interpret basic
mechanicaldrawings(abilitytounderstand structures).
・ Design knowledge: Understanding of
mechanical drawing techniques.
The results of assessments well demonstratethat the new employees feel their skills are
improved after the training, although theresults cannot be taken as absolute because
the assessments are based on self-reports andare subjective. The results show that theimage training, namely, the training involving
observing an object with their eyes, creating
an idea, and drawing it with their hands, canmake these procedures second nature. We
recommend the image-training method foryoung designers because it is easy and costs
nothing to sketch something in their mind
onto a sheet of paper.
RollerExercise 3

Gear pump

CylinderDevice to smash a can, and to destroy
Figure 2: Generate ideas of conceptual plans

Exercise 4 Reduction gear:Body
Figure 1: The training A4 sheet of paper

The extra time is used for training to generate
ideas of conceptual plans, as shown in Fig. 2.
In this training, new employees are not givena task but are asked to think of a theme theywant to design, to create multiple plans and tomake a rough sketch. Then they self-assess
their plans and develop them into assembly
drawings and production drawings.
Bycreating approximately three conceptual plans,
they are trained to avoid limited thinking andcan develop a free and multidimensional wayof thinking.
The sense of the shape and size of products
and devices can be acquired through therepeated process of drawing and redrawing,
while the knowledge about design, materials
and manufacturing can be acquired directlyfrom engineers when the new employees visit
factories and hear from the engineers about
their actual work. On the basis of thisacquired knowledge and sense, they cannaturally expand and improve their design
ability.
Table 1: The image-training sheet formachine elements.
With the drawing

Assembling drawing

A

B

C

28
27
12
28

7
7
9
4

0
1
14
3

Contents
Drawing frame
Central markCutting markRevised number

Remarks

Table 1 shows a part of the image-training
sheet for machine elements. The questions
are as follows (35 respondents; implemented
on 30 March 2013).
A: Put a circle around the items you canimagine the shape of.
B: Put a triangle around the items which you
know the name of.
C: Put an x-mark beside the items for which
you have no idea of either the shape or name.
After checking the results of theimage-training method, we tested the
respondents’ understanding of 55 items
including drawing frames, break lines andfinish marks, using the assembly drawing anddetailed drawing of a turning mechanism of aliquid crystal exposure device as a sample.
Table 2 is a part of the answer sheet on which

the respondents put a circle in the boxes that
apply to their understanding. For example,
the results regarding finish marks (indicatedby the old style) were as follows: 19
respondents checked “Understand,” 12checked “Partly understand” and 4 checked“Do not understand.” The results regarding
geometrical tolerance were as follows: 10
respondents checked “Understand,” 20checked “Partly understand” and 5 checked“Do not understand.” The overall evaluationof the results reveals a remarkable lack ofunderstanding of drawings.
Table 2 : Is a part of the answer sheet
Machine element for the conclusion○△
Trapezoid screw
23
12
Screw for the pipe
17
15
Regular eyes screw
26
7
Rather thin screw
26
6
Hexagon bolt
35
0Bolt with the hexagon hole31
3

×
0
3
2
3
0
1

Axis coupling
10
1

12
3

3
31

Compression coil spring 18
Pulling coil spring
18
Leaf spring
6
Torsion bar
3

11
11
23
7

6
6
6
25

Flange coupling
Orr dam coupling

Buffering element

By providing young designers with training inareas in which they have difficulties, we aremaking efforts to help them understandambiguous parts of design drawings,“pictures”, and “drawings”.
Also, it issometimes necessary to find a compromise
between conflicting conditions for a shape,
namely, to make an ambiguous decision toachieve a balanced design on the basis of thevisual sense.
In the current subdivided process of design,designers need to recognize the relationship of
one step with the previous or next step in thedesign process and to develop amultidimensional way of thinking.
Todevelop such abilities, we will continuously
develop various materials for image training.
6. CONCLUSION
A rough sketch does not require the sameclearness as that required in 3D CAD.
Because conceptual design is an image, only asketch that shows the kind of part needed isappropriate.
Drawing an unnecessarily
precise sketch is a waste of time. The
chamfered shape and the devised proceduresfor processing can be expressed in the detailed
design using CAD.
A rough sketch that is used for verifying thefunctions and structures of a product is a realtechnical concept drawing. It is also used as
the means of knowledge management and will
be referred to when the concept for the
next-generation model of the product isdeveloped.
Are there any means available for expressing
a shape in the designers’ mind other thandrawing by hand? The advantage of drawing
by hand is its unlimited potential, while
creative activities will converge to a stack ofnumerical values as soon as the tool, CAD, isused. Drawing by hand requires experience.
An idea is created by designers and theirintention is shared through the use of CAD.
Young designers are assessed as having
problems such as 1) a lack of a clear designconcept, 2) a remarkable lack of recognitionof machine elements and 3) a lack ofunderstanding of drawings.
To improvetheir design techniques and abilities, ourcompany provides training on the basis of theoriginally developed method, utilizing a roughsketch and the drawing-by-hand method,which is directly related to manufacturing.
The content of the training and its results haverevealed that this training is helpful.
Education on drawing provided byeducational institutions will be meaningful if
it focuses on the principles of drawings andtrains students to draw with their hands.
Employees do not have a chance to learn theprinciples of drawing when they start working

at companies.
An average fresh graduate who starts working
at our company has shallow knowledge over awide range of engineering, is good withcomputers but unfamiliar with actual
phenomena, and is attached to only whathe/she is interested in. The training provided
in companies should also change to accept
these new employees with changing average
profiles and nurture them to become betterengineers.
REFERENCES[1] Shigeo HIRANO, Tsutomu ARAKI
Design expression and significance oftransmitting kansei and thought－Concept of kansei and thinking in design
theory－ for the 2013Asian Forum on
Graphic Science. (2013).

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
1. Shigeo HIRANO, Professor emeritus,
Tokyo City University, Tokyo, Japan.
His research interests are Mechanical
Design and Drawing, CAD, Design
System Education and development of
new products for human support science,
He can be reached by e-mail:rs4775hirano@ybb.ne.jp
2. Susumu KISE, is a Ability Development
Section Supervisor in the Artner Co. Ltd.
He can be reached by e-mail:kise@artner.co.jp
3. Sozo SEKIGUCHI, is a President in the
Artner Co. Ltd.
4. Kazuya OKUSAKA, is a Ability
Development Section General Manager
in the Artner Co. Ltd.
5. Tsutomu ARAKI, Professor, Tsukuba
University of Technology, Tsukuba,
Japan. His research interest is educationof Computer Aided Design and
ManufacturingofPrecision
3D
Mechanism model,, especially forhearing-impaired students. He can bereached by e-mail: tutaraki@yahoo.co.jp