Debate: ruler or freehand for straight desk doodle lines?

I started doodling on my desk calendar at work and kept messing up straight lines for boxes around tasks, so I tried using a 6-inch steel ruler for a week. The lines came out clean but my doodles felt stiff and less fun somehow. Do you guys think rulers kill the creative vibe or are they a legit tool for desk sketches?

3 comments

3 Comments

charliestone3d ago

My buddy tried the ruler thing on his whiteboard and his doodles looked like blueprints instead of something fun. He switched to a coffee stirrer for his lines and said it brought the looseness back while keeping things straight enough.

elliotm703d ago

My desk at work has this old plastic ID badge holder I use as a straight edge now. It's flimsy enough that the lines stay a little wobbly which I actually like. @wells.karen your gift card trick is pretty much the same idea and it works way better than a ruler for keeping doodles from looking like boring spreadsheets.

wells.karen4d ago

For my desk calendar I started using a small plastic card like an old gift card as a straight edge, it gave me clean lines without the heavy metal feel. The lines came out straight but I could still keep the doodles loose and playful around them. That little change made my sketches feel more natural again while keeping things neat for the task boxes.