I read that most fashion design students are taught to sketch on paper first, but I've always started on my tablet.

I was looking at a design school's curriculum online last night and saw they require two full semesters of hand sketching before any digital work. I found my best ideas come from the undo button and layers on my iPad Pro, which I've used for three years. Does anyone else think the 'paper first' rule might be holding some new designers back?

3 comments

3 Comments

milessmith2mo ago

My cousin went to Parsons and they had that same two semester paper rule. He said it felt slow but now he's glad he learned to commit to a line without an undo button. The real trick is using both, start loose on paper to get the flow right then take a photo and finish it digitally. Have you tried doing your first rough sketch on a cheap notepad before going to the tablet?

nathan_shah2mo ago

Yeah, that's a solid method. I've found the Parsons rule is actually about using ink, not just any paper. The point is to stop erasing and just draw the next line, which you can still do on a cheap pad with a pen. @milessmith, your cousin is right about committing, but the tool isn't as key as the mindset. Starting on a tablet with the undo off can teach the same lesson, it just hurts your pride more when you mess up. The notepad trick works because it feels low stakes, which is really what gets the flow going.

verawhite2mo ago

Remember when my friend tried that, @nathan_shah?