DIGITAL SKETCHING IN DESIGN EDUCATION

Art and its interaction with technology has shown itself in different forms and representation techniques throughout time. New forms of digital art continued to be invented pushing the boundaries of creative expression. Traditional activities such as painting and sculpture have been radically transformed by digital techniques and media, while entirely new forms, such as Net art, digital installation, and virtual reality, have emerged as recognized artistic practice, collected by museums, institutions, and individuals the world over [1]. Today, computer graphics software such as 2D, 3D and 4D drafting and modelling along with hardware such as digital cameras, scanners, printers, VR glasses, tablets and pens etc. have become practical thus popular tools for professionals as well as ordinary people. Particularly, with the invention of graphic tablets, digital drafting has become a promising technique for architects, cartoonists, graphic artists and fashion designers etc. Numerous digital drawing and sketching applications today provide a wide variety of drawing pencils, brushes and colour options together with zooming, measuring, perspective help, portfolio creation, file saving and online sharing options. Hence carrying all these tools in one's pockets in a tablet or in a smart phone, should definitely lead to a great increase in his creativity. This paper inquires whether this statement is applicable for architectural and interior design education and examines the potentials of digital sketching. What may the challenge be for replacing the traditional sketchbooks and pens with these digital apps (applications)? While digital tablets or smart phones have already become extensions to our bodies, how digital sketching tools can be intensively integrated to design education? In scope of this paper, two top rated digital sketching apps offering 2D and 3D drawing techniques, will be tested with students from BAU Faculty of Architecture and Design. Their digital sketches, will later be compared with their freehand sketches to trace signs of originality in visual representation. Surveys will be held to distinguish between their previous habits and initial sketching experiences and see their tendencies for new digital sketching tools.