Thursday Salute to Originals: Sketching in 3D

Design and sketching go hand in hand. Designers constantly rely on using various media to visually capture and convey their complex visions. Time after time, we pull out the trusty sketch pad or sit down at the CAD station, and attempt to communicate all the intricate nuances of our concepts through a mess of converging lines on paper. Often, that’s easier said than done.

But recently, there’s been a game changer in the sketching world – 3D pens. Using similar technology to emerging 3D printers, these pens allows your lines to literally come right off the paper, allowing for visual intent to be expressed in actual physicality in real-time; you can literally sketch your idea into existence.

Merely describing these pens doesn’t nearly come close to the awe of seeing them in action. Watch the clip below of the 3D pen (this one’s called the 3Doodler) and see how it transforms what would be a typical sketch into a tangible 3D entity.

We can’t help but imagine all the potential for 3D sketching and how it can potentially impact the way in which we communicate design, both to our fellow designers and to our clients. We can’t wait to get our hands one of these! And for that, 3D pens, we salute you today!