REVIEW: "Visual Notes" Mike Rowdy

"Visual Notes" - a book illustrator Mike Road, in which he explains how and why to replace the standard text notes illustrative sketches. As it turned out, sketchnouting not only funny, but also very useful exercise available to everyone. It helps to develop concentration, learns to listen and, of course, paint.

Mike Rowdy

Mike Rowdy professionally working on the user interface, is engaged in the visual design, the design of icons for web and mobile applications. His work has been included in the book «Rework: Business without prejudices" - bestseller Jason Fried and David Hansson Haynemayera.

Sketches - a variety of visual notes, consisting of hand-written text, drawings, diagrams and graphic elements.

According to Mike, he thought about sketchnoutinge when he became dissatisfied by the text records that he made at the working meetings and other events. He tried to grasp every detail of the performance, but he got slozhnonapisanny text that you do not want instead of detailed notes to reread again. But what is the use of notes, which do not want to come back again? Yes no.

Sketches were born out of frustration

Rather than write everything as text, Rowdy decided to make sketches and record only the main ideas. Such approach allows to focus on listening to and receive the information in both verbal and visual channel. This is called the theory of dual coding, which has been proposed in 1970 by Allan Paiva.

Mike was pleased with the result of the experiment, and got so carried away sketchnoutingom that even published his book about it.

By the way, the book itself - it's like one big sketch. It sketches of the Road, as well as other sketchnouterov from around the world.

In the book you will find a lot of techniques and methods for creating sketches. You get to know their main types, get tips from the author and other Sketcher, and in general, get a pure visual pleasure from the book, which is made and translated just fine ( "MYTH"- well done!).

It is important to understand that the "visual notes" - a book not how to draw (Although some basic lessons there). This is a book about how to visually record their ideas in the form of visual notes. To make sketches, you do not need to be an artist, designer or illustrator. Remember: sketches - it's not about art, it's about visual fixation main ideas.

You can and should make such sketches that you the easiest way to draw. Like text - experiment with typography. Love the pictures - please draw. Not averse to adding any frills - but for God's sake. Just relax, focus on hearing and make sketches as you like.

Complex idea is often easier to express in a simple figure, not a paragraph of text

Very cool that in the book there are exercises for such profane in the drawing, like me. After all, even if you do not like or do not know how to paint, you still have to sometimes do some sketches no. The book describes some of the simplest methods of sketches of objects, people and people. This helps to gain confidence and (even the bad draw a tree is a tree, is not it?).

That's how, for example, I learned to draw people:

It turned out badly, but because it is clear that the depicted person :) And this - the main thing.

Started reading this book, I decided to do a summary of the text and try to do sketches in the book. And you know, I liked it! I went to the stationery store, picked out a few pens and markers, and gladly made sketches for the book. That's what I did:

Of course, this can hardly be called masterpieces, and much of the writing is difficult to understand. But most importantly, I understand that. They bring more benefit, because brush up appearances fragment much easier when in front of you all kinds of visual images, not just a dry text. These notes are much nicer to handle then.

Sketches can be used not only for note-book. You can do skits with:

• Workshops, presentations
• Educational events, lectures
• viewing video lessons, TED lectures
• Listening to podcasts, educational programs

Just try it! Everywhere and always. Constant practice - is key to success.

Do not forget to share your sketches with others, or at least keep them for themselves digitally. For example, in some cloud storage. In the case of the summary of "visual notes" I just downloaded all the photos of sketches into Evernote and now I always have on hand a clear synopsis of the book.

Of course, sketches hardly suitable for recording lectures at the institute, where you need to fix everything, not because you all that useful, but because you do not know that it will fall on you exam. But for everything else - is fine.

The book can be read in just a day, it is quite short, but it is the use of the application in practice can be really huge. The main thing - practice every day, and try not to be afraid. Your task - do not become a good artist, and learn how to visually capture the really important ideas, remember that. And in this "visual notes" to help the best way possible.

Draw sketches and read a good book! Good luck :)

"Visual Notes. Illustrated Guide to sketchnoutingu "Mike Rowdy

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