THE JOY OF
DAILY DRAWING
BOB CUSTERS
‘In a handmade sketch you directly openup the reservoir of memories, ideas,
images and fantasies, and space for
research and exploration emerges.’
THE JOY OF
DAILY DRAWING
BOB CUSTERS
‘In a handmade sketch you directly openup the reservoir of memories, ideas, images and fantasies, and space for research and exploration emerges.’
Where space arises
Bob Custers is an architect and founder of VOCUS Architects. In The Joy of Daily Drawing he shows a unique and complete drawing development of 50 years in which the growth from child to adult architect can be seen. The result is an archive consisting of more than 1500 drawings that contains a wealth of images, texts and insights. It shows the value of daily drawing as a means of reflection, introspection and research, but above all it also contains an inspiring message for young designers, designers and architecture students who are at the beginning of their development: keep drawing!
While drawing, a new reality unfolds on paper. You create your own world, without rules or laws of others. For me, drawing equals experiencing total freedom. You train your perception by literally feeling what you see with a pencil or brush. You go through thousands of steps of observing, experiencing and registering at lightning speed. I strive to make these coincide in one moment. This requires a balance between tension and relaxation. By drawing I learned to look and feel. Then the more reflective piece. I express what I have seen before and which I often only become aware of while drawing. By doing this daily, you give yourself the opportunity to look for unexplored topics and fascinations. And… you can collect, organize and proportion very well with it. For me, this is the importance of reflecting and structuring.
But drawing is above all a journey of discovery. You express yourself through forms, fantasies and elaborate thoughts. It is a place where space is created and ideas are born. Through drawing I find inspiration and expression.”
“The Joy of Daily Drawing demonstrates the value of daily drawing as a means of reflection, introspection and inquiry”
You have to draw regularly to become proficient at it. I practice my drawing skills both at my architectural office and at home. But this is not the primary reason I draw daily. I realize very well that by drawing you activate your spatial awareness. For me this manifests itself in frequently repetitive round shapes, divisions, lines, faces or interior spaces. You can see the thick lines as walls of buildings. The white space in the drawing is more or less equal to the architectural space in buildings. Compare it to the light entering a building. I was inspired by the architects of the Bossche School, who play with this light. They talk about the interplay of space, form and size, in which the so-called ‘margin’ brings tension to the architecture.”