Jose wrote in this week, posing a legitimate question regarding how one creates their designs. I actually filled a position last year where a client requested a designer who preferred free hand to computer generated designs, but I know it is rare. If you have an answer for Jose’s question, please write me and let me know. This is what my site is all about…being able to help you when you would like to be exposed to a new perspective….Thanks for writing in Jose!

Drawn In 
For those of you who get Footwear News, you probably saw the May 25, 2009 issue which featured the fantastic drawings from designers throughout the industry.  If you did, hopefully you also noticed that most of the drawings are done by hand which would classify them as true art, right?  To me, it was simply inspiring!!! What dimension, strokes, etc. ….translated purely from the mind of the designer into elaborate and elegant designs.
Why is it then, while looking for work, a free hand designer may find him or herself being judged based on the inability to create such work on computer?   Do all designers… to be designers… need to create their work on computer?  Apparently not, according to  the FN issue I mention above.  Why is the free-hand method being criticized, instead of the design itself? Does it truly matter how the design is conceptualized?

Over the course of my extensive career, I have been criticized for not creating my work through a computer and there have been many opportunities that were not given to me because all my work was done free hand.  I even know and am capable of using Adobe, Illustrator, of course…. but my expression is fully extended with free hand. 
I would really appreciate some insight as to what an employer sees are the pros and cons of free hand design…I am quite sure I am not the only one out there who is a bit puzzled.  
Jose