A sketch is a rough drawing of an object that exists in the physical world or is a figment of ones imagination. Sketches are used to convey ideas or may also serve as a personal interpretation of objects in the physical world. I have to admit, I am not overly confident with my drawing skills. However, knowing that I plan to take architecture upon the completion of my foundation year, it is inevitable that I will have to produce a variety of sketches. The ability to determine the steps to producing an attractive sketch would be a useful skill and would hence help improve the overall quality of my future sketches. Starting small with a sketch of a simple object, I begin to think of kitchen utensils that people have in their kitchens but rarely use. I can think of several unique kitchen utensils but I ultimately decide on the idea of sketching a roller pizza cutter. Before the actual sketching process begins, there are various aspects that need to be taken into consideration. After determining the kitchen utensil that is to be drawn, I find a suitable surface to lay my pizza cutter, which is clear of any distracting mess and has sufficient lighting. Having good lighting helps the person sketching to truly appreciate all the features of kitchen utensil the curves and edges, the texture, even the dents and scratches on its surface that are evidence of its prior use. I decide that my study table is the best surface to lay the pizza cutter on as it is a flat surface with excellent lighting. I take note of how the light hits the surface of the pizza cutter how it reflects off the metallic parts, how it casts shadows on the table, how certain parts of the pizza cutter casts shadows on itself. Feeling the pizza cutter in my hands also helps me to gain a better understanding of its shape and structure, which I will keep in mind when trying to add dimension to my sketch later on in the sketching process.The first step in producing an attractive sketch is to sketch out the prominent shapes as a guide for later detailing in the sketching process. To set out the basic guideline shapes of the pizza cutter I lightly sketch out a large circular shape, representing the circular blade of the cutter. Next I sketch two oblong shapes one large one for the handle and a smaller one for the attaching part between the blade and the handle. As these are just guideline shapes, I use an H pencil as it is very light and will not show when I trace over these guidelines with a darker pencil. After the basic shapes are drawn out, I begin to draw the outline of the pizza cutter with a darker 3B pencil. I then add in the smaller details, such as the bulge of the axis which the cutter wheel rotates on and the handle guard which is crescent-shaped. Once I am satisfied with the smaller details I begin to erase the guidelines that are still visible and brush off the eraser shavings before I proceed with the next step of sketching.To make the sketch more attractive, it is necessary to shade various parts of the sketch to achieve a sense of depth and dimension. Through my earlier observation of the direction of the light, I am able to determine where the shadow of the pizza cutter is cast. Using my 3B pencil I begin to shade in the left side of the pizza cutter handle and gradually decrease the pressure I apply to the paper as I shade, moving towards the right side of the handle. Alas, the effect I was hoping to achieve does not turn out how I imagine it to be. Unsatisfied with the shading I then go over the darker regions with a 6B pencil as it is able to produce a darker mark on the paper than the 3B pencil was able to do. This looks more attractive to me so I proceed to indicate the shadows projected by the pizza cutter. I do this by shading the outside the left side of the pizza cutter outline. To finalise my work I use my finger to smudge the pencil marks to achieve a smoother look to my overall sketch.In total, it took me roughly an hour to complete the attractive sketch, complete with the shading and smudging. Throughout the process I came to the realisation that I am not as talentless as I thought I was I can actually draw and I know I can improve if I continue to practice sketching. I believe this also applies to any skill that one wishes to develop practice makes perfect.