Some Chartpak + Paper Mate sketches from a recent R/C car project
I still sketch everything by hand before it touches CAD. I'm super comfortable with SolidWorks and Alias but for me, sections and mechanical assemblies are specifically where hand sketching still wins. I can work through simple sections and mechanical interfaces way faster with a pen than by building out geometry.
I like color coding each component. When you've got 6+ components overlapping in a section view, distinct colors let your brain parse the assembly instantly instead of untangling a bunch of line work. It's a cheap way to add clarity without adding more detail.
Curious how many of you still sketch sections and mechanisms by hand vs just roughing things out directly in CAD now. Feels like it's becoming kind of a lost step for a lot of newer designers.