As part of RISD’s esteemed European Honors Program (EHP), Oleg Panichev (BFA ’11) recently spent half of his senior year in Italy. EHP gives students the opportunity to study in Rome where they participate in Art History and Italian courses and work in their fields under the guidance of RISD critics. During his time in the program, Panichev devoted himself to developing his sketching skills, taking inspiration from his surroundings and fellow students, and produced a fascinating sketchbook full of wonderful drawings and studies. “This was actually the first sketchbook I ever filled up,” he says, expressing excitement in his achievement.
Panichev became fascinated with motorcycles while in Rome, being a common mode of transportation through the tight streets. He chose this topic as the focal point of his Industrial Design work while in the program, his sketchbook filled with formal explorations and ergonomic studies of various components. He took the studies to the next level, constructing a mock-up of a bike seat out of wood, fixing up an old skeleton, and mounting the skeleton on the seat to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between rider and motorcycle.
Besides bikes, Panichev sketched the famous architecture, attributing the urge to being surrounded by “Archies,” or architecture students. Sketching is a crucial skill to have as a designer and keeping a sketchbook is a good way to keep track of progress. Panichev stresses that it is important to learn from the “crappy” sketches and that, sometimes, the best sketches are ones you “don’t give a crap about” when you are drawing them.
Below are some more images from his sketchbook.
Posted by Kegan Tawney | Date Posted: 25 April, 2011