You may have a prototype, but you can’t draw. This is the dilemma that many inventors face in their search for a patent for their invention. Your inability to represent your invention need not hinder the progress of your work. Here are three ways you can represent your invention without having to be an artist.

Photograph your work.
Use a film or digital camera. If you are using a film camera, decide what views you will take of your invention. Take a black and white photo of each view. Scan the photos into your computer and print them out on paper. Once you have printed the images, add reference numbers to the figures. If you are using a digital camera, you will follow the same steps as if you were using a film camera. The only difference is that the digital photos will be in color. To get the best quality copies of your images, you should convert them to black and white. When you’re downloading the image, select grayscale instead of color. You can also convert the image to grayscale after download. At this point, you can add reference numbers to the figures. Whether you use a film or digital camera, be sure to take close-up photos of the prototype. When taking pictures of small objects, it is recommended that you use a zoom lens. If your camera does not come with this feature, you can check if there is a macro setting. This feature is ideal for extreme close-ups. Use the flash when taking photos in sunny areas. The flash will help balance the shadows.

Trace your photo by hand.
This approach will give you drawings that have a less photographic appearance. You will need to get tracing paper; a pencil; ink pens; a soft eraser; Scotch tape; a numbering template; a light source; a plastic template with shapes such as circles or boxes; and white correction fluid. Put the photo in a light box. You can use a piece of glass over a light source if you can’t use a light box. Tape the tracing paper to the photo. Trace the outline of your invention. Once you’ve traced the outline, separate the tracing paper from the photo. Trace over the pencil with an ink pen. Make sure to use a ruler when drawing straight lines. If there are pencil marks after tracing, please erase them. Ink lines that do not contribute to the drawing can be erased. Insert the figures and reference numbers on your drawing sheets and make a copy of the tracing sheet.

Use a computer to track.
To use the computer for tracing, you would need software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Freehand. Start by importing the photo into the software of your choice. Add a new layer to trace over the photo. To be able to see the photo while tracing you must change the opacity. Use a drawing tool to trace. Once you’re done, save the traced image at full opacity.