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You'll use the same "office" pencil that you've used in the two proceeding projects, but now I'd like you to get several drawing pads. They come in varying sizes: "9 X 12", 11" X 14", 12" X 18", 14" X 17", and 19" X 24". Don't let a salesman sell you any fancy or expensive paper; it's not necessary at this stage of your development. Besides you're going to use reams of it in the exercises for this course alone. So get the cheapest; it will be perfectly adequate for your purposes in these beginning projects.
Cubic Forms in Everyday Things Now you'll see why I dwelt so long on bare boxes. I wanted you to see what happens to a cubic form as you turn it, lower it, and raise it. The figures in this lesson represent only some of the thousands of objects that have the cube as their underlying structure. As a rule, they won't be perfect equilateral cubes. But whether they're long, narrow, and thin and short, wide, and thick they'll still conform to the cube by having a top, a bottom, and four sides. Searching with Lines With this in mind, draw your television set, a box of tissues, one of your tables, and your kitchen range, etc. Sit with your pad on your knees and notice the length compared with the width of the top plane of these objects. Observe the relation of the sides to each other and also to the width and height of the entire object. |
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As you search for the correct width, height, or depth of a plane, you'll draw many inaccurate lines. Don't erase them. Keep searching with other lines until you feel satisfied that you have the right ones. Accent your correct lines by bearing down on them with your pencil. Place a fresh sheet of paper over your object and pick out only the correct lines, as I've done in the illustrations. If the television or the range prove too difficult at this stage, then draw a suitcase or a matchbox. When you've gained more confidence, you can return to the more complex subjects. I sincerely wish you would tackle everything. If your hand is still a bit reluctant to do your bidding, let it lag. It will catch up with your demands - it always does. The training of your eye to observe, to weigh, and to compare correct relationships is more important. For the moment, let your drawing be labored or even crude, as long as it's correct. Facility will come in time, I assure you. |
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Handling Detail
When you're sure that the overall proportions of your object are correct, proceed to whatever detail it may have. For example, with a television, judge the distance that a knob might be from its edge, as well as the knob's size in relation to the width of the plane that it occupies. Is the knob centered on that plane? If not, how much off-center is it? If your object is a table and its detail consists only of legs to be added to its top, how thick are these legs in relation to their height or the width of the side panel? If your object is a bookcase and detail consists of books within it, what's the height and the width of the book in the center of the shelf? How short and how thick is the next one? I must emphasize again that the large planes and dimensions must be established correctly. you can then subdivide the large shapes into smaller ones, and these in turn should be divided again until you get to the minutest detail. Using the bookcase as an example, its overall proportions must be established first; then the placement of the shelf or shelves should be determined. Next, the books can be delineated in their proper width and height, followed by the detail on the spine of each book. |
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Refining with Tracing Paper Begin by drawing every cubic object in the room about you. When you feel that their basic cubic proportions are correct, then, and only then, start adding whatever details the objects may have. In the figures drawn on this page, there are objects drawn in two stages. In the drawing on the left of each pair of drawings, notice how roughly I indicated the overall shape of the object as I search for its proper proportions. Once having found these proportions, I darkened these correct lines. Never erase. Once you begin to erase, you lose your means of comparing correct to incorrect shapes and dimensions. Having established these correct proportions I place a fresh sheet of paper (preferably tracing paper) over the first drawing and "clean it up". That is, I transfer only the correct lines to the new sheet of paper. Although you don't have to use tracing paper, you obviously must use paper that's transparent enough for you to see the drawing beneath it. If some inaccuracies still remain on your second sheet, correct them with new lines. Place another new sheet of paper over them and transfer the corrected drawing. In each of the drawings on this page, the drawing on the right is the corrected, refined one. Next we try our hand at drawing cylindrical objects. See you then, and in the meantime - practice, practice, practice! |