Drawing methods
Ways of drawing
Manual freehand drawing
This refers to any drawing that is executed by hand (manual) and without the assistance of instruments such as rulers, set squares or templates. These drawings will be done using a range of manual media such as pencils, fine liners, charcoals, pastels and chalks. Manual freehand drawing is predominantly used for Observational Drawing and Visualisation Drawing.
Digital freehand drawing
This refers to any drawing that is generated on a digital device within a software program that allows a ‘freehand’ style of creation with a stylus or the ‘pen’ or ‘brush’ tools. While this technique for drawing could be used for Observational and Visualisation drawing, it is more often seen at the later stages of development of concepts and used in Presentation Drawings, especially with concept renderings.
Manual instrumental drawing
These drawings are constructed with the assistance of drawing instruments such as rulers, set squares, t-squares, drawing boards and templates. These drawings will be drawn to a specific drawing system and will follow the standards, rules and conventions outlined in the
technical drawing specifications (docx - 28.28mb).
Instrumental Drawings are not used for Observational Drawing and while they may appear in later stages of ‘generation of ideas’ they are more specifically relevant in the ‘development of concepts’, ‘refinement’ and ‘final presentation’ stages of the design process.
Digital instrumental drawing
These drawings are undertaken using a digital device and software that allow accurate, detailed drawings to be constructed using measurement dialogue boxes and tools that permit the entry of specific data such as dimensions and angles. These drawings must still reflect a specific drawing system and must follow the standards, rules and conventions outlined in the
technical drawing specifications (docx - 28.28mb).
Instrumental Drawings are not used for Observational Drawing and while they may appear in later stages of ‘generation of ideas’ they are more specifically relevant in the ‘development of concepts’, ‘refinement’ and ‘final presentation’ stages of the design process.
Drawing systems
Two-dimensional drawing
Third-angle orthogonal drawings
Each view of an object (front, top and sides) is drawn separately showing only two dimensions, but is kept aligned and to the same scale. Combining a view from the top, the front and sides, allows all three dimensions to be considered. Third-angle projection refers to the layout of views.
Floor plans and elevations
Scaled two-dimensional drawings used in the design and construction of structures, involving a set of conventions regarding line types, dimensioning and symbols. Floor plans are views from above, while elevations refer to views of the side or facade.
Packaging net
A drawing of a flat two-dimensional shape that becomes a three-dimensional form when it is folded. It can also be referred to as a development net. Often a packaging net will include tabs for stability and fastening. The drawings are to 1:1 scale and involve the use of line conventions that indicate fold lines (broken lines) and cutting edge (solid outline).
Three-dimensional drawing
Paraline
Objects are drawn with the set of lines for each plane (width, depth and height) remaining parallel (hence the term ‘para-line’). A form of Paraline drawing is axonometric and for this study the focus is on the Isometric and Planometric drawing systems.
Isometric:
Constructed from a corner view, with both sides of the object (width and depth) receding from the corner edge at 30 degrees; height remains vertical. The isometric drawing provides a comprehensive overall view of the object using true measurements and retaining true proportion.
Planometric:
This projection is based on a plan view (or floor plan) of a structure when rotated by 45 degrees to the horizontal so that the angle between left and right sides of a rectangular structure remain at 90 degrees. (It may also be rotated by 30 degrees where the other side is at 60 degrees and where the internal angle will remain at 90 degrees). Height is then added to objects or walls on the plan, taking the dimensions from the elevations and depicting these on the vertical axis.
Perspective Drawing
Perspective is a pictorial system where objects and structures are drawn in a manner so that their size reduces further from the position of the observer. Perspective uses either one or two sets of receding lines to depict depth, originating on a plane or a ‘closest vertical’ which converge towards a point or points situated on a horizon line (eye level). The vertical placement of the horizon line and the distance between vanishing points determine the relationship between the viewer and the subject and provide capacity for different views of an object or structure or the relationship of parts to each other.
One-point perspective:
Objects or structures are drawn front on, with depth depicted by receding lines converging to one vanishing point on the horizon line. The horizon line represents the eye level of the viewer. The vanishing point may be situated inside, above, below or to the left or right side of the object.
Two-point perspective:
Objects or structures are drawn with a corner closest to the viewer (closest vertical). Width and depth are depicted by groups of receding lines converging to two vanishing points on the horizon line. The horizon represents the eye level of the viewer and may be situated running through, above or below the object or structure. The vanishing points are situated to the left and right side of the closest vertical. The scale of an object or structure can be depicted in a realistic or exaggerated manner through the manipulation of the relationship between the object or structure, the vanishing points (cone of vision) and the horizon line (eye level).