We live in a three-dimensional world of objects and space. Solid objects occupy, define the limits of, and give form to space. Space, on the other hand, surrounds and colors our vision of objects. A fundamental challenge in drawing is how to convey the existence of three-dimensional objects in space by describing lines, shapes, and tonal values on a flat, two-dimensional surface.
Objects not only occupy a volume of space. They also stand in space in relation to one another and their surroundings. Just as figures and their background comprise a unity of opposites on a two-dimensional surface, solid masses and spatial volumes together constitute the three-dimensional reality of our environment. The symbiotic relationship of solid mass and spatial volume in environmental design can be examined and found to exist at several scales.
Pictorial space is the illusion of space or depth depicted on a two-dimensional surface by various graphic means. This pictorial space may be flat, deep, or ambiguous, but in all cases, it is illusory. Certain arrangements of lines, shapes, values, and textures on a drawing surface, however, can trigger the perception of a three-dimensional world by our visual system. If we understand how we infer three-dimensional form and space in what we see, we can use this information to make the drawn image of an object appear flat or volumetric. We can project the image forward toward the viewer or recede deeply into the depth of a drawing. We can, on a two-dimensional surface, establish and illuminate the three-dimensional relationships between objects.
In The Perception of the Visual World, the psychologist James J. Gibson identifies 13 varieties of perspective. Gibson uses the term perspective to describe various “sensory shifts”—visual impressions that accompany our perception of depth over a continuous surface. Of these 13, eight are particularly effective in provoking the illusion of space and depth in a drawing:
Continuity of the outline of an object helps us identify its depth relative to other objects in our visual field. A shape having a continuous outline visibly disrupts or obscures the profile of an object behind it. Therefore, we tend to perceive any shape having a complete outline as being in front of and concealing from our view a part of the shape behind it. Since this visual phenomenon relies on nearer objects overlaying or projecting in front of objects farther away, we often refer to the depth cue simply as overlap.
By itself, overlap tends to create relatively shallow intervals of space. However, we can achieve a greater sense of intervening space and depth if we combine overlap with other depth cues, such as atmospheric perspective or a shift in texture, and upward location in the visual field.
For example, we can enhance the spatial effect of overlapping shapes by varying the line weights of a pure-line drawing. Darker and thicker profile or contour lines tend to advance and appear to be in front of lighter and thinner outlines.
In a similar manner, any shift in texture or sharp contrast in tonal value along an overlapping edge amplifies the perception that space intervenes between two overlapping shapes.
Size perspective refers to the apparent reduction in size of an object as it moves farther away from us. Our perception of size differences is based on the phenomenon known as size or object constancy, which leads us to imagine categories of objects as being uniform in size with constant color and texture. If we understand or know two objects to be the same size, but they appear to be different in size, then the larger will seem to be nearer than its smaller counterpart.
In reading size differences to assess scale and depth in a drawing, we must base our visual judgment on objects of known size, such as human figures, or on objects of similar size in the visual field, such as a series of windows, tables, or lamp posts.
Consider this example. When we observe two people, we naturally assume they are approximately the same height and possess similar proportions. If in a photograph or drawing we perceive one to be discernibly larger than the other, we conclude the smaller image represents a person that is more distant than the other. Otherwise, one would be a midget or the other a giant.
The vertical location of an object in a visual field is a cue to its distance from the observer. One typically looks down on objects that are close and up at objects that are farther away.
Imagine standing on a level plot of ground. The ground plane appears to move upward toward the horizon as it recedes into the distance. We would look down to view an object at our feet. To track the object as it moves farther away, our gaze would have to shift gradually upward or higher in our visual field.
Therefore, if we want to convey something as being distant in a drawing, we would elevate its position in the composition. The higher an object is in the picture plane, the farther away it will appear to be. This creates a stacked series of images which, when combined with both size differences and overlapping, can create a vivid sense of depth and space.
This depth cue occurs naturally in linear perspective. The higher one’s point of view, the more pronounced the pictorial effect of depth. The reverse occurs for objects that exist above the horizon. An airplane flying a level path away from us will appear to drop downward toward the horizon, as will the clouds that fill the sky.
Analyze the photograph below for examples of overlap indicating which objects are closer and which are farther away. Lay a sheet of tracing paper over the photograph and draw the examples you discover.
Repeat the above exercise, but this time search for examples of size perspective indicating which objects are closer and which are farther away.
Repeat Exercise 4.1, but this time search for examples of vertical location indicating which objects are closer and which are farther away.
Linear perspective properly refers to a specific drawing system derived from perspective projection. As a depth cue, linear perspective relies on its chief pictorial characteristic—the apparent convergence of parallel lines to a common vanishing point as they recede into the distance.
The pictorial effect of convergence is visible in almost any photograph or perspective drawing. There is, of course, the familiar sight of railroad tracks drawing closer together as they extend toward the horizon. It is fairly easy to recognize the parallel but converging lines of walls, windows, railings, or a pavement pattern, all of which can evoke a compelling sense of depth in a drawing.
The laws of linear perspective incorporate the phenomena of reduced size and diminished spacing that give rise to both texture and size perspective. In fact, the convergence of parallel lines in linear perspective often helps regulate the pictorial effects of texture and size perspective.
For a more detailed discussion of this drawing system and its pictorial effects, see Chapter 8.
Analyze the photograph below for examples of convergence of parallel lines. Make a photocopy of the photograph and lay a large sheet of tracing paper over it. Draw the lines that are parallel in space and appear to converge in linear perspective. Extend them until they meet at their respective vanishing points. Note that there are two major sets of horizontal lines, one converging toward the left and the other converging toward the right. Connecting the vanishing points for each set should establish a horizontal line in the drawing that represents the horizon line of the observer.
How many examples of the depth cues of overlap, size perspective, and vertical location can you find in the photograph?
Find a window that looks onto a scene exhibiting lines that are parallel in space. How many sets of converging parallel lines can you observe?
Tape a sheet of acetate to the glass. Focus on a point in the scene, hold your head steady, and maintain a level line of sight. With one eye closed, use a pen that will mark on the acetate to draw the sets of parallel lines you observe. Extend them to see if each set meets at a common vanishing point.
Atmospheric perspective refers to the progressive muting of hues, tonal values, and contrast that occur with increasing distance from the observer. Objects seen up close in the foreground of our visual field typically possess saturated colors and sharply defined contrasts in value. As they move farther away, their colors become lighter and more subdued, and their tonal contrasts more diffuse. In the background, we see mainly shapes of grayed tones and muted hues.
These apparent changes in color and definition result from the diffusing quality of dust particles or pollution in the intervening atmosphere between viewer and object. This haze obscures the colors and distinctness of more distant forms. Since atmospheric perspective represents the combined effect of distance and the quality of the air that separates an object from the observer, it is also referred to as aerial perspective. This term should not be confused with a linear perspective drawn from an aerial point of view.
The graphic technique for rendering atmospheric perspective involves executing scaled variations of color and tone.
To move objects back:
To bring objects forward:
Perspective of blur refers to the indistinct form or outline of objects in any visual plane other than the one on which the eyes are focused. This depth cue reflects the fact that we normally associate clarity of vision with nearness and blurring of outlines with farness.
When we focus on an object within our visual field, there exists a range of distances through which we see sharply defined images. Within this depth of field, we see the edges, contours, and details of objects clearly. Beyond this range, the shape and form of objects appear less distinct and more diffuse. This visual phenomenon is closely related to and often incorporated into the pictorial effects of atmospheric perspective.
Critical to the reading of perspective blur in a drawing is a discernible contrast between the sharply defined edges and contours of foreground elements and the more indistinct shapes that occur in the background. The graphic equivalent of perspective blur is a diminishing or diffusion of the edges and contours of more distant objects. We can use either a lightly drawn line or a broken or dotted line to delineate these edges of shapes and contours of forms that exist beyond the focus of a drawing.
Texture perspective refers to the gradual increase in the density of the texture of a surface as it recedes into the distance. The texture gradient that we perceive on a receding surface results from the continuous reduction in size and diminished spacing of the elements that comprise the surface texture.
Consider this example. When we view a brick wall up close, we can discern the individual bricks as well as the thickness of the mortar joints. As the wall surface recedes in perspective, the brick units diminish in size and the mortar joints appear simply as lines. As the wall continues to recede still further, the brick surface becomes denser and consolidates into a tonal value.
The graphic technique for depicting the visual phenomenon of texture perspective involves gradually diminishing the size, proportion, and spacing of the graphic elements used to portray a surface texture or pattern, whether they be dots, lines, or shapes of tonal values. Proceed from identifying units in the foreground to delineating a textured pattern in the middleground, and finally to rendering a tonal value in the background. Strive for smooth transitions and be careful that the resulting tonal values do not negate the principles of atmospheric perspective.
Draw the scene in the photograph below. Use the depth cue of atmospheric perspective to convey a sense of depth as one moves from the passage in the foreground to the gateway in the middleground and finally to the space beyond.
Redraw the scene in the photograph, but this time focus on the middleground and utilize perspective of blur to provoke a sense of depth in the scene.
Analyze the photograph for examples of texture perspective. Can you also find examples of size perspective and overlap in the photograph? Draw the scene a third time, employing these depth cues to convey the illusion of space and depth in your drawing.
A discernible shift of texture or linear spacing conveys an interval of space between foreground and background. The degree of change depends on the actual distance that exists between the surface or object nearer to us and a more distant one.
Consider this example. We see the individual leaves of a tree that is close to us, but perceive the foliage of a tree further away as a textured aggregate of leaves. Trees in the distance emerge simply as masses of tonal value. The sudden changes in scale, texture, and spacing of the leaves signal significant intervals of depth.
Any shift in texture is related to texture perspective. If we take a receding plane of fabric and fold it over unto itself, what was originally a gradual increase in density of texture will now appear as a sudden shift in texture. The foreground pattern will overlap and juxtapose itself against a smaller background pattern.
Similarly, any shift in linear spacing is related to size perspective. The intervals between the edges of equally spaced objects gradually diminish as they recede into the distance. Any sudden change in this interval will evoke a jump in distance between the foreground elements and those in the background.
Any abrupt shift in brightness stimulates the perception of a spatial edge or profile separated from a background surface by some intervening space. This depth cue implies the existence of overlapping shapes and the use of contrasting tonal values in a drawing.
Any line of tonal contrast is a potent depth cue that can enhance the sense of overlap and the pictorial effect of atmospheric perspective. The greater the spatial interval between overlapping shapes, the sharper the contrast between light and dark tonal values. While an abrupt change in tonal value indicates the profile of a corner or a spatial edge, a gradual transition in brightness leads to a perception of curvature and roundness.
In the three-dimensional modeling of forms, we rely on a discernible range of tonal values to depict and differentiate surfaces in light, shaded surfaces, and cast shadows. The resulting shifts in brightness can intensify the illusion of depth in multiview, paraline, and perspective drawings. For more information on the construction of architectural shade and shadows in these drawing systems, refer to the respective sections in Chapters 6, 7, and 8.
Observe where shifts in texture occur in the photograph below. Draw the setting, employing this depth cue to convey a sense of depth as the wall planes step away from the observer.
Draw the scene in the photograph again, this time ignoring the colors and textures of the forms. Instead, record only the shapes and values of the shaded surfaces and cast shadows you see. To articulate the spatial edges of overlapping forms, emphasize the lines of contrast where shifts in brightness or tonal value occur.
Every drawing evolves over time. Knowing where to begin, how to proceed, and when to stop are crucial to the process of drawing. Whether we are drawing from observation or the imagination, we should develop a strategy for organizing the sequence in which we draw.
Building up a drawing in a systematic way is an important concept. We should advance by progressive stages and construct a drawing from the ground up. Each successive iteration or cycle through the drawing process should first resolve the relationships between the major parts, then resolve the relationships within each part, and finally readjust the relationships between the major parts once again.
A sequential approach of tediously finishing one part of a drawing before going on to the next can easily result in distorting the relationships between each part and the rest of the composition. Maintaining a consistent level of completeness or incompleteness across the entire surface of a drawing is important to preserving a unified, balanced, and focused image.
The following procedure prescribes a way of seeing as well as drawing. It involves building up a drawing in the following stages:
We normally select from what we see that which is of interest to us. Since our perception is discriminating, we should also be selective in what we draw. How we frame and compose a view, and what we emphasize with our drawing technique will tell others what attracted our attention and what visual qualities we focused on. In this way, our drawings will naturally communicate our perceptions with an economy of means.
Composing a view of a scene involves positioning ourselves at a particular point in space and deciding how to frame what we see. In order to convey the sense that the viewer is within a space rather than on the outside looking in, we must establish three pictorial regions: a foreground, a middleground, and a background. All three should not have equal emphasis; one should dominate to heighten the pictorial space of the drawing.
When portraying a specific aspect of an object or scene, a closer viewpoint may be necessary so that the size of the drawing can accommodate the rendering of tonal value, texture, and light.
Explore alternative ways of composing the view in the photograph below. The shape and orientation of the frame and the positions of elements within the frame interact to influence the pictorial space and composition of a drawing. Compare the spatial effects of a vertical or portrait format with those of a horizontal or landscape layout. How does a square format alter these effects?
Explore alternative ways of cropping the view in the photograph below. Compare a broad or distant view with close-in views that focus on only certain aspects or features of the scene.
Without a cohesive structure to hold it together, the composition of a drawing collapses. Once the composition for a view is established, we use the analytical process of drawing to establish its structural framework. We begin with regulating lines that examine and verify the position, shape, and proportions of major elements. As we establish these first few lines, a tentative armature emerges that both holds and guides further observations. We draw further perceptions over this framework, which in turn is adjusted in response to our perceptions. Let this structure remain visible, for it clarifies pictorial relationships and serves as a preparatory underdrawing for what comes later.
We see little dimensional foreshortening in relatively small objects. The eye perceives vertical lines as parallel and perpendicular to the ground plane, in contrast to optical reality. Therefore, in drawing small-scale objects, we preserve the verticality of vertical edges.
In drawing an environment—an outdoor space or an interior room—we view the scene from a fixed position in space. The structure, therefore, must be regulated by the principles of linear perspective. We are concerned here principally with the pictorial effects of linear perspective—foreshortening and the convergence of parallel lines. Our mind interprets what we see and presents an objective reality based on what we know of an object. In drawing a perspective view, we attempt to illustrate the visual aspects of an optical reality. These two are often at odds, and the mind often wins out.
Begin by drawing the perceived shape of a vertical plane facing you. This plane may be the wall of a room, the facade of a building, or an implied plane defined by two vertical elements, such as the corners of two buildings. Use any of the sighting techniques described in Chapter 2 to ensure that the shape of the plane is properly proportioned.
Next, establish your eye level relative to that plane. Focus on a specific point, and draw a horizontal or horizon line through that point. Notice that horizontal elements situated above your eye level slope downward toward the horizon, while horizontal elements below rise upward as they recede from your position. Draw human figures in the foreground, middleground, and background to establish a vertical scale.
Use sighting techniques to gauge the slopes of horizontal edges that pass through points in the vertical plane and recede into the distance. Visually extend these lines to determine their vanishing points. If these vanishing points lie off the sheet of the drawing, draw the front and rear vertical edges of a receding face and judge what proportion of the vertical leading edge lies above the horizon line and what lies below. Reproduce the same proportions for the rear vertical edge. Use the established points to guide the drawing of the inclined lines in perspective. These receding lines along with the horizon line then serve as visual guides for any other lines that converge at the same point.
To ensure the correct foreshortening of receding planes, you must be able to flatten their state into two-dimensional shapes and correctly judge the relative proportion between their width and depth.
Remember to draw these regulating lines in a continuous manner to construct a spatial framework for the drawing. As you proceed, compare every part in its proper relation to others in the perspective layout. Recalling the following depth cues will help regulate the shapes you see in perspective:
For a more detailed discussion of this drawing system and the pictorial effects of convergence and foreshortening, see Chapter 8.
Use the analytical process of drawing to establish the underlying structure of the scene in the photograph below. Do not add tonal values or details. Start with a series of five-minute sketches before proceeding on to longer drawings.
Find an outdoor or interior space that exhibits a clear geometric structure and the convergence of parallel lines in linear perspective. Use the analytical process of drawing to establish the underlying structure of the scene. Do not add tonal values or details. Start with a series of five-minute sketches before proceeding on to longer drawings.
Scale refers to apparent size—how large or small a thing appears to be relative to some other thing. In order to measure scale, therefore, we must have something of known size to which we can refer.
Visual scale refers to how big something appears to be when measured against other things around it. Thus, an object’s scale is often a judgment we make based on the relative or known size of nearby or surrounding elements. For example, a table can appear to be in scale or out of scale with a room, depending on the relative size and proportions of the space. In drawing, we can emphasize or reduce the significance of an element by manipulating its scale relative to other elements.
Depending on the scale of what we are drawing, what we judge to be significant or trivial affects what we measure and the degree of accuracy that is required. The overall proportions of an object are important, as is its scale, relative to other things around it. But the degree of accuracy required really depends on whether or not we perceive differences. Are these differences significant and can we see them?
We are speaking of relative dimensions, not absolute meters, feet, or inches. Therefore, if something is 3 29⁄32 of an inch thick, this dimension is perhaps not as significant as whether we see it as being thin. And whether we see it as being thin really depends on what we are measuring it against. In other words, if it is thin, then something else must be thick. If something is short, we must be measuring it against something that is long.
Human scale refers to how big or small something makes us feel. If the dimensions of an interior space or the size of elements within it make us feel small, we can say they lack human scale. If, on the other hand, the space does not dwarf us or if the elements offer a comfortable fit with our dimensional requirements of reach, clearance, or movement, we can say they are human in scale.
In what we see and draw, we often use the human figure to establish how large or small other things are. This comparison is based on our familiarity with our own body dimensions and the result can make us feel large or small, or it can make the thing we are measuring seem large or small. Other scale-giving elements are implements we use often and are sized to our dimensions, such as chairs and tables.
Human figures give a sense of size and scale, while furniture arrangements define areas of use. Therefore, in recording a scene or developing a design idea, it is important to draw at a scale that allows people and the furnishings they use to be included. For more information about drawing the human figure, see Chapter 11.
Draw a series of cubes. Alter the relative scale of the cubes by drawing different-sized human figures next to each. Then transform each of the cubes into something in scale with the human figures: e.g., a chair, a room, or a building.
Visit two public spaces occupied by a number of people, one that is relatively small in scale and the other having a larger, more monumental scale. Draw the people in each space, paying attention to their relative heights and positions in space. Use the figures as measuring devices to establish the structure and scale of each space. In addition to size and proportion, what other attributes contribute to the perceived scale of each space?
In composing and establishing the structure of a drawing, we create a framework of lines. To this scaffolding, we add tonal values to represent light and dark areas of the scene, define planes in space, model their form, describe surface color and texture, and convey spatial depth.
We should work from light to dark by mapping and layering shapes of tonal value over preceding areas of value. If an area is too light, we can always darken it. But once an area has been darkened too much and becomes muddy, it is difficult to correct. The freshness and vitality of a drawing is fragile and easily lost.
In rendering tonal values, keep in mind the depth cues of:
Follow the procedure outlined in Exercises 4.13 and 4.14 to establish the underlying structure of the scene in the photograph below. Over this framework, add tonal values to define planes in space, model forms, and convey spatial depth. Pay careful attention to the shapes, pattern, and range of tonal values; work from large areas of similar value, and then layer darker tones within these areas. Allow about five minutes for establishing the structure and another five minutes for the rendering of tonal values.
Find a suitable public outdoor or interior space. Compose the scene with your viewfinder and repeat the above exercise. Practice a series of ten-minute structure-and-value sketches before proceeding on to longer drawings.
The final stage in building a drawing is the addition of those details that help us identify the various elements of an object or scene. Through these details, we sense and communicate the inherent qualities of a subject or uniqueness of a place. The smaller parts and details of a drawing should join in a way that further explains the whole.
Details must be placed within a structured pattern to make sense. This structure provides a framework for a particular area or feature to be worked on in greater detail and more elaborately. At the same time, a drawing needs contrast with areas of little or no detail. By this contrast, those areas with detail will naturally be given more emphasis.
Remember to be selective. We need not be concerned with the rendering of a photographic reality. We can never include every detail in a drawing. Some editing is necessary as we attempt to communicate particular qualities of form and space, and this often means tolerating a degree of incompleteness. The very incompleteness of a drawn image invites the viewer to participate in its completion. Even our perception of optical reality is usually incomplete, being edited by the knowledge we bring to the act of seeing and our momentary needs and concerns.
Follow the procedures outlined in Exercises 4.13 and 4.17 to establish the underlying structure and value pattern of the scene in the photograph below. To this, add those details that help identify and clarify objects in the foreground. Deepen tonal values as necessary to emphasize spatial edges and convey spatial depth. Allow about ten minutes for establishing the structure and rendering the tonal values, and another five minutes for adding significant details.
Find a suitable public outdoor or interior space. Compose the scene with your viewfinder and build a drawing by establishing the structure, layering tonal values, and adding details. Practice a series of fifteen-minute sketches before proceeding on to longer drawings.
While it is necessary to use photographs as the basis for some of the illustrations and exercises in this chapter, it should be clear that drawing from a photograph is a much different experience than drawing on location, from direct observation. A camera flattens the information gleaned from a three-dimensional environment onto a two-dimensional film or sensor. Based on the focal length of the lens used and the amount of light it admits, the camera translates optical data into a two-dimensional array. When presented on a two-dimensional medium—a sheet of paper, a computer monitor, or a projector screen—the foreshortening of shapes, the direction of lines, and other pictorial relationships become easier to discern. So while drawing from photographs can be a useful teaching and learning activity, we should understand that drawing on location can be more difficult.
When drawing from direct observation, we rely on our visual system to interpret the three-dimensional information taken in through our eyes as we attempt to portray a scene on a two-dimensional surface. Our eyes, however, are blind to what our minds are not prepared to see. We often see what we expect to be out there, and in the process, skip over elements of equal or greater importance in the scene. We tend to notice those things that are of personal interest to us and ignore others. We may perceive individual elements but not their relationships to one another.
Most importantly, when drawing perspective views, what we know about something—its objective size, shape and proportions—and how it might appear in real life—its optical appearance—are often in conflict and can lead to our drawing a compromise between the two realities. We may end up drawing not what we see, but rather the image held in the mind’s eye, which, in attempting to resolve the conflict between objective and optical realities, can lead us to distort the perspectival effects of convergence, foreshortening, and reduction in size. To truly see in perspective, we may have to temporarily suspend identifying and naming the subject matter of our drawing in order to perceive the purely visual phenomena before us. For more information on the pictorial effects of perspective, see pages 228–231.
Despite these difficulties, the iterative practice of sketching on-site can be beneficial. Being contemplative in nature, done with quiet concentration in a spontaneous manner in response to impressions gained through observation, the drawing process engages the eye and the mind, focuses attention on the present, and creates vivid visual memories that can be recalled at a later time.
Establishing the compositional structure of a scene, layering tonal values to define qualities of light, texture and materiality, and adding significant details—this process as described on pages 100–109 provides a firm foundation for learning how to build up a drawing in stages. In practice, however, there is more than a single approach to drawing from observation.
In surveying and taking in a scene, where does one start to draw? This is a question often asked, to which the answer is: it depends on how one responds to the subject matter. There is no one correct way to begin a drawing. We could start with a dominant vertical edge or plane in the scene, or with a cross-sectional view of a space, such as when looking down a street. We could begin with a unique contour, such as the path of a walkway, an articulated roofline, or the shape of the sky. We could decide to work from the inside out, starting with a unique shape, or from the outer edges in. The second step, however, is almost always establishing the horizon line and the scale of a person in the scene. Most importantly, throughout the process, as we move from structure to tones and details, we should continuously check the two-dimensional, pictorial relationships between points, lines and planes.
Drawing on location is a uniquely human activity and remains the province of freehand drawing. Digital tools and techniques have not yet been developed to offer the same degree of portability, convenience, and most importantly, the feel of a pen or pencil on the page of a journal or sketchbook. When executed with a free hand, a drawing naturally takes on the personality and viewpoint of its author. Just as our individual handwriting is unique and readily recognizable, so too are our personal sketches, which are revealed not only in the character of the strokes used to draw lines, create tonal values, and capture a scene; our sketches also reveal how we see, what we take note of, and the particular aspects we choose to emphasize.
Even if two of us were to stand side-by-side, look in the same general direction, and take in the same visual phenomena, we may not see the same thing. What we each see depends on how each of us responds to and interprets the visual data. Just as our perceptions are limited by what we bring to the seeing process, so too are our drawings, which are based on our perceptions. Like a conversation, we do not know precisely where the drawing process will lead. Even though we may have an objective in mind when we begin to draw, the sketch itself takes on a life of its own as it evolves on paper and we should remain open to the possibilities the emerging image suggests.
In drawing from observation, we do not have to restrict ourselves to the perspective views typified by travel postcards, although this is indeed the most tempting to replicate.
In lieu of simply recording the optical image presented to us, we can use drawing as a means of gaining understanding, insight, and perhaps even inspiration. Drawing stimulates the mind and can make visible aspects that cannot be seen by the naked eye and captured through the lens of a camera. We can imagine—in our mind’s eye—dismantling an existing building to better understand its parts and how they are related and organized in design and assembled in construction. We can use the drawing process to decipher and understand two-dimensional plan and sectional relationships as well as three-dimensional, volumetric qualities of the architecture we experience. We can draw analytical diagrams to describe a path of movement, explain the proportions of a pleasing space, or illustrate the pattern of solids and voids in an attractive urban setting. We can even attempt to describe the smells, sounds, or tactile qualities that drew our attention in the first place.
In this way, we can use the drawing process to figure things out on paper, thinking not only with the pen or pencil but with the head as well. In the end, drawing from observation, and the visual thinking that it fosters, is an activity that establishes a sound foundation for later design work, incorporating the drawing systems that comprise the language of design drawing (Part II: Drawing Systems) and employed during the process of design (Part III: Draw from the Imagination).
