LESSON 09: Introduction to Sketching
The ability to sketch is an essential skill for the architect. With a sketch the architect can document attributes encountered in the environment or record a fleeting idea that might be incorporated into a design. Sketching allows the architect to “see” a building much more closely than just looking at it. It is said that an “Architect doesn’t see a building until she draws it.” Furthermore, architects record their first ideas as sketches and often explore those ideas in sketch form before turning to the drafting table or computer to work it out.
Perspective
To assist their sketching techniques, students will be introduced to the science of linear perspective through demonstration and practice. Students will be introduced to basic sketching techniques for documenting their observations upon which they will build their skills in the course of the semester. Below is a process that will guide your sketching process of drawing a building.
IMAGE
Step 1: Select a reference line: usually the closest corner to you. Try to approximate the angles of the top and bottom edges of the building. From there draw the vertical line of the outer corner such that the two sides of closely approach the proportion of the building as you see it. SKETCH VERY LIGHTLY. YOU WILL GO BACK LATER AND DARKEN THE LINES YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE. If your building is composed of multiple parts, say it has a tower or a portico, sketch the outlines of these elements, trying to capture their proportions. Note: it is important that you do not move your position; otherwise your proportions will change.
DRAWING
Step 2: Lightly sketch horizontal lines that correspond the heads and sills of the windows. If your building has string courses or other moldings, lightly sketch them in as well. Your horizontal lines should converge to vanishing points although depending on your position they may be off your paper.
DRAWING
Step 3: Lightly sketch the centerlines of the windows and show any other vertical lines. Remember, the vertical lines will foreshorten; you must try to capture this foreshortening in your sketch. Within the outline of your building sketch should be a light grid.
DRAWING
Step 4: Now lightly sketch the sides of the windows relative to the centerlines you’ve drawn. Remember to account for the foreshortening. Similarly, if your building has columns or buttresses, draw their outlines relative to their centerlines.
DRAWING
Step 5: Now you are ready to darken the important lines: building outlines, building feature outlines such as columns, courses, window and door openings, etc.
DRAWING
Step 6: Add detail: column capitals, molding and frieze details, etc.
DRAWING
Class Schedule
Discussion: Group presentations of urban design case studies
Demonstration: Principles of perspective
Lab:
1. Overlay photographs provided by your professor to discover the horizon line, lines of convergence, and vanishing points.
2. Freehand sketch a building projected on the screen
Introduction to Sketching Technique, Skill and Colour
Learn the key skills and techniques for sketching and gain a unique look at some of Britain’s most prominent artists. This practical one-day workshop will take place in the Tate Britain Collection where you will work directly in front of artworks. Over the course of the session, you will build up the introductory skills and techniques needed to get you started making your own masterpieces.
Examples of Technique: scaling, hatching, crosshatching, blending, stippling, cicling, shading, scaling, washing.
The price of the workshop includes materials to take home with you, including a Winsor & Newton: David Bomberg Drawing Set, which contacts a set of Graphite Pencils and a set of Coloured Pencils produced in collaboration with Tate.
This session is for people aged 16 and over.
Session Breakdown
Introduction (10 minutes): A brief introduction to Tate and the workshop.
Blind Contour Drawing (15 minutes): Using the works of sculpture in the collection as a starting point we will learn how to sketch by looking with a brief introduction to proportions.
Part One: Introduction to the Tools (15 minutes): What is the difference between a HB pencil and a 6B pencil? Going through your sketching set all your questions will be answered and learning by example you will be shown how you can use each tool.
Part Two: Techniques (20 minutes): You will learn all the key techniques of sketching such as hatching, crosshatching, blending, stipling, and circling. You will explore each technique through a series of quick sketching exercises.
Part Three: Skill Setting (10 minutes): Looking at examples in the collection we will explore how and when you use your new techniques and how they might be adapted for a particular context. For example, when might I use hatching and when might it be good to crosshatch?
Case Study 1 and Introduction to Shading (30 minutes): Using a sculpture in the collection as a reference point you will use your newly acquired skills and techniques to make a long sketch including a detail, with individual tips on shading and any questions that you might have during the process.
Break (30 minutes)
Part Four: Introduction to the Tools and Colour (15 minutes): What is a colour wheel? How do certain colours work alongside each other? Going through your sketching set and learning by example you will be shown how you can use each pencil in the set.
Part Five: Techniques (20 minutes): You will learn all the key techniques of sketching with colour pencils, exploring each technique through a series of quick sketching exercises.
Part Six: Skill Setting (10 minutes): Looking at examples in the collection we will explore how and when you to use your new techniques and how they might be adapted for a particular context. For example, how to mix your colours to create depth and perspective.
Case Study 2 and Introduction to Light and Darkness with Colour Pencils (25 minutes): Using a sculpture in the collection as a reference point you will make a long sketch including a detail. Individual tips and any questions that you might have during the process will be answered.
Accessibility
Tate Britain’s step-free entrance is on Atterbury Street. It has automatic sliding doors and there is a ramp down to the entrance with central handrails.
There is a lift between the Lower and Main floors. Alternatively you can take the stairs.
- Accessible and standard toilets are located on the Lower floor.
- A Changing Places toilet is not currently available.
- Ear defenders can be borrowed from the ticket desk on the Lower floor.
To help plan your visit to Tate Britain, have a look at our visual story. It includes photographs and information about what you can expect from a visit to the gallery.
For more information before your visit:
- Email [email protected]
- Call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 – option 1 (daily 09.45–18.00)
Introduction to Scientific Sketching
In this lesson, students learn how to sketch like scientists. You can teach it even if you think you can’t draw!
Objectives
During this activity, students will:
- Improve their careful observation skills
- Practice sketching like a scientist
Focus Question
What makes a good scientific sketch?
Materials
- Students’ science notebooks
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Collection of items to sketch, 1 per student, e.g. leaves
- Scientific Sketching PowerPoint or printed example sketches
Background for Educators
Most of us, adults and children, associate sketching with making a pretty picture. This association can limit us, especially if we feel we are not good at drawing. A scientist sketches to record and communicate information, not to make art. Along with a drawing, a scientific sketch often includes labels and diagrams, questions and explanations. You don’t have to be an artist to create a successful scientific sketch. You simply have to take time, observe closely, and record what you see.
Recording what you see is different from drawing the picture you have in your head. Many of us have cartoon-like images in our head of trees, flowers, houses, apples, rabbits, etc. When you set out to sketch a real thing, it’s important to focus on the individual specimen in front of you, rather than the generalized image you carry in your head. You can help students understand this by focusing on particularities of an example object – like a leaf with holes in it, or an irregular rock. These particularities are often very important for scientists to record.
One way to help students feel successful is to give them a few practical suggestions for how to sketch a given object. At the very least, give them a first step (this will vary depending upon the object), so that they know how to get started. [See the Scientific Sketching PowerPoint for an example of a step-by-step process for drawing a redwood leaf.] If you provide enough scaffolding, even those students who feel they are “bad at drawing” will have an entry point. It’s very likely those students will come away surprised at their own abilities.
The pneumonic ABCDE [i] gives students a clear idea of what makes a good scientific sketch. It also enables you, as a teacher, to give meaningful feedback to students. Rather than praising a drawing as “pretty,” you can say, “Great job making your sketch big; it really helps me see the details,” or “I’m glad you included explanations in your sketch; they will help another scientist understand what’s important.” For constructive feedback, try: “What could you do to make this sketch more accurate?” or “I bet adding color would help another scientist understand what the object really looks like.” This kind of feedback is concrete enough for students to understand why they’ve done a good job, and what steps they can take to improve their work.
[i] (Full Option Science System: Science Notebooks In Grades 3-6, p. 16)
