SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: TAN YIT FONG

STUDENT ID NO: 0319133

WORD COUNT: 741

ENGLISH 1 (ELG 30505)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: PROCESS ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: 2ND MAY 2014

Producing an attractive sketch

Different individuals will go about opposite poles to produce something as simple

as a sketch. Some of us might not even have the motivation to pick up sketching

because we believe that it is only meant for aimless artists or children. Before

you continue on any further, do believe that drawing can achieve a lot more than

just pleasure to the eyes. Cue in the melodramatic sounds as I say that drawing

can “encourage the creation of a more humane environment by developing visual

and artistic sensibilities” [1] or to simply help you “arrive at a shared

understanding” [2]. Whatever it is, do find that something more.

Remember those stereotypical Parisian street artists that wave their pencils

horizontally and vertically and back again in the air before they sketch? Well, it is

time for you to be one of those debonair artists. Start by simply holding out your

pencil at arm’s length, in parallel with your eyes and perpendicular to your line of

sight, roughly scale the lengths and angles of specific lines [3]. Otherwise, plainly

cut out a square in a blackboard and bisect the opening ever since Albert Durer

developed it in the 1500s! [4] Either technique will help the artist to outline a

clearer picture of what it is he or she sets out to obtain in manageable order. This

also allows a more focus on the detailing.

Now imagine yourself as a sculptor with the mental image that you gathered

earlier imprinted into your head. The second step is to draw out an oversized

three dimensional cuboid that could fit the desired size of your building’s sketch.

You now have this nice, clean slate of marble before you to slowly chip away to

your heart’s content. Do divide the cuboid into manageable cubes. Therefore

thirdly, chip away the cuboid(s) by focusing your eye on a particular point at a

contour of the building and sketch as your eye follows even the minutest of shifts

or bends. It helps to draw at the same pace as your eye moves during this

process. This is known as subtractive form of realizing space and form [5].

Sometimes, you just might be overwhelmed by the amount of detail that is

presented before you. Fear not, as to produce a good sketch is also to strive for

simplicity. When presented with all sorts of details of the building, remember that

you play judge to the significance of each characteristic and should strive for the

requisite first. By the way, don’t worry about it too much as according to the

Gestalt theory of perception; it is in our nature to untangle the complexities we

see before us. The way we do this is by organizing the input into patterns.

Accordingly, do look out for them through their similarities, proximities and

continuity to better grasp the coexistence of constituents that make up the

building [6]. Finish off with shading by crosshatching places where the light does

not hit the surface of the building to give your sketch tone and texture.

With all these tools at your disposal to tinker away the world, Kimon Nicolaїdes is

convinced that “there is one right way to draw and that is a perfectly natural way”

[7]. Do you have a similar belief? As the popular saying goes, in my opinion,

there is the obvious solution of practice, practice, practice [8] till the techniques

come naturally. When you finally meet the right building to sketch, my hope is

that you’d do more than just draw.

References

[1] Edwards, Brian (2008) “Understanding Architecture Through Drawing” 2nd ed.

The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

[2] Sayre, H (2012) “A World of Art” 7th ed. Pearson

[3] Ching, Frank (1998.), with Juroszek, Steven P., Design Drawing, Van

Nostrand Reinhold, New York

[4] http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2009/09/studio-tools-durers-grid.html

[5] Wisse, Jacob (October 2002) “Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)”, In Heilbrunn

Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropoliton Museum of Art, 2000-

<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/durr/hd_durr.htm>

[6] Wagemans, Johan; Feldman, Jacob; Gepshtein, Sergei; Kimchi, Ruth;

Pomerantz, James R.; van der Helm, Peter A.; van Leeuwen, Cees (November

2012) “A century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: II. “Conceptual and

theoretical foundations”, Psychological Bulletin, Vol 138(6), Nov 2012, 1218-1252.

doi: 10.1037/a0029334-

<http://www.gestaltrevision.be/pdfs/A%20century%20of%20Gestalt%20psycholo

gy%20in%20visual%20perception%20I.pdf>

[7] Kimon Nicolaides (1969) “The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art

Study”, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston

[8] Pollak, Michael (November 27, 2009). "The Origins of That Famous Carnegie

Hall Joke", The New York Times.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/nyregion/29fyi.html?_r=0>