A N A LY T IC AL DRAW I N G
Exercise 3.1
Using the analytical process of drawing, practice drawing cubes
from a variety of viewpoints.
Exercise 3.2
Collect three or four empty cardboard boxes of various sizes.
Pile them on the floor, with some fitting within the volumes
of others. See the boxes as geometric forms having smooth
rectangular planes intersecting along straight lines. Using the
analytical process of drawing, describe the geometric forms of
the boxes.
Exercise 3.3
Collect two glass bottles, one having a tall, cylindrical body and
another having a square or rectilinear cross section. Arrange
the bottles with one standing on its end and the other laying
on its side. Using the analytical process of drawing, describe
the geometric forms of the bottles. Pay careful attention to
important axial and proportional relationships.
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P R OPORTION
As we become more sensitive to the unique visual
characteristics of what we see and draw, we should not
lose sight of the total image. No single element in a drawing
stands alone in the composition. All of the parts depend on
one another for their visual impact, function, and meaning.
To ensure things remain in their proper place and relationship
to one another—to see both the trees and the forest and
to avoid making mountains out of molehills—we must pay
attention to proportion.
Proportion is the comparative, proper, or harmonious relation of
one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude,
quantity, or degree. Proportional relations are a matter of
ratios, and ratio is the relationship between any two parts of a
whole, or between any part and the whole. In seeing, we should
pay attention to the proportional relationships that regulate
our perception of size and shape.
Although often defined in mathematical terms, proportion
refers to any consistent set of visual relationships among
the parts of a composition. It can be a useful design tool
in promoting unity and harmony. Our perception of the
physical dimensions of things is, however, often imprecise.
The foreshortening of perspective, viewing distance, and even
cultural bias can distort our perception.
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P ROP ORT I ON
Proportion is primarily a matter of critical visual judgment. In
this respect, significant differences in the relative dimensions
of things are important. Ultimately, a proportion will appear to
be correct for a given situation when we sense that neither too
little nor too much of an element or characteristic is present.
These are some important points to remember in gauging or
using proportion in a drawing:
• T he apparent size of an object is influenced by the relative
size of other objects in its environment.
• When dealing with the form of volumes, we must be concerned
with proportion in three dimensions.
• Verbalize the proportions as you draw to remind yourself of
the proper ratios.
• Be careful not to rectify the shape to correspond to the
shape of the format or the sheet of paper on which you are
drawing.
• When drawing complex shapes, look for shapes you
understand, such as squares.
• Even subtle changes in proportion can have a powerful effect
on the visual identity and aesthetic quality of an image.
Cartoonists use this deliberate distortion to advantage in
creating caricatures.
• If the diagonals of two rectangles are either parallel or
perpendicular to one another, they indicate the two shapes
have similar proportions.
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B U I L D IN G ON G E O METRY
In the analytical process of drawing, we build on geometry. We
can simplify many familiar objects into basic geometric forms.
If we break down what we see into regular geometric volumes
or a geometric arrangement of parts, we can draw them more
easily. We can reorganize the forms in an additive manner
or transform them in a subtractive manner. The resulting
structure then serves as a framework for developing and
refining the forms and intervening spaces.
The cube is a convenient three-dimensional unit with which
to begin. From the cube, we can use geometric principles to
derive other basic geometric volumes, such as the pyramid,
cylinder, and cone. Mastery of drawing these simple forms is a
prerequisite for drawing a variety of derivative compositions.
Once we understand the volumetric nature of a form, we are
better able to manipulate it, transform it, or see it from a
different point of view.
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B U ILD IN G O N G E OM E T RY
Exercise 3.4
Using the analytical process of drawing, transform each of the
cubes into a pyramid or other prismatic form.
Exercise 3.5
Using the analytical process of drawing, copy each of the cubes
and transform each into a cone, cylinder, or similar form based
on the circle.
Exercise 3.6
Building on the geometry of the forms you developed in the
preceding two exercises, transform each into a familiar object.
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