International Conference Vienna II: Ancient Egyptian Ceramics in the 21 st Century
Vienna May 14 th - 19
E. Christiana Köhler th 2012
Workshop “Visualisation of ceramics”
Stan Hendrickx*, Merel Eyckerman* & Stefanie Vereecken**
* Media, Arts & Design Faculty, Hasselt. Elfde Liniestraat 25, B-3500 Hasselt (Belgium)
** Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Nabije Oosten Studies. Blijde Inkomststraat21, bus 3318, B-
3000 Leuven (Belgium)
The idea behind this workshop is not the development of a standard procedure for the visualisation of ceramics but rather to obtain an overview of the techniques currently used by archaeologists working in Egypt. There is no doubt that a more uniform approach would greatly benefit the possibilities for comparing pottery from different sites and excavations. But for individual excavations, drawing conventions have often been established a long time ago and of course used in many publications. It is therefore highly naive to expect that everybody involved would be willing to adapt new standards. Nevertheless, discussing techniques, their possibilities and problems, will not only allow a better understanding of previously published drawings but might also be of importance for future illustration work.
Because it would be very time consuming (and most probably rather boring) to have a large number of scholars present their illustration techniques at the conference, it seems more appropriate to work with a questionnaire distributed well in advance. The results of this will be summarised during the conference and used as platform for discussion.
Please return questionnaire to: s.hendrickx@pandora.be
Question
1. Equipment etc.
Y / N Comments
1.1. Organisation of the work are pencil drawings made which are subsequently inked? inking on site or at home?
1.2. Do you use: pencil (specific brand, hardness?) ink (rotring or other?) permanent marker (specific brand?) drawing tablet (brand, size?)

drawing tablet used in Egypt? which software for drawing tablet?
1.3. Do you draw on: tracing paper (draft / final drawing) (pencil / ink)
Millimetre/grid paper (draft / final drawing) (pencil / ink) transparent milimetre/grid paper
(draft / final drawing) (pencil / ink) other
D / F
P / I
D / F
P / I
D / F
P / I
1.4. Do you use the following equipment (cf. Aston 1998: 13-15)
“Umrißzeichner” (brand? where did you buy it? is it selfmade?) profile gauge (brand? what material? where did you buy it?) vernier callipers (brand? where did you buy it? which size(s)? electronic? ordinary callipers (brand? which size(s)? electronic?
2. Drawings
2.1. General drawings 1:1 or other format? anticipated reduction for publication? line thickness used? uniform line thickness or different line thickness for e.g. middle line? different line thicknesses, in function of size of pottery? same principles for handmade / slow wheel turned pottery and thrown pottery? stylistic relationship with drawings of other object types?
2.2. Section section on the left or right side of

the drawing? section black filled, hatched or blank? line of orifice plane touches section or not? style of middle line?
2.3. Surface outline of sherd in drawing? always or for certain sherds? placement of outline? breaking pattern of reconstructed jars drawn? potmarks included in vessel drawing or separate (or both)? decoration included in vessel drawing or separate (or both)? decoration drawn in projection or perspective on vessel drawing? principles for drawing decoration? colour codes used? finish treatment drawn? finish treatment indicated by hatching, dots, combination? principles for drawing finish treatment? temper drawn or not? which temper drawn (straw inclusions, limestone particles ...)? temper drawn from a certain size onwards? (which size?) shading for rendering volume of vessel? same principles for outside and inside views?
2.4. Morhpological details principles for drawing handles? principles for drawing spouts?
3. Drawing sherds
Can your method be compared

with the description given by
Aston 1998: 17-21? Differences?
D.A.
A STON , Die Keramik des Grabungsplatzes Q1. Teil 1. Corpus of Fabrics, Wares and
Shapes.
Die Grabungen des Pelizaeus Museums Hildesheim in Qantir - Pi-Ramesse. Bd. 1.
Mainz, 1998.