PRATT INSTITUTE GRADUATE DRAWING I
Joel Wennerstrom, Associate Professor
Email: jwenner@pratt.edu WEB: http://mysite.pratt.edu/~jwenner
CLASS #1 CUBES IN PERSPECTIVE: THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCK
Warm-ups: Scribbles on the page. Introduction to the ellipse. Using the “hover and
land” technique. Drawing ellipses on a vertical centerline. Strive for symmetrical
ellipses- top and bottom, side to side.
Line Quality: Draw short lines- about 6 to 8 inches in length on your page. Use the
same “hover and land” technique as you did for the ellipses. Strive for fast, confident,
straight lines that start and end softly and smoothly, with no wiggles or “spasms”.
The cube: Intro to 2-point perspective. Using your eye to estimate foreshortening of a
cube. Draw 4-6 cubes (4” per side) below the horizon line, inside the semicircle. Keep
construction lines light and straight!
The importance of drawing through: Constructing (not just drawing) your cubes helps
you and your viewer understand the volume of the object.
Applying Line Quality to Cubes: Use heavy lines on outside edges of cube, medium
lines on inside edges, and light lines on hidden edges. Strive for a fast, confident stroke.
Intro to value: Using shading to show form, light source, visual impact. The more
contrast on the page, the more dynamic the composition.
The cube, part 2: Shifting the vanishing points on the horizon line to show rotation of
cube. Class draws shifted cubes from observation. Estimating location of vanishing
points off the page. Concentrate on spatial awareness and position of cube in space.
The three elements (skills) of drawing:
1. Understanding perspective theory
2. Practicing hand-eye coordination (the physical act of drawing)
3. Developing your own sense of “what looks right”.
ASSIGNMENT:
10 pages of ellipses on vertical centerlines. 3” wide X 1.5” high. Go over each ellipse
until you get it right. Keep your hand moving constantly. (40 min)
8 pages of cubes- 5 cubes per page. Each cube 4-5 inches per side. Shade 4 pages of
cubes. Leave 4 pages un-shaded, but draw through and use proper line weight to show
depth and volume.
Overlap cubes on the page to show foreground and background and add interest to the
page. Rotate at least one cube on each page by shifting the vanishing points but
keeping the same horizon line as shown in class.
1 page of one product of your choice- Draw from your mind, not from observation.