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Freehand Drawing

Freehand drawing is a visualization tool that enables sketching ideas without instruments and depends on observational skills. It is a universal language that designers use in conceptual phases of projects. Pencils are effective for architectural drawings as tones can be varied through line weight and smudging. Keeping drawings proportionate is important, even if details are well-drawn. Rendering makes drawings more realistic through media like pencil, ink, and watercolor that add texture and shading.

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Frannie Borras
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61 views3 pages

Freehand Drawing

Freehand drawing is a visualization tool that enables sketching ideas without instruments and depends on observational skills. It is a universal language that designers use in conceptual phases of projects. Pencils are effective for architectural drawings as tones can be varied through line weight and smudging. Keeping drawings proportionate is important, even if details are well-drawn. Rendering makes drawings more realistic through media like pencil, ink, and watercolor that add texture and shading.

Uploaded by

Frannie Borras
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FREEHAND DRAWING

Freehand drawing is the ability to draw something without depending on instruments or


something else to draw. We guide the drawing process with only our hand, and it
depends on our observational skills.

Freehand drawing enables visualization of an idea in the form of a sketch. It is also a


universal language designers use to communicate with other participants of a project.
That is why freehand drawing ought to be an element of a design process, especially in
the first conceptual phase.

PENCIL

Pencils are one of the most effective media for rendering architectural drawings
because tones can be greatly varied by weight of the line and the smudge blending
that can be accomplished by rubbing a finger over penciled areas.

Pencil renderings may be classified into two groups: graphite and wax-based pencils.
Because the pencil is versatile and can produce value through solid tone or line, it is a
favorite among many professionals. Pencil renderings, especially graphite-based ones,
are easily erased allowing for instant alterations.

PROPORTIONS

Freehand drawings are not usually made to a specific scale, although it can be handy
to do so at times. The size of the sketch depends on its complexity and the size of the
paper available. The most important rule in freehand drawing is to keep the drawing in
proportion, which means to accurately represent the size and position of each part in
relation to the whole. No matter how brilliant the technique or how well drawn the
details, if the proportions are off, the sketch will not look right.

RENDERING

To render a pictorial drawing is to make the drawing appear more realistic. This may be
done through the media of pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, pastels, and airbrush.
Drawings are rendered by adding realistic texture to the materials and establishing
shade and shadow patterns.

SHADE

When you shade an object, you make light the part of the object exposed to the light
and make dark the part of the object not exposed to the light.
SHADOW
In order to determine what areas of the building will be drawn darker to indicate
shadowing, the angle of the light in the illustration must be established, all shading
should be consistent with the direction and angle of the shadow. On buildings that are
drawn considerably below the horizon line, shadow patterns will often reveal more than
the actual pattern can reveal.

SHADING TECHNIQUES

The selection of paper for shading techniques is influenced by the type of pencil used,
the degree of darkness desired, the shading technique used, and the expression of the
shading technique desired.
The key is to select a paper surface (medium or smooth) based upon the effects you’re
looking to achieve. As a general rule, a medium or textured surface will be able to
produce a more even, luminescent shade than a smooth surface.

Graphite Pencils
Graphite pencils are created by mixing and grinding graphite and clay together, then
encasing them in wood. The proportion of graphite to clay mixture determines the
hardness of the pencil and degree of darkness of the pencil mark. They are available in
hardness from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest). Softer grades produce broader and darker
strokes and harder grades produce more precise and lighter strokes. H stands for
Hardness, B stands for Black. There is also a pencil designation of F, for Fine Line. F is in
between B and H.

Shading Techniques
Shading is the technique of building tone through specific types of pencil applications.
There are 4 basic types of shading techniques..

• Hatching: Creating dark value (shades) by application of parallel lines. The closer
together the lines the more even the resulting shade.
• Crosshatching: Creating shades through a series of intersecting lines. The
intersecting lines crisscross each other at various angles. The lines can be straight,
scribbled or circular.
• Stumping: Creating shades by “smudging” the applied shade. This is done by
pressing and smearing the applied graphite with your finger, a soft cloth or a
“stump”.
• Stippling: Creating shades through a series of dots. Building up more dots closer
together results in darker shading.

How to Shade

1. Hold the pencil at approximately a 45º angle. Shading is done with the side of
the pencil tip.
2. You can move the pencil with your shoulder or wrist. Each produces different
types of marks. Moving the pencil with your elbow and shoulder produces larger
strokes that may be more expressive. This approach is usually used with large scale
drawings. Moving the pencil with your wrist produces smaller strokes that are less
expressive. This approach is usually used for smaller-scale drawings.
3. The harder you press during shading the darker the mark produced and the
darker the shade. The softer the pencil grade, the darker the mark.

How to produce an even shade

1. Start with a light pressure and increase pressure of application as you proceed in
overlapping pencil strokes.
2. Apply strokes in various overlapping angles and strokes. By overlapping at several
different angles and directions the resulting shade will be more even with
greater luminosity.

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