Pub - Rapid Viz Third Edition A New Method For The Rapid PDF

Rapid Viz, Third Edition
A New Method for the Rapid Visualization of Ideas
Kurt Hanks & Larry Belliston

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Contents
Introduction Chapter 5
Rapid Viz—Not Another Drawing Book . . . . . . .1 Graphic Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Chapter 1 Chapter 6
Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Learning with Visuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Chapter 2 Appendix A
Rapid Indication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Additional Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Chapter 3 Appendix B
The Visualization Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Suggested Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Chapter 4 Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199

Graphic Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
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Introduction
Rapid Viz—Not Another

Drawing Book
W
It is a good question. Why would I design. In that college you had to
hen I mentioned to an
want to do another? The answer learn to draw if you wanted to get
architect friend of mine
comes from personal experience. It your ideas across. Drawing was some-
that I was thinking of
involves my own development; I want thing you were made to learn—some-
writing a book on drawing he just
to explain to you what I feel drawing, thing you had to go through and get
stared at me. Then he bellowed with
thinking, and visualizing are all over like chicken pox. And so I did it.
hands waving in the air, “All we need
about. After taking several classes, putting
is another drawing book. Why you
forth considerable effort, and filling
could fill this room with those kinds My visual education began later in life
innumerable waste baskets with dis-
of books. There are thousands of than it does for most people. It began
carded drawings, I finally reached an
them covering everything you could when I was in college. My only previ-
acceptable level of proficiency. But the
possibly want to know about draw- ous exposure was doodling on scraps
whole education process seemed too
ing.” Then he pointedly asked, “Why of paper, around the borders of
long and too involved and too filled
on earth would you want to do English themes, on the pages of the
with unnecessary and inefficient
another?” phone book, and other such random
teaching for what I finally gained.
places. In college, I floated around
various majors and finally landed in
1
2 Rapid Viz ■ Third Edition
I realized, however, that something Learning to use pen and paper had and work. An idea is a very delicate
else had happened along the way. Yes, thus revealed talents I didn’t know I and fleeting thing and if it is not
I had learned to draw, but more had. Not the great talents of a fine quickly crystallized into reality, it just
importantly, I learned to think. My artist in the traditional sense that you slips away never to be found again. A
whole method of thinking underwent might expect, but I had discovered the rapid conversion from thought to
a complete metamorphosis. I began to important, practical ability to visual- paper is critical.
see the world more clearly. As my ize. I gained the ability to picture
I found myself asking the questions:
hand sketched the lines, my mind something mentally, and then quickly
Can this new-found skill be taught to
revealed a whole new method of convert those thoughts into visual
others? And can it be done without all
thinking that I had not known before. reality on a piece of paper. I could nail
the hassle, redundancy, and expense
Being able to visualize things gave me down my ideas on a sheet of paper.
that I had gone through in my own
a tool that I could use in all facets of
I realized that converting these ideas education?
life. What happened to my mind was
had to be a rapid process taking a
much more important than the As so often happens in life, I found
minimum amount of time, trouble,
sketches I produced. myself regretting my former criti-
cisms of teachers as I became a
teacher. In a classroom situation I
began to challenge students to learn
the kind of drawing that had become
such a valuable asset in my life.
For the next couple of years, my stu-
dents and I developed a method that
worked. The students helped me
reduce drawing to the essentials.
Instead of a fine art approach, we
developed a simplified approach to
drawing that people can use for think-
ing, learning, and communicating.
1
Introduction ■ Rapid Viz—Not Another Drawing Book 3
This book is an outgrowth of class- ding along until, in the end, their per- ■ Use tools, technology, and defi-
room teaching. By trial and error we formance actually exceeded the more nitions that relate to a student’s
discovered the best teaching experienced students’ performance. understanding.
approach. I hope that you, too, will I’ve found that experience often ■ Design the content of the book
gain by the experience many students breeds indifference to what may seem for students and professionals
went through to develop this con- to be simplistic and rudimentary in the fields of architecture,
densed teaching approach. exercises. But simplicity has an landscape architecture, engi-
uncanny way of positioning itself neering, industrial design, inte-
behind genius. rior design, and other sciences
Earlier Education Can
and arts in which visualization
Hamper Our Thinking is vital.
Through my teaching I found that
About This Book
The objectives and guidelines used to
■ Emphasize speed in mastering
often the less you know about draw- actions and concepts, reducing
ing the better off you are when learn- develop this book were to:
time, effort, and cost of learn-
ing to visualize. The less you know, ■ Produce a practical workbook ing.
the fewer preconceived ideas you have to help individuals visualize
about drawing and visualizing. You
■ Use materials and equipment
their thoughts.
have an advantage in that you do not that are easily attainable and
■ Use examples and exercises that economical.
have to unlearn what you already
have been tried by students.
know. I can remember one class in
particular in which I had two separate
groups: one made up of architecture
and landscape architecture students
who had a lot of previous drawing
experience, and another made up of
beginning interior design students
who had no experience (they had no
idea what a “T square” was). At first
the experienced group excelled over
the inexperienced group. But the inte-
rior design students with no previous
drawing experience just kept plod-
■ Structure the information from The exercises that accompany each 3. To help you defer judgment.
simple to complex, from con- chapter may seem strange, but they One of the most dangerous pit-
crete to abstract, from general have each been created and tested to falls of learning visual skills is
to specific. be effective in reinforcing the tech- the tendency to judge your
■ Apply visualization to real-life niques presented in the chapter text. work too soon. You may think
situations whenever possible. that your drawings look silly at
The Rapid Viz techniques featured in
first, but keep working through
■ Provide positive reinforcement this book are designed to do the fol-
the exercises and you will see
to students to prove that they lowing:
progress.
can draw and visualize their
1. To help you develop your own 4. To maintain your sense of
own ideas.
unique style of visual expres- humor. Many artists would turn
■ Have students learn by doing. sion. This book is not designed up their noses at cartoons and
This last objective was especially to help you become a master nonsense doodles that are often
important because while visualization illustrator, but rather a visual featured in this book. However,
is more a mental process than a phys- thinker and communicator. The if you can find the humor in
ical one, the mental process is learned exercises take you from copying your drawings, you can defer
by actually doing. someone else’s visuals to mak- judgment and allow yourself to
ing your own. As the book pro- develop your skills. Taking
gresses, you should develop things too seriously too early in
Goals of the Rapid Viz your own style that is comfort- the learning process discourages
Technique able and works for you. some would-be visual thinkers
I’ve found it easier to teach rapid 2. To push your abilities. Improv- from developing their skills.
visualization by starting in a logical ing your visual expression skills 5. To set tight parameters. The
sequential manner—the conventional is a skill, and as such it requires exercises attempt to restrict
teaching method. If a radical new practice. Just as a weight lifter your freedom temporarily.
concept like Rapid Viz is taught in a improves his performance by Tight restrictions as to what is
radical new way, people feel over- lifting more weight and a run- to be drawn, how long to take,
whelmed. By starting off teaching the ner improves her time by run- and so forth make drawing eas-
Rapid Viz concepts in a conventional ning faster or longer distances, ier during the early stages of the
manner, students become comfort- you must push yourself to work learning process. Do the same
able with the techniques and slowly faster in shorter periods of time for yourself. Set your own tight
transition to intuitive learning. to produce results. goals. Too many choices breed
confusion and non-perfor- frame of reference or comfort Another Way of Learning

mance. Decide specifically what zone, you will learn a great deal There are at least two ways of learning
to do and do it. and avoid falling into old and knowing something. One way is
6. To reinforce that Rapid Viz is a habits. the traditional method taught in the
progressive process. You will 9. To keep a visual record of your educational system—reading, writ-
learn a little at a time. Go back progress. Save the drawings you ing, and arithmetic. With this method
over sections of the book to see create throughout this book. you read something, you memorize it,
your own improvement. Record the date or sequence in and you are supposed to be able to
Progress in small steps instead which you created the draw- recall what you learned.
of trying to leap immediately to ings. When you go back to
There also are other ways to learn and
an end result. review your progress you will
know something. One way involves
7. To create a sequential learning be amazed at how far you have
the “feeling” method in which you
system. Like many things, the come.
know something because you feel it.
Rapid Viz techniques are more 10. To provide an accessible teach- Drawing is more the feeling and intu-
easily learned after first mastering medium. I believe that a live itive kind of learning and knowing
ing preparatory skills. Follow teacher is the best way to learn than it is the sequential, rote memo-
the order of this book so you the Rapid Viz techniques, but rization method of learning. Drawing
can build upon the skills step this book is the next best alter- is much more dependent on the intu-
by step. native when a live instructor is itive, creative side of the brain.
8. To apply the techniques to a unavailable to you for whatever
reason. The methods used in An example of “feeling” learning is
variety of scenarios. You may
the book have been tested and when I learned to shoot a rifle at tar-
wonder why some exercises
improved through feedback gets thrown into the air. As a young-
seem applicable only to a spe-
from many years in a classroom ster I took pride in my ability to shoot
cific profession, such as archi-
environment. The self-study accurately. One day a friend and I
tecture or city planning. The
available in this book will went shooting together—he out-
point of applying the tech-
require effort on your part, but classed me terribly. He was a magnifi-
niques to areas beyond your
the effort extended will be cent shot, and I wanted to be at least
own work or study is to rein-
worth the rewards. Learning as good a shot as he was. I had learned
force that the principles are the
Rapid Viz will not only change about a method of shooting wherein
same. When you learn by draw-
your drawing abilities; it will you shot from the hip without taking
ing objects outside your normal
expand your thinking abilities. aim. You aimed by “feel” rather than
by looking down the sights of the gun. Intuition vs. Logic stand, more difficult to learn, and
So I set out to learn this “feeling” Another example of relying on feel- extremely difficult to do well. It’s no
method of shooting. ings or intuition is speed reading. wonder many artists don’t do per-
Conventional reading experts will tell spective drawing.
Another person would throw items
into the air and I would shoot from you that it’s impossible to read a book A teacher once told me there is no
the hip. It’s like pointing your fin- in 10 minutes and comprehend what other way to do perspective than by
ger—you don’t need to look down you read. But some speed readers do the conventional method. Wrong!
your finger to know that you are it all the time and have better compre- The rapid visualization method is
pointing in the right direction. As I hension than regular slower readers. better and easier. To provide it, I have
became able to hit the thrown targets, What’s their secret? They “feel” what taken students that seemed to have
I progressed to shooting them from a they read. They give you correct equal abilities and taught one the tra-
greater distance. Then I progressed to answers because they feel the answers ditional elaborate method and taught
smaller and smaller targets until I are right. They don’t rely on logic and the other the rapid visualization
became very proficient at shooting sequence to recall what they have method. Invariably, the rapid visual-
moving targets in the air. read. Speed readers utilize the visual, ization method works better. The
intuitive, holistic half of their brains. Rapid Viz student learns in a few min-
With time and practice, I eventually
utes rather than a few hours. The end
became a very good shot by feel. You Visualization is to drawing as shoot- result also is unquestionably better
may assume that the best way to learn ing by feeling is to feeling by sight. than the work done by the student
to shoot is by looking down the sights Visualization is to drawing as speed using the conventional method.
of a gun, but I actually became a bet- reading is to conventional reading.
ter shot by feeling as opposed to the
logical, traditional method. And Let me describe how the feeling Getting the Most Out
wouldn’t you know, my friend even method works in drawing. You know
what perspective drawing is—it is of This Book
improved his own already magnifi-
cent shooting ability by adopting the when you draw things in three Please do more than just read this
feeling method too. dimensions giving the appearance of book. If you only read and do no
distance and volume. The conven- more, it won’t work for you. The book
tional method is a laborious method must be used to be of any value to
of connecting lines and projecting you. Write in it, draw in it, insert your
images. It is an elaborate method of own pages in it, and do whatever else
drawing that is difficult to under- seems helpful to you.
Far too often education becomes too You can’t learn to visualize by osmo-
restrictive, filled with constraints and sis. Over the years I’ve had a lot of stu- I hear and I forget.
negative comments. The only possible dents who have tried. They seem I see and I remember.
result is to make the student an out- afraid to fail; scared of criticism about
I do and I understand.
sider—a bystander looking in. But to their awkward sketches. But they—
really understand anything you must and you—should not let fear inhibit —Chinese proverb
actually do it. Second-hand learning learning. Learning takes time,
from someone else telling you about it involves making mistakes, and
never is very effective. involves effort. No one has learned to
The brain is like a muscle that must be
run without walking; no one has
used. If not used, it atrophies and
learned to visualize without drawing.
becomes weak and ineffective. With
Rapid Visualization, the brain, in
essence, becomes connected to the
muscles in the hand. Coupled with
the eye, the brain and hand muscles
begin a continuous cycle of expres-
sion and feedback that enables you to
transfer thoughts from your head to
expressions on paper where they can
be refined and recorded.
What I really want to encourage is
your participation through your
mind, your hand, and your eyes. All
this participation is important
because, as noted earlier, while draw-
ing is more a mental process than a
physical one, it is learned by physical-
ly doing. You have to push those
thoughts out of your mind with a
pencil, and then draw and develop
them before your eyes on paper.
Make this book yours. Force it to give What You Need to Get Use whatever you want as long as it’s
you what you need. Don’t separate simple, cheap, and you can carry it in
yourself from your own education. By
Started your pocket or purse at all times.
itself, this book is not the best method A frightening thing awaits you. It has Don’t be one of those designers who
for learning—not as good as an inter- made strong men cry and sent women is crippled without special drawing
active classroom situation—so you fleeing from its very presence. It is a tools.
must force the book to fill your needs. blank piece of paper. What are you
going to do with it? What threat lies The kind of pen I prefer is a simple
You must take an active part in your
beyond its snowy white innocence? felt tip pen with a flexible point. Flair,
own learning process.
You are going to have to make a mark EG, and Pentel (to name a few) make
In case you are wondering, my archi- on it—you are about to violate its the inexpensive pens that I like. The
tect friend who expressed so much purity. Can you do it? Of course you only really important thing to me is
skepticism about this book eventually can! that the point be able to draw thick
changed his mind. In fact, he helped lines when I press down firmly or thin
refine and develop this book. There is First, you will need materials. You can lines when I use a light touch. Ball
a great need for Rapid Visualization in play the game that some illustrators point pens don’t allow this flexibility.
his profession as well as many others. and designers play, which is to buy the
“best of the best” exquisitely made You may decide upon a pencil. I like
and guaranteed for 40 years or 40,000 drawing with pencils but prefer that
miles pen or you can simply buy a you begin drawing with a pen. With a
I do not think that we have begun to pencil you can easily erase and fix up
regular felt tip pen. I recommend that
scratch the surface of training in rapid drawings. You should be learn-
you choose the simple felt tip pen. It is
visualization. ing to do rapid drawings correctly the
cheap, easy to use, and always there
—Jerome S. Bruner, when you need it. For now get any first time, not learning to fix up your
Educational Psychologist pen or pencil you can find. We’ll have drawings. A pencil causes many peo-
none of this “I can’t go on with the ple to become “fix up” artists. You
work because my special order pen need to be committed—once the pen
has not arrived yet from Walla Walla.” makes a mark the deed is done. So, for
now, use a pen; save the pencil for
later.
When it comes time for the pencil, you will need to trace and refine your
what pencil should you buy? Pencils initial sketches. I prefer a 14” x 17”
are rated 6H (hard) to 6B (soft). If pad of tracing paper that is easy to see
you like to scratch your message in through but strong enough not to tear
the surface with a nail, then 6H is the when you write on it. The least expen-
pencil for you. If you are a real soft sive paper you can buy that will do
touch, then 6B is the one for you. For those things is the kind you should
me, 2H feels right—not too hard, not buy.
too soft.
You need to get to know your pen so
Also, you may want an eraser, in spite that it becomes an extension of your
of my earlier remarks about erasing. hand. Your pen becomes part of you.
To erase pen lines drawn with a felt tip You need to become so familiar with
pen, I wet the end of a pencil eraser. it that you don’t think about it. This
To erase pencil lines, I use a kneaded comes from drawing or doodling a
eraser. lot.
You may want to keep a ruler handy as exercise in this book, do it! Don’t be A tennis player’s racket becomes an
well as a variety of colors of felt tip afraid of ruining the book with your extension of the player’s arm and
pens. I find it fun to draw in black and drawings. This book is designed to be hand. He automatically knows how
then use some other color to add used as a workbook. It’s not a book to far it will reach to hit the ball. Until a
emphasis. The second color is my way look pretty on your library bookshelf. tennis player becomes one with his
of doodling with a drawing. You racket, he can’t play tennis well. The
You’ll need two other kinds of draw-
won’t necessarily need these other way a player learns to control his
ing paper as well. A good basic paper
colors or a straight edge, but you may racket is by hitting tennis balls. He
is regular bond paper—the kind you
find them fun and inspiring. doesn’t jump right in and play a
write on and type on. Most drawings
championship match with it the first
Remember that intimidating blank will be done on cheap bond paper.
time out. He just hits the ball over and
piece of paper? Well, obviously you You’ll need tracing paper as well. In
over again at walls, fences, other play-
will need paper to write on. In the one part of this book we cover how to
ers, whatever.
beginning use the paper in this book. evolve drawings. To evolve a drawing
If the instructions are to complete an
You are like the tennis player. You are ■ Line drawing tools and materi- effective in accomplishing a specific
trying to fuse your hand permanently als are usually the easiest to use purpose or mastering a specific tech-
to the pen. The way you do this is by and the least expensive. nique.
drawing. Scribble and doodle often. ■ Line drawing is the natural way
Practice every chance you get. to draw—children begin with Exercise I.1
line and adults usually continue Start with lines. Make some lines with
with it as they doodle through- your pen—thick lines and thin lines.
out life. Try different pressures on the pen
■ Lines emphasize the basic point. Lay the pen down on the paper;
structure and composition of a use the side of the pen tip to draw a
drawing, which ensures more line. Become familiar with the results
probable success and a more you get from varying degrees of pres-
effective sketch. sure and angles of the pen.
■ Lines provide a framework on
which to hang other drawing
techniques such as shading and
color.
■ Lines are easy to reproduce on
copy and blueprint machines.
Exercises
Lines seem deceptively simple, but Now that you have the necessary
they are a critical drawing tool, and tools, you are ready to begin. The first
the first drawing technique you will few exercises may seem a little too
learn. There’s good reason for master- easy, but they are really the start of the
ing lines: learning process. The important thing
is for you to begin doing something to
■ Line drawing is a quick way to
get familiar with your pen and paper.
visualize ideas with a minimum
Every exercise featured in this book
use of time and materials.
has been created and tested to be
Exercise I.2
All of the drawings on this page
were done with a single pen.
These thick lines, thin lines,
dark lines, light lines, crisp
lines, and fuzzy lines are all a
product of the same pen. You
need to learn to control your
pen to be able to extract the
variety of lines shown in this
example. Finish filling in the
page with heads using various
line qualities.
Exercise I.3 Exercise I.4

In an attempt to get your mind in the Look at the squares in the following
groove of thinking visually, draw your image. These images represent:
own simple doodle. Ask a friend to
a) early bird getting the worm
make something from the doodle.
Here’s an example of how it is done. b) Custer’s last stand
c) a flamingo swallowing a barbell
Following the style of this exercise, see
d) a man wearing a Mexican som- if you can determine what the images
brero riding a bicycle below represent.
Now make something from your doo-

dle. Quality of drawing is not an
2
important consideration. Just make
sure that your drawings are recogniz-
able.
Answers to Exercise I.4:

a) a bear climbing a telephone pole
b) the view of the sun through a chuck hole
c) a square peg in a round hole
d) the end of the line
Exercise I.5 Exercise I.6

Using incomplete pictures as in Exercise In the last empty squares make up
I.4, depict the following things in the your own visuals. (If you are tempted
empty squares below. to skip this exercise, don’t! Learning
to think in visual patterns takes prac-
a) a porcupine’s pillow
tice, and this is a fun, easy exercise.
b) Abraham Lincoln taking a bath Just try it.)
c) a spider doing a handstand
a) _______________________________
d) the other side of the argument
b)_______________________________
c) _______________________________
d)_______________________________
Exercise I.7 ■ He had learned the amazing Exercise I.8

We’ve all played the game of guessing ability from his brother’s dog. Make up your own squiggles and
what we see in puffy cloud formations ■ After laboring for weeks, she sentences to describe what they
in the sky. This next visual exercise is was ready for the unveiling. represent. Remember, there is no sin-
similar to that game. Instead of ■ The weird Gopile stomped gle correct answer to this intuitive
clouds, you will decide what you can down Main Street consuming exercise.
“see” in the following squiggly lines everything in its path.
and match each to the descriptions ■ How long it had been there was
below. (Note: In some instances it impossible to determine.
isn’t necessary that you see a distinct ■ Maude had never been married;
image in the line, you might just get a indeed, it was doubtful that she
certain “feel” from the squiggles. had even had a suitor in her 61
There is no single correct answer. This years.
is an intuitive exercise.)
Chapter 1
Perspective
O ne of the greatest challenges The Box Method

for people to learn is to The box method involves a box or
draw in correct perspective. cube. If you can draw a two-dimen-
Teachers have struggled for years to sional square correctly, you then can
find methods to teach students to easily draw a box. If you can draw a
draw correct perspective rapidly and box in accurate perspective, you can
easily. I have found a method that draw anything accurately and in per-
works well and is easy to learn. It will spective.
work every time. Even if you have no It sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is sim-
artistic training, this method will ple. It will take some practice. It will
enable you to create drawings with take time to understand what is hap-
accurate perspective. pening. You will have to practice those
things mentioned in this book. But, if
you do practice the method, you will
find it is really quite easy.
15
On the following page is a box that Take your box and set it up behind If you move the box up or down or if
you must cut out. Do not be afraid— your clear material. Then hold the you move up or down, you will see
this book is meant to be used! Cut out clear sheet stationary while you trace different views, or planes, of the top
that page and cut the figure to assem- the box on it. Hold everything very and bottom of the box. The view of
ble the box as shown. You will need to steady. Trace the box exactly as you the surface that you see changes as
tape or paste the edges together to see it. Keep your eye in one steady your eye level changes. This eye level
hold the final box form in place. You position, the box steady, and the clear line is called the horizon line. The
will use this box to look at and draw sheet still. If you don’t move any of horizon line is always level and is
in the upcoming exercises throughout them, then you can draw the box in always at the level of your eye. Thus,
this chapter. correct perspective. the view of the top and bottom of the
box changes as you move your eye
Once you have assembled your box, Hint: Don’t use both eyes. Shut one
level or horizon line.
you need to find a piece of clear glass eye. If you use both eyes, you will get
or Plexiglas or vinyl (like a clear a double image making it difficult to
report cover) and a felt tip pen that draw.
you can use to draw on your clear
piece of material.
Chapter 1 ■ Perspective 19
One-Point Perspective Two-Point Perspective

One-point perspective is viewed when Two-point perspective is viewed when,
parallel lines appear to converge and from a given edge, parallel lines con-
disappear at one point on the horizon. verge at two single points on the hori-
If you hold the box directly in front of zon line at opposite sides of your
your eye, you will see one-point per- paper. This perspective is demonstrat-
spective. If you have ever looked down ed by turning the box you just made
a railroad track while standing in the so that you are looking at an edge of
middle of the track, you have noticed that box. From that edge the sides of
that the tracks seem to converge at the box seem to get smaller as they
one point far in the distance and even- move away from the eye. The sides
tually disappear. This is another appear to get smaller until they vanish
example of one-point perspective. at two different points on the horizon
line.
There are three different kinds of
lines—vertical, horizontal, and per-
spective—in perspective drawing.
Vertical lines run up and down. Some
are straight and some run angled.
Horizontal lines run from side to side
like the horizon. Perspective lines
converge at some point on the hori-
zon line. One-point perspective
includes all three kinds of lines.
As you draw the box, the surface that
you draw on (the clear material) is
called a picture plane. The picture
plane is not limited to tracing the
image through clear material; the pic-
ture plane could also be the paper you
use as you draw the box.
In the examples on the previous page closer at the top so that they would
and below, notice how the edges on eventually disappear at a point high
the newspaper machine and on the above the building.
cereal box appear to get smaller as
they move farther away from you. The Three Kinds of
Perspective Summarized
One-Point Perspective:
■ Side of box
against glass
■ 3 kinds of
lines—vertical,
horizontal, and
perspective
Two-Point Perspective:
Three-Point Perspective ■ Edge of box
Three-point perspective is viewed against glass
when lines appear to converge at three ■ 2 kinds of
given points either to the sides of the lines—vertical
picture plane or at the top or bottom and perspec-
of the page, depending on where your tive
eye level line is.
Three-Point Perspective:
Look at the corner of the building in ■ Corner of
the following image. As the sides of
box against
the building go away from you, the
glass
two parallel edges create lines that will
disappear at a point on the horizon ■ 1 kind of
line. As you look up at the building line—per-
you will notice that the vertical lines spective
that go up appear to get closer and
Key Principles of Perspective 3. The nearest angle is 90° or

The key principles to remember when greater.
drawing boxes in perspective are: 4. The sides of a cube are propor-
tional to a square.
1. Perspective lines converge at a
vanishing point. Some common errors occur when
2. The horizon line is always hori- you learn to draw cubes. A few to
zontal. watch for are:
Exercise 1.1
You need to develop a critical eye so
that you can easily see if a cube is
drawn in correct perspective. Here are
some lines that are three sides of a
square. The fourth side is missing.
You draw in the fourth line so that
these squares show accurate perspec-
tive. (Hint: Slide a straight edge along
until the square appears visually cor-
rect to you, and then draw the line.)
Exercise 1.2
Some of the cubes here are drawn
incorrectly. Study them and identify
what is wrong.
Use tracing paper to draw over the
cubes so you fix what is wrong. (Hint:
The cubes have one or more of these
four common errors: (1) conver-
gence, (2) horizon line, (3) nearest
angle, or (4) incorrect proportion.)
The next image depicts many differ- Drawing One-Point Boxes Drawing Two-Point Boxes
ent cubes within a circle with a hori- You have three kinds of lines in one- Drawing in two-point perspective is
zon line. All of the cubes are drawn in point perspective—vertical lines, hor- the easiest of all perspective drawing
two-point perspective. The cubes izontal lines, and perspective lines. If for most people. You have only two
above and below the horizon line you seem to have trouble drawing kinds of lines—perspective lines or
begin to distort because of the per- things correctly, draw the box as vertical lines. If you have trouble
spective drawing. Whenever you draw though it were transparent so that you drawing things correctly, draw the
things in perspective, it is helpful to can see the hidden sides, edges, and box as though it were transparent so
imagine that you are drawing within corners. Then erase the hidden lines, that you can see the hidden sides,
the limits of a circle. If you draw once you have everything drawn cor- edges, and corners. Then erase the
beyond that imaginary circle, then the rectly, thus leaving a solid box. hidden lines after you have drawn
cubes begin to appear so distorted everything correctly.
that they won’t seem real. In one-point perspective, the farther
away from the central vanishing
point, the closer to the outer edge to Drawing Three-Point Boxes
the circle, the more distortion. This There is only one kind of line in
distortion that occurs when you near three-point perspective—perspective
the outer limits of the circle is more lines. If you have difficulty drawing
pronounced with one-point perspec- three-point perspective boxes correct-
tive than with two- and three-point ly, draw the box as though it were
perspective. transparent so that you can see the
hidden sides, edges, and corners. After
you have everything drawn correctly,
erase the hidden lines.
The boxes inside the following circle
look like you are looking down on
them. To reverse the point of view,
simply turn this book upside down.
The boxes will then look like you are
beneath them.
Exercise 1.3
Using the following circle, do the following:
■ Draw 2 more boxes anywhere
within the circle.
■ Draw 2 boxes that sit in
front of or behind
other boxes.
■ When finished,
there will be 5
boxes total
inside the circle.
Exercise 1.4
Study the box in the following circle,
and then do the following:
■ Finish drawing the other box
that is started in the lower half
of the circle.
■ Draw 3 more boxes any-
where within the circle.
front of or behind
other boxes.
■ When finished, there
will be 7 boxes total
inside the circle.
Here is a hint to use
when drawing objects. The
outside lines of the object
should be drawn darker
and heavier. The darker out-
side edges make each object
appear to stand by itself either
in front of or behind another
object.
Exercise 1.5
Study the box in the following circle,
and then do the following:
■ Draw 3 more boxes anywhere
within the circle.
front of or behind other
boxes.
■ When finished,
there will be 6 boxes
total inside the
circle.
Dividing a Square The lower half of the next example

As shown in the following example, demonstrates a square drawn in per-
diagonal lines drawn from corner to spective. In this drawing, you are
corner of a square cross in the exact above the square looking down on it.
middle of that square. A line drawn As you can see in the example, the
from the middle of the square to the diagonal method of dividing a square
vanishing point bisects the edge at applies in perspective drawing as well.
midpoint. If you draw a line from the
corner through the midpoint of the
side, this line will cross the bottom
line of the square giving you the loca-
tion of the far corner of the next
square. This principle is used to help
divide a square into equal segments or
to enlarge a square in equal segments.
Exercise 1.6
In the following examples, draw diag-
onals to cut the squares and cubes
directly in half. Begin by dividing
them in half, and then divide one side
into quarters. You will need to draw
the hidden edges (sides of cubes away
from you that you don’t see) of the
cubes in order to know where to
divide them.
Units of Measurement foot, one mile, and so on depending Draw this cube
A cube can act as a standard of mea- on the surroundings that create scale. as 5 × 5 × 10.
surement. The cubes shown here are The following box is divided into
all the same size, but they appear to be equal units. The box measures 10
different sizes because of the sur- units tall × 5 units wide × 10 units
roundings—the woman, the tiny per- deep. If the units were not specified, Draw this cube
son, the man, the shoe. These differ- you could still determine the propor- as 10 × 10 × 5.
ent cubes can represent different units tion because the box is half as wide as
of measurement such as one inch, one it is tall.
Draw this cube

as 1 × 1 × 0.5.
Draw this cube

as 1 × 2 × 3.
Exercise 1.7
Using the following cubes, determine Draw this cube
the proportions and divide them as 2 × 1.5 × 1.
accordingly. Use cubes as units of
measurement. Divide the cubes to get
correct proportions. The same size
cube can represent different units of Draw this cube
measurement. as 100 × 100 ×
75.
Adding Squares Squares drawn in perspective appear

The same principle of using diagonal to diminish in size. You can find the
lines to find the exact middle of the correct rate that they diminish by
sides of a box also enables you to draw drawing the diagonal lines to find the
more than one square in perspective. center of the far edge of the square.
Begin by finding the exact middle of Draw another diagonal line from the
the square, and then extend a line corner of the square directly through
from the corner through the middle the midpoint of the edge and down to
of the far side. Where that line inter- where it finds the bottom corner of
sects, the bottom perspective line the next square.
shows you the length of the next
square in perspective, as shown in the
following example.
Exercise 1.8
Use this technique to determine Add as many squares as you can to the
where the next square in succession following drawings.
should be located based on the fol-
lowing square, which is drawn in per-
spective.
Multiplying Squares To draw other squares, cubes, or boxes diagonal through the side to the bot-
These squares drawn in perspective in correct proportion, first use the tom gives you the size of the next
easily can become cubes. The same diagonal to find the center of the side. square or box in succession.
principles that apply to the square Draw a line from the center of the side
apply to the cube or box. Just stack to the vanishing point—this bisects Exercise 1.9
cubes on top of one another or next to the far side exactly in half. Draw a line
Use tracing paper to draw the cube
one another to draw larger, more from the corner through the center of
shown here. Draw 3 cubes in every
complicated objects. the far side to where it intersects with
direction—in front, behind, above,
the bottom perspective line of the
below, to the right, and to the left—
box. This intersection between the
from the original cube.
Another principle that you will find You can apply this principle to draw perspective. As shown here, it
useful when multiplying squares is objects in perspective. If you can becomes easy to add more cubes to
that diagonal lines converge at a single determine diagonal lines of boxes, you this one because the diagonal lines
vanishing point. The following illus- can then find the far corner and can converge at a vanishing point making
tration demonstrates how this works. add more boxes quickly. The following it easy to determine where the corners
The boxes must be equal in size cube is taken from the previous of the additional cubes will be located.
(squares in this example), and the example of many cubes drawn in
sides of the box must be parallel.
Exercise 1.10
Use tracing paper to draw cubes in
both directions—one to the right and
two to the left—of the cube shown
here.
Adding Boxes Vertically at a vanishing point directly above the Exercise 1.11
Parallel lines (sides of a flat surface vanishing point on the horizon line. Use tracing paper to add two cubes in
that sets at an angle such as a roof top This point above the horizon line is every direction from the cube shown
or open box lid) converge at a single called a trace. You will find it useful to here. Add 2 cubes above, 2 below, 2
point. You could use this knowledge know that these lines do converge at a behind, 2 in front of, and 2 on each
to help you draw the rooftop of a point above or below the vanishing side of the original box.
building. The lines that form the side point on the horizon line.
of that roof, when extended, converge
Assorted Boxes Exercise 1.12 ■ Draw a 2 × 2 × 5 box with an open

So far we have concentrated on Practice applying the principles top so that you can see inside using
cubes—boxes with equally sized sides. you’ve learned by creating odd sized one-point perspective at eye level.
However, you also need to be able to boxes. Strive to draw accurate per-
draw different sized boxes. You can spective without having to draw all of
create odd sized boxes by butting two the hidden sides, vanishing points,
or more cubes together, as shown in and converging lines. You should ■ Draw a 5 × 5 × 10 box using one-
the following examples of assorted become so familiar with how things point perspective below eye level
box sizes. should look when drawn correctly so that you are looking inside.
that you can do it right the first time.
■ Draw a 1 × 2 × 1 box using two-
point perspective at eye level.
■ Draw a 5 × 7 × 9 box using three-
■ Draw a 2.5 × 2 × 3 box using two-

point perspective below eye level.
■ Draw a 6.5 × 5 × 3 box using three-
■ Draw a 2 × 4 × 1 box using one-

point perspective below eye level.
■ Choose 2 or more boxes that you
want to draw. Decide the eye level
and the perspective that you want
to see and draw them.
Different Views You need to learn how to convert When it is completely unfolded, you
Now that you have learned how to those three different views into a see the different views of the object.
draw boxes and squares, you can take three-dimensional object. Remember
it to the next level by using those boxes that these different views are as
to create different images. When though you were peeling away the
drawing buildings for architecture, sides of a box with an object drawn on
you show different views of the pro- the sides of that box. They are flat
posed building—front view, side view, views of a three-dimensional object.
and top view. These views are as if you Place the object inside a transparent
placed your building within a glass box. The views are drawn on the sides
box and then traced the appropriate of the box, and then the box is
view. If you look down, directly on top unfolded.
of your box, you see the top view of
the building. If you look at one side,
you see the side view, and so on.
Exercise 1.13
Draw the top, front, and side views of Draw the views of the object shown
the table below. here.
Visualizing the Object Exercise 1.14 indicated by a dashed line. These

This section contains the top, front, Use additional sheets of paper to draw dashed lines are edges that you cannot
and side views of many different the three-dimensional view of the fol- see from the view that you are looking
objects. You need to learn how to lowing objects based on the two- at. The dashed lines are as if you were
visualize those objects as they really dimension drawings, as shown for the looking at the object with x-ray vision
look. In other words, you need to rec- first object. (Hint: Hidden lines are so that you could see the hidden
ognize the three-dimensional object edges.)
by seeing the two-dimensional top,
front, and side views.
Complicated Objects Exercise 1.15

You can draw complex and compli- Use additional sheets of paper to draw
cated objects by using more than one the three-dimensional view of the
box to help you. objects shown here.
Drawing Cube Shelving 3 Recreate these objects sitting on the

Abstracta is a method of using tubing shelves of your display case.
that connects at the corners to form
boxes. When stacked in different con-
figurations, these boxes form shelving
for display.
Exercise 1.16
Use tracing paper to evolve the fol-
lowing drawing to include at least 7
more cubes of shelves that create your
own abstracta display case.
Drawing a Chair Exercise 1.17

If you can draw a cube, then you can Draw 5 chairs using the cube tech-
apply the cube method to draw other nique. Begin by completing the 2
objects. For example, I created a chair drawings started in the following
by beginning first with a cube and example, and then create 3 of your
then erasing the lines of the cube so own from scratch.
that all that remains is the chair.
The chairs shown here look different

from one another, but they were all
made using the same cube technique.
Take a look around you or in maga-
zines for inspiration and draw at least
3 different chair styles.
Drawing a Sofa
You also can draw a sofa using the
cube method. A sofa is essentially
an extended chair, so you can
draw a sofa by simply stacking
three or four chairs next to one
another.
Exercise 1.18
Draw 2 different sofas using the
same principle of different cubes
stacked next each other.
Drawing Other Objects

The following objects—swimming
pool, refrigerator, office building, and
vending machine—were drawn using
the box method.
Exercise 1.19
Use the box method to draw the
objects identified. I have provided the
box; you finish the object to create a
finished drawing.
■ A box of tissue ■ A bed
■ A tall building with a helicopter

landing pad on the roof
■ A suitcase
■ A car
■ Bunkbeds
■ An upside-down suitcase ■ A skyscraper
■ A table
■ A children’s bedroom schematic

■ A television
■ A trunk
Drawing a Building lines to find how to correctly stack the final view of that building. It was
Drawing the exterior of a building is your cubes in perspective. Then create done simply by extending cubes. We
accomplished by using the same prin- the different angles, views, and sur- started with one cube and then
ciple as drawing previous objects. You faces for the building. extended cubes in different directions
stack different squares or cubes next to get the other sides and surfaces of
The following example is a building I
to one another to form a basic build- the building.
constructed using cubes to help draw
ing. Use the principles of diagonal
Exercise 1.20
Place a piece of tracing paper over the
building shown here to trace the
drawing, and then finish it by adding
windows, doors, landscaping, or
whatever you imagine.
Use the cubes below to draw a different view

from the other end of the same building you
created in the previous step.
Now draw an aerial view of the same

building.
Drawing Interiors ple. Use boxes and cubes to create dif-

In architecture and interior design ferent furniture or objects for the
you need to learn how to draw objects room, and then use the top view to
within a room. Drawing objects with- place everything in the room.
in a room starts with a floor plan (a
top view of the room). It is very sim-
The following steps were used to cre- whole process looks complicated, but few minutes to draw what is shown
ate the interior of the room shown it isn’t. The process looks time con- here. These are my thumbnail sketch-
here. Study each step until you under- suming, but it isn’t when compared to es of the interior shown full-size on
stand exactly what has been done. The other drawing methods. It took only a the following page.
Exercise 1.21 furniture, add windows, whatever you

Place tracing paper over the following envision.
drawing. Finish and refine the room Now draw another point of view of
by adding paintings on the walls, the same room by looking in from
include lamps, refine the roughed in one of the other walls.
Drawing Basic Shapes At least once in your drawing experi- Take a coin or some other perfectly
All objects are made up from four ences you will encounter an instance round object and hold it level with
basic shapes—cube, sphere, cylinder, when your drawing “just doesn’t look your eye. If you look straight on that
or cone. You can use the box method right.” When this occurs, go back to object, you will see that it is exactly
to accurately draw these shapes to the basics. First, construct your draw- flat—a straight line. As you look at the
round out your body of knowledge of ing using basic shapes—cubes, object above or below eye level you
all basic shapes needed to create accu- spheres, cylinders, and cones—to give see different views of it, including
rate drawings. If you learn to see form to the objects. Then evolve these elongated circles, which are ellipses or
objects as basic shapes, you will more basic shapes until you create the circles viewed in perspective.
easily be able to draw the objects. drawing that you want.
Circular objects that you see in real
life—tires, cups, coins, saucers, discs,
Circles and Ellipses
and so on—appear as an ellipse
Drawing an accurate circle can be a because you see them in perspective
bit more difficult that it sounds, but it most of the time.
can be done with practice. To draw a
perfect circle, first draw a square and Drawing an ellipse is a simple process.
then draw a circle inside the square. Begin by drawing a perfect circle
Draw diagonal lines from the mid- using the previous technique, except
point of the sides of the square. Plot a draw the square in perspective this
point 1/3 in from the corner on the time. When drawn in perspective, the
diagonal. Now draw a gentle curve circle in the square is an ellipse.
that passes through the points 1/3 in
on the diagonals and touches all four
midpoints of the sides of the square.
Exercise 1.22 Note: The minor axis is the narrowest

Get the cube that you previously cut diameter of an ellipse. The minor axis
out of this book and assembled to line always lines up with the pin that
study perspective. The cube has a cir- you have put through the center of
cle drawn on one of the sides. Cut out the circle as in the example shown
that circle and draw two perpendicu- here. It also is the direction of an axle
lar lines to form an X through the on a wheel or the shaft on a cylinder
center point of the circle. Push a or the center of a cone. Keep this in
straight pin through the center of the mind to eliminate a lot of distortion
circle, and hold the pin between your problems.
fingers. Rotate your circle to the dif-
ferent positions as shown in the fol-
lowing example. Observe what hap-
pens to the circle and the lines. As you
move the circle, one line appears to
shorten—this is the minor axis. The
other line is longer—the major axis.
Draw a page of squares in perspective

and draw ellipses in them.
Spheres Exercise 1.23 Cylinders and Cones

Many people think that drawing a The following sphere demonstrates To draw a cylinder, begin by drawing
sphere is the same as drawing a circle. what it would look like if 1/4 of the a box in perspective. Then draw
That is not exactly correct. A circle is sphere were cut away. Draw a different ellipses on opposite sides of the box.
two dimensional while a sphere is point of view than shown here. Connect these circles with straight
three dimensional, as shown in the lines to form a cylinder as in the fol-
following example. lowing illustration.
To draw an accurate sphere, begin by

drawing a cube. Then draw two dis-
secting planes that cut the cube in half Draw the sphere with 1/2 cut away as Drawing a cone is similar to drawing a
both vertically and horizontally. Draw shown here. Again, draw a different cylinder, except this time draw an
ellipses within the planes in the point of view than shown in the ellipse on only one side of the box.
square. Touch the mid-points of the example. Find the midpoint on the opposite
squares within the cube. side of the box, and draw lines from
the midpoint to the edges of the circle.
You now have a cone as shown here.
Exercise 1.24
The following are examples
of objects drawn using
basic shapes. Complete
each drawing as indicated.
Complete the object that is Create perspective drawings for the

partially drawn in below. objects shown here.
Exercise 1.25
Re-create a three-dimensional view of
the following objects shown in the
two-dimensional drawings. This is a
bit more difficult than the similar
exercise you completed earlier in this
chapter because this time the objects
have circles or circular shapes in
them.
Exercise 1.26
Draw the following objects:
■ A wagon
■ A pocketwatch
■ A planter
■ A drinking glass with a straw in it

Exercise 1.27 Using tracing paper refine the follow-

The following unfinished sketch has ing incomplete drawing until you
many circular shapes. Most of these evolve a drawing of a three-wheel car
circular shapes appear as ellipses that you envision.
because they are circles drawn in per-
spective. The wheels and tires are
examples.
Exercise 1.28
The machine shown here converts
spheres into cubes. The machine
starts with spheres (small balls) and it
gradually changes them into cubes
through seven different steps.
Create your own machine that
changes one basic shape into another.
In drawing your machine, use all of
the basic shapes for the various parts
of the machine. Your machine should
use seven steps to convert one basic
shape into the other. You’ll know that
your machine is correctly drawn if
someone else can accurately identify
the conversion process that you have
attempted to illustrate.
Exercise 1.29
Draw a bird’s eye view of where you
are now. Use basic shapes to draw the
different forms as shown in the fol-
lowing example. Label all of the
streets, buildings, and rooms shown
in your drawing.
Exercise 1.30
Combine different basic shapes to cre-
ate a half-insect, half-machine being.
You may need to refer to photos of
heavy machinery or various insects to
get ideas for your new creation.
Exercise 1.31
The following image is a light made
up of a series of cones.
■ Draw a piece of furniture or an
appliance using all the basic
shapes—a sphere, cylinder,
cube, and cone. (Your designs
will probably be more fantasy
than reality, which is fine for
this exercise.)
■ Draw a toaster from a cone, a
cube, and 2 spheres.
■ Draw a radio from 2 spheres
and a cylinder.
■ Draw a chair from 2 spheres
and a cube.
The Grid Method You can enlarge or reduce the object larger, the finished copy will be larger
by using the grid. If you want the copy than the original. In a like manner,
The grid method is a way of enlarg-
to be larger than the original, use larg- you can reduce something by using
ing, reducing, or putting in perspec-
er squares for the new grid and copy smaller squares than in the original
tive any object that you draw. Place a
what you see in the original square- grid.
grid over your drawing, and then
by-square. Because the second grid is
make a new grid apart from your
drawing. To finish, transfer your
drawing square by square from the
old grid to the new one.
To apply the grid method to a draw-
ing, take your original object and
place a grid system of equal size
squares on top of it. Make a new grid
and transfer your drawing one square
at a time.
If you want to draw an object in per- Drawing Buildings and

spective, the grid that you transfer Landscapes
onto should be drawn in perspective. You will find the grid method helpful
The following illustration shows how when drawing buildings and land-
it’s done. scapes. By superimposing a grid over
views of a building or landscape, you
can transfer the image easily onto a
new surface.
Begin by placing a grid over the orig-
inal drawing. Lay a piece of tracing
paper over a new grid, and transfer
the old drawing one square at a time.
Because you are drawing on tracing
paper with the new grid underneath,
your final drawing will not have a vis-
ible grid. The drawing will be accurate
because the grid method was used,
but it will not be apparent in the final
drawing.
Exercise 1.32
Place tracing paper over the following
grid and transfer the small views of
the park structure onto it in a per-
spective drawing. (Hint: Before trans-
ferring the views to the perspective
drawing, draw a grid of equal squares
over the small views of the park.)
Contour Lines contour line as it caresses the surface. contour lines more than any other
Sense the contour as it travels down, technique, you must respond to that
Contour lines are lines that wrap
around, and into the object exerting two-dimensional drawing as an actu-
around objects to depict what the sur-
pressure on the paper as needed. With al three-dimensional object.
face of the object is like. Contour lines
make two-dimensional flat objects
appear to be solid, whole objects.
The following example shows an oval
object before and after adding con-
tour lines. As you can see the addition
of the contour lines adds dimension
to the object to make it more recog-
nizable.
When adding contour lines to your

drawings you should become con-
scious of your hand holding the pen
and its pressure on the paper. Don’t
just draw the lines over the shape;
feel the shape. Whether it is a car or a
face, use your eye and hand to feel the
I had one student who aspired to Exercise 1.33

design automobiles. Before coming to Using the following drawing as an
my class, he was frustrated with the example, draw the contour lines
automobile drawings he created. around tree trunks. Feel the surface as
Once we began drawing contour you do it. Know exactly where the
lines, he easily understood what was bark goes in and out, where the
lacking from his earlier drawings. The knots are, where the imperfections in
addition of proper contour lines gave wood appear. Those contour lines
his drawings that three-dimensional will help you understand the three-
feeling that he and the viewer needed dimensional aspects of the wood.
in order to feel the car.
No matter what the object—a car,
piece of furniture, topographical map,
whatever—contour lines provide a
clear understanding of the dimension
of the object in your drawing.
Architectural renderings of buildings
and sites often use contour lines to
provide a three-dimensional under-
standing of the building. The building
illustrations shown here are enhanced
by contour lines. Without the lines,
the drawings would appear rather
dull and non-descript. The contour
lines give form to the buildings.
Exercise 1.34
Add contour lines to the objects on
the next page. Feel the form as you
draw each object. Vary the pressure of
your pen, and be sure to put a dark
outer line—a cutting edge line—
around each object.
Exercise 1.35 The following illustration demon- Draw equally distant lines on the
Use contour lines to create a speed strates what happens to parallel lines objects shown here. Remember that
shape. A speed shape can be some- when drawn in perspective. Also, lines even though the lines are equidistant,
thing like the automobile shown here, that curve around a surface appear to they appear to get closer or farther
or a speed boat, race car, rocket, air- get closer as the surface curves away apart as the surface weaves back and
plane, or any other object that moves from you, as shown in the following forth or goes into the distance.
fast. examples.
Exercise 1.36
As parallel lines move away from you,
they appear to get closer and closer to
each other. The ties on railroad tracks
are an example of this visual phenom-
enon. The ties appear to get closer
together as the tracks get farther away
from you.
Exercise 1.37 Shading Shading gives form to objects. The

Contour lines can change the entire basic shapes shown here demonstrate
We see everything in life because a
appearance of an object. The car different shading techniques. The
light source reflects off the surface.
shown in the following example is a principle behind the shading process
These reflections off objects are never
new design created by adding new is quite simple: The closer to the
pure, solid tones. They are varying
contour lines to an existing vehicle to direct light source, the lighter the tone
degrees of light or dark, which is
change the door lines, the molding of the object. (And, conversely, the
known as shading.
down the side of the car, and the farther from the light source, the
fender shapes. These changes have darker the tone of the object.)
modified the entire appearance of the
vehicle.
Select several photos of existing cars

or trucks, and use tracing paper to
add new contour lines to change the
appearance of each vehicle.
Many degrees of shading values can The following cube demonstrates the Remember that the direction of the
be seen on any object in real life. To four different degrees of value for light source determines the value of
make things more simple for Rapid shading. Speed is important when the shading on the surface of the
Viz drawing, I suggest that you limit shading. Don’t waste time trying to object.
all objects to having only four degrees create the perfect shading value. Work
Before you begin the shading exercis-
of value—light, light gray, dark gray, quickly using the four values listed
es, experiment with your drawing tool
and black. previously.
(pen or pencil) and the drawing sur-
face (paper). Some types of paper
soak up pen ink, while others don’t.
Pen ink or pencil lead that looks gray
on one type of paper may look jet
black on another. Get the feel of the
tool and the paper before you begin
any drawing.
Exercise 1.38 Exercise 1.40 Curved Surfaces

Use a felt tip pen or a pencil to shade The light source is indicated in the Shading a curved surface is very much
the following box using one of the following drawing. Add the correct like shading a plane surface. The only
four values. shading to the areas of the objects. difference is that the shading gradual-
ly changes from light to dark. Curved
surfaces do not have a distinct edge to
separate the value tones of the shad-
ing. Gradually blend the white to gray
to black shading on a curved surface.
This principle applies to all curved
surfaces whether the object is a pipe, a
cylinder, an arm, or whatever.
Exercise 1.39
Apply shading to the object shown
here. The areas have been marked to
indicate which shading value they
should be (1 is the lightest, and 4 is
the darkest).
Shading seems simple enough, but the Exercise 1.41 Reflected Light
concept seems to confuse many stu- Shade the following curved surfaces. If you look closely at objects, you will
dents. Look at the cylinders in the Remember that the position of the notice that reflected light is nearly
next example. The one on the left is light source (indicated in the draw- always visible. The most noticeable
the same as the one on the right, ings) dictates how objects should be place is on curved surfaces like a
except that it has more lines to indi- shaded. sphere or cylinder. Near the darkest
cate the shading. These extra lines part (core) of the object there is usu-
make the left cylinder appear to be a ally an area of light. Study the exam-
darker color cylinder than the one on ples here to see how to draw this core
the right. area of reflected light.
Exercise 1.42 Light Against Dark

Shade the following objects to Good drawing employs the principle
demonstrate reflected light. of continuous light against dark. The
trees in the following example
demonstrate this principle. The trunk
of the tree goes from dark to light and
back to dark again. Where the tree
trunk crosses a light background, the
trunk appears to be dark. Where the
tree trunk crosses a dark background,
the trunk appears to be light.
Make this distinction very obvious in In real life, objects seldom, if ever, Exercise 1.43
your drawings. Begin by drawing the appear to be flat, smooth surfaces Without using tracing paper, copy the
dark and then proceed to the lighter without degrees of shading. There is drawing of the trees shown on page
shades. The strongest point of always a degree of variation in shad- 75 to practice the principle of contin-
emphasis is where the darkest dark or ing on all objects. Study smooth sur- uous light against dark.
the lightest light contrasts with the faces of things around you to see how
surroundings. If you can lay the dark- reflections, shading, shadows, dirt,
est dark against the lightest light, then and other imperfections make those
you have the strongest point of con- surfaces appear to have light and dark
trast in the drawing. This high con- areas. You can indicate these subtle
trast area demands the most attention variations in your drawings by adding
from the viewer. a few scribble lines.
Remember that in real life there is
always a subtle variation in shading
even on the flattest of surfaces. If
you find yourself getting confused as
the objects you are shading become
more complex, see each object as
being composed of many basic
shapes. This technique will allow you
to take each basic shape one at a time.
Shade each shape individually, and,
when finished, the whole will be
shaded correctly.
Exercise 1.44
Finish applying shading to the car in
this drawing.
Exercise 1.45 Exercise 1.46

Redraw the following objects at a larg- Shade the following objects.
er scale than they are shown here.
Apply the correct shading to each
object.
Exercise 1.47 Shadows

Complete the shading on the follow- Drawing cast shadows is
ing drawing. difficult for most people as
they begin to draw. The
principle of shadows is
simple: A shadow is the
base of a triangle formed
by the direction of the
light source and the
object.
To draw a cast shadow, first determine Shadows cast from curved surfaces
the angle of the light source. Then are created following the same process
draw the triangle from the edges of as for flat surfaces. The light source
the object and the light source. forms a triangle. You run this imagi-
Connect the bases of the triangles, nary triangle along the curved surface
and darken in the cast shadow area. to plot the area of the cast shadow.
Exercise 1.48
Determine the angle of the light
source, and then draw the cast shad-
ow on the following cubes.
Shadows for Complicated

Objects
The cast shadow of complicated
objects is drawn the same way as for
simple objects. You begin by deter-
mining the angle of the light source,
and then draw the triangle formed by
the object and the light source. The
base of the triangle is the cast shadow.
Exercise 1.49 Shadows over Objects A shadow that falls over a hole is
Study the steps for drawing the cast The shadow that falls over another drawn the same way, but notice in the
shadow of the table used in the pre- object is drawn the same way as over a example here that the shadow is
ceding example. Draw the shadow for flat surface. Notice in the following longer due to the extra distance from
the same table using a different direc- example how the cast shadow appears the ground surface to the bottom of
tion of the light source. to be shorter where it crosses the the hole.
smaller cube. This occurs because the
triangle crosses the cube higher up so
that the base of the triangle is shorter.
A cast shadow that falls over a curved

surface is determined the same way,
by finding the triangle and repeating
it along the shadow casting surface.
Exercise 1.50
Draw the cast shadows for these
objects. They will appear quite differ-
ent although they are all created using
the same simple formula to create the
shadows. Remember to draw the
transparent edges to find the cast
shadows. Also, watch the direction of
the light source.
Exercise 1.51
In these examples, the angle and
direction of the light are indicated for
each object. Draw the correct cast
shadow for each.
Exercise 1.52
Add shading, shadows, and other
details to make this drawing more
interesting.
Rapid Viz Shadows Viz technique. As you study the draw- ■ Cast shadows greatly enhance
ings, take note of the following the drawings.
and Shading points: ■ Sometimes drawings are created
The following examples of quick
■ The contrast of light against totally as degrees of shadow
sketch drawings were created by
dark is used for emphasis. and shading with very little
professional architects, interior
detail other than light and dark
designers, product designers, and ■ Sometimes the various tones or
shading.
landscape architects using the Rapid values are indicated by quick,
loose, scribble lines to make the
surfaces appear more realistic.
4
5 6
7 8
Reflections A reflection is simple to draw. It is a begins at the baseline and is a mirror

mirror image of the object. In the fol- image.
You will find it quite helpful to learn
lowing example, notice that the house
how to draw reflections of different
and the tree with the girl are reflected
objects. If buildings sit near water, for
as mirror images below.
example, there is a reflection of the
building in the water. Many home and
office products have chrome or shiny
surfaces that show reflections. Glass
windows and mirrors are other com-
mon reflective surfaces that will If your object sits above the reflecting
appear often in your drawings. surface, then you must take into
Including accurate reflections can account the distance from the base of
lend a great deal of reality to your the object to the reflecting surface.
drawings. Measure the distance from the object
to the reflecting surface, and then
measure that same distance beneath
the reflecting surface as in the follow-
ing example.
Drawing reflections consists primari-
ly of first drawing the object, and then
plotting the reflection. Measurements
of the reflection are the same as those
on the object. If an object is sitting
exactly on the ground or exactly on
the surface of the water, the reflection
Sometimes a non-reflecting surface Exercise 1.53 Using the first drawing as a guide,
interferes with the reflection. In this These drawings are examples of par- copy the image in the next drawing as
case, draw the reflection as if it were tial reflections on glass, on water, and a reflection in the glass surface.
all reflecting and then erase the part so on. Complete the reflections so you
within the non-reflecting area. will get a feel for the process.
A reflection can show parts of the Exercise 1.54

object that you would not see without Follow the same process to create
the reflection. If you are above an more complicated reflections in the
object, and if that same object is following drawings.
above water, you will see the top of the
object while the reflection will show
the bottom of the object.
Using the first drawing as a guide,

copy the image in the next drawing as
a reflection in the water.
Finish drawing this partially com-

pleted waterfront scene. Be sure to
include reflections and other details
such as windows on buildings, sur-
rounding buildings, people, and so
on.
Exercise 1.55 Exercise 1.56 Exercise 1.57

When a shadow falls across a window, Illustrate three bathroom fixtures. Search through home decorating
you see inside the building rather Remember that chrome on the fix- magazines or websites to collect at
than seeing the reflection on the win- tures will reflect images of other least 10 examples of photos or illus-
dow. Draw the reflection in the store objects in the bathroom. trations that show reflections. Keep
window shown here. these examples as the beginning of
your sample file of reflected images to
use as references while you practice
drawing reflections.
Color ■ Use complementary colors. If Drawing with Color

the colors you choose contrast One common mistake made when
Obviously this book deals with black
rather than complement each drawing with color is to draw what
and white drawing. That is because
other, the viewer will be more you think you see rather than what
color is a subject all its own. It is
attracted to the fight between you actually see. Colored objects usu-
extremely technical and there are
the colors than to the colors ally have a variety of colors, yet people
many factors that go into handling
and the overall drawing. draw them as one color. Reflected
color well. For most architectural and
product drawings, it is best to use ■ Light colors advance—they color and shadows change the color of
color sparingly if at all. Use color to punch out. Dark colors the object. Even though a wall has
emphasize key points or give a little recede—they appear to be been painted yellow in reality, it
more feeling to the drawing. holes. appears to be yellow, brown, blue,
■ Most shadows in objects are black, and so on because of shadows
drawn kind of bluish in color and reflected light from surrounding
Rapid Viz Principles
because they often reflect the objects. You must draw the wall with
Governing Use of Color
sky. many colors to make it appear realis-
■ In Rapid Viz drawings, add tic. Draw what you actually see, not
color sparingly, using no more ■ Your paper type affects the
appearance of color. Always test what you think you should see.
than three levels of color. Your
dominant color should be the your drawing tool—pen, magic Color is like dynamite: It should be
brightest—the color that would marker, brush, whatever—on used cautiously. It should be used just
demand the most attention. the paper you intend to use to in the right spot to add emphasis. Too
Your subordinate color should see what the color will be on much color can ruin your drawing.
be a complementary color to paper.
the dominant one, but much
less demanding. Your third
color should be considerably
more subdued, demanding little
attention from the viewer.

Draw and color the following shapes: Color the shapes made by the follow-
ing combinations:
■ A box
■ A sphere ■ 1 cone, 2 cylinders, and 1 cube
■ A cone ■ 2 cubes and 1 sphere
■ A cylinder ■ 1 cylinder, 1 sphere, and 1 cube
Chapter 2
Rapid Indication
M
For example, I had a student in one quickly. This left him more time to
any drawings require sub-
class who could quickly make a draw- concentrate on the important parts of
ordinate elements that
ing with all elements in place. The rest the drawing.
need to be there in order
of the students in the class were quite
to set up the dominant image. These This is an example of rapid indica-
astounded that he could so quickly
other elements are less important tion—the process of drawing sketchy
and easily put together total drawings.
than the dominant image, but they subordinate images quickly to
It took other students awhile to
plan an important role in your draw-
understand what was happening, but
ing because they set up the drawing’s
they eventually caught on. The stu-
environment. The subordinate ele-
dent was quickly drawing the subor-
ments need not be complex, exact, or
dinate elements and taking additional
detailed, but they need to be there so
time to make the important elements
the total drawing can be understood.
more detailed. He had visually mem-
These subordinate elements may be
orized the subordinate or secondary
people, plants, hands, automobiles,
elements that were needed for most
mountains, or anything that is used to
drawings, which made it easy for
complement the key elements of the
him to draw their respective forms
drawing.
99
emphasize and complement the dom- surroundings in your drawings you The last image of the woman playing
inant object instead of compete with give the viewer a greater visual under- guitar in the chair is an exception.
it or detract from it. standing of the object. This figure is overemphasized. A fre-
quent mistake is to overemphasize
Think of this process as creating your The first step of the rapid indication
figures. Be aware of this tendency so
own mental rubber stamp images. process is to determine the dominant
you can avoid it. The character should
You become so familiar with drawing object in your drawing. If it is a build-
be indicated not emphasized in this
certain subordinate elements that the ing, then draw it in more detail. The
case. Remember the object you want
drawing process becomes automatic subordinate images—the people and
the viewer to focus on so you can
and consistent—as if you’ve used a foliage—can be drawn in a more
avoid confusing the viewer.
rubber stamp to create the images. sketchy and loose style to place the
appropriate emphasis on the build-
The rapid indication process enables
you to concentrate your efforts and
ing. Keys to Successful
time on the important parts of your The examples across the bottom of Rapid Indication
drawing; however, the subordinate this page show an inflatable chair. The 1. Keep indicated objects simple.
elements play an important role in the most important element in each Emphasize the critical points
final drawing as well. They allow your sketch is the chair, so it is drawn with necessary to communicate the
main elements to be viewed in con- greater detail. The individuals sitting main element in the drawing.
text. For example, if your drawing is in the chairs are drawn with less detail All other surrounding elements
of a building, it should have trees so the viewer’s focus is on the chair can be simplified even to the
around it and people going in and out rather than the characters. point of mere outline or silhou-
of the building. By including natural ette in some drawings.
Chapter 2 ■ Rapid Indication 101
2. Subordinate all indicated People

objects. Put your emphasis on People or figures are one of the most
the major elements you are try- important and frequently used subor-
ing to communicate. Objects dinate elements used in drawings.
such as plants, people, hands, People add life, visual interest, and
and buildings should comple- scale to your drawings. As shown in
ment the main element in the the following example, figures can be
drawing. created using many different styles.
3. Economize on indicated There is no one set kind of figure
objects. Draw indicated objects indication that will work for all draw-
by using the fewest lines, ings. The process used to draw the
shapes, and parts necessary. figures is similar for all the drawings,
Spend your time on the impor- but the details vary. Thus, the people
tant dominant elements in the appear different in each example. The
drawing. Create the indicated purpose of your drawing, your artis-
parts as quickly as possible. tic abilities, your time, and your inter-
ests will determine the appropriate
kind of indicated figures for your
drawings.
Hands Plants and Foliage

Human hands are one of the most The key to quickly drawing plants and
difficult parts of the body to draw foliage is to know the basic shape of
correctly. Drawing hands can be the plant and then to use the different
tedious, difficult, and time consum- line techniques shown to complete
ing; however, rapidly indicating hands the plant. The secret is to draw the
in not difficult. “feel” of the plant and not the detail.
These three “tricks” will help you
draw hands using rapid indication:
1. Don’t draw everything. Just the
outer edge and a few key lines
make a hand. Details must be
drawn correctly if they are
included; therefore, it is best to
only include essential lines and
no more. You can stylize the
hand to further simplify the The basic shape of the trees shown is
hand. a circle. The different kinds of trees
2. What the hand does is the rea- are illustrated by the different line
son for the hand. Keep the techniques.
emphasis on the actions the
Indoor plants are created the same as
hand is doing rather than the
all other foliage. First, learn the shape
hand itself.
of the plant, and then use various line
3. Draw from life. Take photos or techniques to indicate different plant
have someone pose in the posi- varieties.
tion you want to draw. If you
don’t draw from life, chances
are that your drawing won’t
look right.
Ground cover is drawn by using dif-

ferent kinds of lines. The lines indi-
cate varying textures, but detail is left
to the viewer to imagine.
The drawings on this page evolve
through different stages. The same
basic kind of tree or plant is shown in
varying degrees of abstraction and
detail or lack of detail.
You will find that arrows can aid you
in creating drawings that communi-
cate concepts. For this reason you
should become comfortable and
familiar with drawing different styles
of arrows. While arrows are a simple
object, there are endless varieties that
you can create. As you can see in these
examples, there are straight arrows,
curved arrows, large arrows, small
arrows, fat arrows, wavy arrows,
three-dimensional arrows, arrows
that spin, arrows that turn, arrows
that explode out of boxes, and more.
Having a variety of arrow styles in
your drawing repertoire will visually
enhance your drawings.
Lettering I highly recommend that you pur- styles. By changing the size of the let-
Another frequently used rapid indica- chase a book or two of alphabets and ters, the height of the lowercase let-
tion element is lettering. You will letterforms as a reference. A good one ters, the line thickness, and so on, one
want to know how to indicate differ- is The Type Specimen Book (Van person can create many different
ent styles of alphabets and letter- Nostrand Reinhold Publishing). styles of lettering. The secret is consis-
forms. Once you learn how alphabet Another source is to request catalogs tency. The vertical and horizontal
styles differ, you can quickly indicate a from lettering companies. These cata- lines should be parallel. As you can see
kind of lettering by imitating the basic logs contain an excellent variety of in the example, the first alphabet lacks
design of that letterform. different letter styles. quality. It is not consistent; lines are
not parallel; and the slant of the let-
The next page shows examples of one
ters is not uniform.
person’s lettering of several alphabet
These examples demonstrate different

kinds of letterforms and their rela-
tionship with the drawings. The style
you choose communicates its own
meaning to the viewer. Selecting the
appropriate letterform for your style
of drawing is essential.
9
Arrows examples, there are straight arrows,

You will find that arrows can aid you curved arrows, large arrows, small
in creating drawings that communi- arrows, fat arrows, wavy arrows,
cate concepts. For this reason you three-dimensional arrows, arrows
should become comfortable and that spin, arrows that turn, arrows
familiar with drawing different styles that explode out of boxes, and more.
of arrows. While arrows are a simple Having a variety of arrow styles in
object, there are endless varieties that your drawing repertoire will visually
you can create. As you can see in these enhance your drawings.
Other Indicated Elements their essential form, but avoid includ- objects. Use these ideas for inspiration
As you have read, there are many ways ing any unnecessary detail. Once these to improve your toolbox and your
to simplify people, foliage, lettering, basic indications are learned they drawings.
and the like. Other objects can be sim- become visual clichés that you can
plified in similar ways as needed for insert into your drawings easily.
your drawings. Another frequently Continue to perfect ways of indica-
indicated element is the automobile. tion for the objects you draw often.
Buildings, landscapes, and mechani- Trying to originate new objects for
cal parts may also be things you want each drawing is a waste of time.
or need to indicate to enhance your Develop your own mental toolbox of
drawings. “rubber stamp” indicated elements.
In the same way that you simplified Gather your ideas from other people’s
the objects in this chapter, you will work in magazines and books. Use
develop your own style for simplify- their drawings as a springboard to
ing others. Give indicated objects help you develop your own indicated
Exercises Exercise 2.2 Exercise 2.3

The following exercises are designed The two environments in the follow- Through my own experience I have
to help you better understand and ing drawings look austere, lifeless, and developed an easy method to quickly
apply the principles of rapid indica- empty because there are no people draw a person (see page 114). I begin
tion in your drawings. shown in them. When drawing by drawing a square, which is the
human environments, it is critical to torso of the person. On top of the
include people in your drawing. square draw a flattened triangle with
Exercise 2.1
an oval above it to create the shoul-
Many beginners have the tendency to Use tracing paper to redraw the two
ders and head. Below the square draw
overdraw human figures making environments shown on the following
two more squares of equal size for
them appear awkward in the drawing. page, but include figures of people.
hips. Add cylinders below the small
The following are typical examples of Experiment with different arrange-
squares for legs. Combine the ele-
figure styles used by designers and ments and figure styles until you feel
ments and modify as appropriate for
architects to represent people. Draw that you have found a look that best
your drawing as shown in the follow-
five more figures in the style started complements the environment.
ing examples.
on each line in the following example.
Many figures are started in the images
shown on page 116. Place tracing
paper over the images and evolve the
figures into the kind of person that
you want. Create any style of figure,
but experiment with various styles to
see which works best for you.

Human figures help to establish scale Use the following examples of scale to Draw a hand using the clippers shown
in drawings. By placing a person next create your own drawings of people in the following example. Use tracing
to the object, you communicate to next to pens to indicate the scale of paper to draw the clippers if needed.
your viewer the size of the dominant the pens in your drawing.
object.
Exercise 2.6
Draw two hands holding a rod.
Exercise 2.7
Draw a hand pushing a button.
Exercise 2.8
The following building lacks pizzazz. to stylize and simplify the figures subordinate elements. Add other sub-
The absence of people makes the so they do not demand too much ordinate, complementary elements to
drawing appear sterile and uninvit- viewer attention. Remember, the the drawing such as foliage, cars, or
ing. Use tracing paper to redraw the building is the dominant element in whatever you feel works.
building and add people to it. Be sure this drawing—the figures are the

Fill in this page with different styles of Imagine you have just been commis-
arrows, including positive arrows sioned by your city to supply the
(black arrows against white back- design for the soon-to-be built monu-
ground) and negative arrows (white ment “Homage to the Cube”. Make
arrows against dark background). your version of the monument shown
in the sketch on page 120 more
appealing by adding people, plants,
whatever you feel is necessary, but
without changing the monument
shape or design.
Exercise 2.11
The example on page 121 is a rough
drawing of a clinic waiting room. Use
your design talents to make the draw-
ing look inviting. Use tracing paper
overlays to finish the drawing. Add
rapidly indicated elements to enhance
the drawing.
Exercise 2.12
To practice your lettering, copy the
Gettysburg Address in its entirety in a
style of alphabet that you like. Use
tracing paper to use these lines to
guide you. Your hand will ache, but
your lettering will improve greatly
with practice.
“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth on this continent a new nation,
conceived in liberty and dedicated to the propo-
sition that all men are created equal. Now we are
engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that
nation or any nation so conceived and so dedi-
cated can long endure. We are met on a great bat-
tlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a
portion of that field as a final resting-place for
those who here gave their lives that that nation
might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that
we should do this. But in a larger sense, we can-
not dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot
hallow this ground. The brave men, living and
dead who struggled here have consecrated it far
above our poor power to add or detract. The
world will little note nor long remember what we
say here, but it can never forget what they did
here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated
here to the unfinished work which they who
fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is
rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task
remaining before us--that from these honored
dead we take increased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full measure of devotion-
-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall
not have died in vain, that this nation under God
shall have a new birth of freedom, and that gov-
ernment of the people, by the people, for the peo-
ple shall not perish from the earth.”
Chapter 3
The Visualization
Process
T he visualization process is the

process of evolving a thought,
idea, concept, or image into a
finished drawing. This process is
rapid development and refinement of
an idea to a finished form. It involves
definite steps and key concepts within
each step that must be done if Rapid
Viz is to be successful.
Rapid Viz is a useful sales tool in any
profession. Consider as an example an
architect friend of mine. He has creat-
ed a large company that provides
architectural renderings for various
architectural firms through the
nation. He attributes the growth and
123
success of his company largely to the Key Steps in the Rapid By rapidly performing each step and
fact that he can go into an architect’s considering all the important points
office and convince the architect that
Viz Process in each step, it is possible, with prac-
a strong visual presentation of the The common error made by many tice, to achieve a finished drawing
proposed building will aid the archi- people is to think that they can go to faster and with greater accuracy.
tect. If that architect can show the the finished drawing without any
client what the building is going to intermediary steps. It is impossible to
arrive at a finished drawing without
Develop Your Speed
look like, there is a much better
going through each step of the Speed is important when refining the
chance of getting the job and satisfy-
process. It may seem slow or strange, drawing. You should push yourself to
ing the client. My friend claims that
but step-by-step is the most efficient draw as rapidly as possible. People
his ability to rapidly visualize a build-
way to reach the finished product. learn to read faster by pushing them-
ing, in essence, to speak in visuals to
selves beyond their limits. In the
the architect, aids him in landing
process, they read very fast, often so
work. As he talks to an architect about
fast that they do not comprehend or
the importance of showing a client
remember what they are reading. But
the building, my friend can draw out
when they slow down again, they usu-
what he is talking about. As he draws
ally slow down to a reading speed that
it quickly before the architect’s eyes,
is faster than where they originally
he gets a client and he sells a service.
started. The same principle works
Using the same principle, if an archi-
with drawing. You need to push your-
tect can rapidly visualize before the An attempt to skip to the end of a fin- self to draw faster than you normally
client’s eyes, then the architect can sell ished drawing without progressively do. When you slow down again you
a service. solving the problems along the way will find that your new normal speed
No matter what line of work you are only creates more problems in the has actually increased. As you push
in, if you can communicate a clear, end. I’ve watched as students spend as yourself faster and faster your speed
concise message to your audience and many as 30 hours perfecting a single gradually improves to the point where
present your concepts well, you are drawing. They would erase and you can draw quickly while maintain-
better off. The Rapid Viz techniques rework the drawing trying to make it ing your accuracy.
enable you to present yourself and just right. They tried to make the leap
from a half-formed idea to a finished You actually may be surprised to find
your concepts clearly, effectively, and
form drawing, which just doesn’t that speed improves the visual
easily.
work. appearance of your drawings. They
Chapter 3 ■ The Visualization Process 125
will look fresher as you learn to drawn need to learn when you have passed Don’t draw what you want to see.
them more rapidly. the point of efficiency—the point of Draw what your audience wants to
diminishing returns. Stop when you see. If you don’t consider your audi-
In the cold hard world of business,
are spending too much time for the ence, your visual presentation won’t
time is money. If you are an architect,
good derived. work.
engineer, designer, or whatever, the
firm you work for will not keep you if One way to guard against inefficient For example, the following series of
you can’t produce a good product use of time is to determine in the drawings depicts a man putting rocks
quickly. beginning what is needed for your into a mining cart. This visual was
drawing. If you can accomplish your used in Africa. It didn’t work. The
The following graph shows a time
goal by drawing quickly on a scrap of visual was supposed to tell workers in
efficiency curve. The message con-
paper, why do more? If detail is a mine that they were to pick up
veyed by the curve is that you get to a
important to convey the idea, use debris on the track and put it in a cart
point in your drawings where it takes
detail. If detail is not necessary, then to haul it away. However, the African
considerable time to gain any
don’t go to the bother of including mineworkers were used to reading
improvement. When you first start a
unnecessary detail. You can become things in the opposite direction (from
drawing every bit of time makes a
more efficient by deciding what is right to left) as was their native cus-
great deal of improvement in the
needed, drawing to that point, and tom. The result was that the tracks
drawing, but as the drawing progress-
not doing more. became cluttered with debris because
es to a more finished stage, it takes
the workers thought that what was
more and more time to make any vis-
Know Your Audience meant by the visual was to gather up
ible improvement in the drawing. You
the rocks, take the rocks to the track,
When creating visuals for communi-
put the rocks on the track, and leave
cating or presenting an idea, consider
them there. The miscommunication
your audience carefully. Who is the
was caused because the visuals were
audience? Why are they there? What
drawn from the communicator’s
do you want them to know? What do
point of view, not from the audience’s
they need to know? How are you
point of view or reference.
going to tell them? Why should they
know it?
10
When using visuals in a presentation, drawing. Let the best of the drawing Stage 1: Thumbnails
always consider the point of view of rise to the top and the worst parts fall During the thumbnail stage, you
the audience. That is the most impor- away with each new drawing. make quick, small idea sketches to
tant factor in the success of a presen- visualize the central concepts—the
As you progress from layer to layer,
tation. basic idea of how you’re going to put
focus on improving the following ele-
ments of your drawing: the drawing together. Thumbnails
Follow the Process show very little detail. Their primary
■ whole to parts
Keep in control by following the purpose is to set the stage for the final
Rapid Viz process step by step. Do not
■ known to unknown drawing by solving conceptual prob-
try to skip ahead or overcorrect. ■ simple to complex lems—basic ideas, feelings, and rela-
■ coarse to refined tionships between elements. The
thumbnail stage is a quick, rough
■ rough to finished
sketch done to scale but small—about
■ vague to clear the size of your thumb, hence the
■ small to large name.
You can solve many of the problems
The Rapid Viz Process at thumbnail scale before moving to
The Rapid Viz process can be divided the next step. It is much easier to work
into the following three stages: at this small size to solve the problems
rather than full scale. You should
Stage 1: Thumbnails learn to play with things, to defer
By following the process outlined Stage 2: Transparencies judgment, and to conceive many dif-
throughout this chapter your drawing Stage 3: Final Drawing ferent thumbnail drawings, each one a
will evolve through successive layers further clarification of the previous
A series of goals or key concepts one.
of tracing paper. Each successive
applies to each stage.
drawing is done quickly using trans-
parent sheets of tracing paper. Fix
only what is wrong with the previous
Many critical decisions are made dur-

ing this stage. The following images
are several examples in which thumb-
nails have played an important part in
the development process. These
examples demonstrate the wide range
of styles that thumbnails can take.
11
The goals of the thumbnail stage are: Quantity combine ideas from many thumbnails
Because thumbnails are small, quickly into one good solution.
■ To create small drawings that
enable you to create multiple drawn, conceptual drawings, you can
draw many until you find a solution to Outer Proportion
versions of the object to find
the best solution. your problem. The more ideas you can To understand outer proportion, first
put on paper, the better your chance to consider the picture plane. The picture
■ To determine the point of view
find an appropriate solution. plane is the shape of the paper, the
of the drawing.
final overall proportion that you have
■ To find the best outer propor- The natural tendency is to start with
to work with. It’s a flat surface
tion for the drawing. typical solutions that should work
through which the picture is seen.
and then proceed to more unique and
■ To solve negative/positive shape This plane establishes the compara-
outlandish solutions as you create
relationships. tive relationships with all other lines,
more thumbnails. The best solutions
■ To become aware of the percep- planes, directions, and movements
often come in the later thumbnails—
tual tendencies of the viewer within its borders. The picture plane
not the early ones. Defer judgment to
toward your drawing. is the basis for judging how the ele-
allow yourself to have a mind free of
■ To solve value relationships by ments will work.
prejudices as you work. The more
working from dark to light val- possibilities you can come up with, The picture is limited entirely by this
ues. the greater your chance to find a surface. It is a restriction that you
workable solution. Don’t be afraid to have to live with—a basic shape that
dictates and sets the bounds for your point of view—at, above, or below eye so only for a good reason. The grid
drawing. This picture frame is the level—before you begin to draw. matrix creates an organized linear
artificially frozen image you have to quality that is felt in all well designed
Once you have determined the appro-
deal with, and the shape of it affects graphic presentations. Use the grid to
priate eye level, you must decide
what’s in it. Your drawing will only control the drawing so that you can
where to place elements within the
look good if it is positioned correctly accomplish a particular goal that you
drawing. As a general rule, we all have
within the drawing area. are trying to reach in the drawing.
a natural visual preference for odd
divisions over even divisions. One
Order of Importance Negative/Positive Shape
third is generally more visually pleas-
You cannot emphasize all parts of the Relationships
ing than one half. This can be deliber-
drawing. Some things are subordinate ately imposed on your drawing by Shapes are either negative (light) or
to other things. You must decide dividing it into thirds and putting the positive (dark). The following exam-
which things are most important in dominant elements, or points of ple demonstrates the relationship of
the drawing and which things are less emphasis, within those thirds. negative and positive shapes. In this
important. This order of importance example, the positive image of two
determines how you will draw certain Use a grid matrix to aid in correct face profiles is instantly obvious to
elements and where you will position placement of elements in a drawing. most people. However, many people
things. This matrix should consist of hidden have difficulty seeing the negative
lines that are unseen but are always image of a vase.
I find that if I assign three levels of there. The matrix helps organize the
dominance in the drawing that I get elements in the drawing to give cohe-
the best results. One or two main siveness to the image.
points in the drawing are dominant.
Other things are subordinate to the Because the purpose of the matrix is
dominant elements. Still other ele- to give order to the drawing, be care-
ments are subordinate to everything ful not to violate the matrix. If you
else. absolutely must break the matrix, do
Point of View
Point of view is the position in space
from where you view the image you
plan to draw. You must decide the
In order for a drawing to succeed, with practice, but as you learn to place
both negative and positive shapes values remember to divide space in
must be interesting. The negative interesting patterns and to use values
shape is probably the most critical yet to emphasize things.
most often neglected as you draw.
Make an effort to make the negative Perceptual Tendencies
shape interesting. Indeed, make both People have natural perceptual ten-
the negative and the positive shapes dencies, or preferences for viewing
interesting. things. People naturally tend to see
visual things in common patterns.
Value Relationships They have a tendency to look at things
I try to use four values in my draw- from left to right, the same way they
ings—dark, dark grey, light grey, and are taught to read, and from top to
light. The best way to decide place- bottom. If a circular pattern is used,
ment of the values is to begin with the people feel more comfortable seeing it
darkest colors first and proceed to the in a clockwise direction.
light colors. Give the drawing punch
Lines suggest various movements.
by placing the darkest values next to
Horizontal lines suggest a quiet, stable
the lightest values. It is important that
movement from left to right. The ver-
you draw correct shading and shad-
tical line becomes very active, suggest-
ows, but you can alter reality in order
ing movement from top to bottom. A
to achieve a desired result. The place-
diagonal line is dynamic. It feels like it
ment of different values in the draw-
is falling down and suggests danger.
ing determines the overall design of
the drawing. Be conscious of these natural percep-
tual tendencies of people, so you can
Be careful to position values in the
employ them in your drawing.
most interesting place. This will come
Stage 2: Transparencies
The second stage of the drawing
process is the transparency stage. In
this stage you create the first full-size
sketch. The problems of design, divi-
sion of space, negative and positive
shapes, and the like have been
resolved during the thumbnail allow-
ing you to focus on converting the
thumbnail to the full scale size and
refining the drawing into a finished
form. This transparent stage is where
you work out the basic relationship
between the parts.
The goals of the transparency stage
are:
■ To transfer the drawing from
the small thumbnail to the
larger finished size.
■ To begin with transparent
shapes and evolve to actual
drawing by tracing the drawing
again and again.
■ To determine emphasis and use
detail, contrast, and the like to
emphasize those things you
want emphasized in the
drawing.
■ To add the necessary detail to Redraw at Full Scale original. With this method you can
the elements in the drawing to The first step is to transfer your draw- drop out the things that you don’t
make a finished drawing. ing from thumbnail to full scale. Once want or retain and improve the things
■ To correct errors as you proceed you know that the thumbnail is that you do want.
from transparency to trans- designed correctly, then duplicate the It could take only one transparent
parency. rough form full scale. There are many tracing after the full-scale blowup or
ways to enlarge your thumbnail to full it might take 10 or 20 tries to get the
scale. (Refer to Chapter 1 for more on drawing just right. It is easier and
the grid method.) faster to redraw using transparent
One thing to remember is that you tracing than it is to rework the origi-
cannot draw something if you do not nal.
know what it looks like. You can’t
drink from an empty cup; you can’t Transparent Shapes
draw from an empty head. If you Once you have a full-scale drawing,
don’t have the image of what you are the next step is to correct the drawing.
drawing firmly planted in your mind, Define the basic shapes. You will have
then you must have an object or spheres, cubes, and cylinders that are
image to look at to aid you in drawing the beginnings of what they will even-
the object correctly. tually become—buildings, people,
and so forth. Correct the perspective
Refine the Drawing so that the appropriate lines converge
To this point you have transferred the at vanishing points, the lines that
thumbnail sketch to a full-size draw- should be parallel are parallel, and so
ing. What you need to do now is forth. One way to make this drawing
refine the drawing. Lay a transparent correct is to include the hidden lines
sheet on top of the drawing. Redraw that will not show in the final draw-
the same image again. It is much easi- ing. What I mean by hidden lines are
er to refine by a transparent process the edges, the corners, and the sides of
than it is to erase and work over the the building that will not be seen in
the finished drawing. Drawing the Change tends to attract our attention. for two or three hours, only to have
hidden lines as though the building or These changes create emphasis. other people ask me why I had made
object appears to be transparent such obvious mistakes. For example,
For example, if the emphasis in a
allows you to be sure the elements are the building had walls that slanted or
drawing is a certain building, put your
drawn correctly. other obvious mistakes. I had become
dark against lights and your details
so attached to the drawing that I had
There are certain essential points in there. The points of change will draw
overlooked these mistakes. This is
any drawing. The corner of a build- attention and contribute to the view-
why it is essential that you have a way
ing, the point of a gable of a building, er seeing that building.
to check your drawing to make sure
or the base of an electronic receiver
Be sure to emphasize the dominant you have not made some glaring
are examples of these critical points in
elements and de-emphasize the sub- errors.
a drawing. They define the limits of
ordinate elements. If, as in the previ-
what you are drawing. If you put an One of the most effective ways to
ous example, a building is the domi-
obstruction in front of one of these check for errors is to get another
nant element in your drawing, give
important points, it is difficult for the point of view from which to see your
the building the most details, the
viewer to imagine how the object drawing. Some ways you can do that
brightest colors, the most contrast,
goes. It is important to have certain are:
and so forth so the viewer’s attention
key points in the drawing exposed to
is drawn to the building. The subordi- ■ Turn your drawing upside-
help the viewer understand what is
nate elements—the trees, the people, down.
happening in the drawing.
the surroundings of the building— ■ Hold your drawing in front of a
should be less detailed, show less con- mirror.
Emphasis
trast, feature less interesting colors,
The basic principle of emphasis is to
■ Ask a friend to look at it.
and so on.
have something out of context. That ■ Put your drawing across the
is, you emphasize the dominant ele- Errors room at a distance from you
ments by making them different from and look at the drawing.
As you work with a drawing it will
the surroundings. For example, a cir- ■ Leave your drawing and then
probably become close to your heart.
cle among squares, a bump in a long return to it a day or a week
You will begin to overlook glaring and
straight line, a light speck against a later. The time lapse will enable
obvious mistakes because you are
dark surface, or detailed shapes you to look at the drawing with
working so closely with it. I have
against plain surfaces are all examples “new eyes”.
drawn buildings before that looked
of something being emphasized.
just fine to me after working on them
Upon discovering mistakes in your When drawing in three dimensions ■ Lines converge in the distance as
drawing you will need to decide what keep in mind the following points: the objects move away from you.
warrants correcting and what is just ■ Place a cutting edge around the
■ Bigger things appear closer and
overkill. If the mistake isn’t important outside edge of objects.
smaller things appear farther
to the purpose of the drawing, you
away.
may not need to spend the time cor-
■ Place objects in front of or Stage 3: The Final Drawing
recting it. If the mistake detracts from
the drawing, it is worth the effort to behind other objects so that In this stage you evolve the drawing
correct it. overlapping occurs to give a into the final form that the viewer will
more realistic feeling of depth. see. This time your emphasis is to give
the drawing a freshness and strive for
viewer involvement. Some drawings
will go through many transparencies
and be quite elaborate before getting
to this stage, and others will get there
relatively quickly.
The goals of the final drawing stage
are:
■ To begin with transparent
shapes and evolve to the actual
final drawing.
■ To determine appropriate use
of color in your drawing.
■ To deliberately backtrack your
drawing to involve the viewer.
■ To use line weight to make your
drawing more visually appeal-
ing.
■ To mount your drawing for
presentation to your audience.
Context Backtrack—Developing Viewer Go back to your final drawing and

The value of the final drawing is its Involvement make a few last changes. Leave out
ability to communicate the message You have evolved your drawing and lines, details, and other little things
that you want your drawing to convey corrected your drawing so that it is here and there. This will cause the
to the viewer. The final touches you complete and correct. You may want, viewer to become more involved with
make to the drawing should be however, to undo some of the draw- your drawing because the viewer
refined in accordance with the mes- ing so that the viewer can become must now fill in the details in his or
sage you want to convey. You should involved. You want the viewer to get her mind.
strive for the image to communicate the feeling that you did it rapidly—in
its message to the viewer in a loose, just a few minutes—but very skillful- Line Quality
free, and spontaneous manner. ly. You want your drawing to commu- Another element that helps finish
nicate rather than be “just another your final drawing is to use different
Color drawing.” densities of lines. You should use at
You may determine that some color You want your drawing to interact least three kinds of lines within your
will help your drawing. Remember to with the viewer so he becomes drawing. You should have some hard,
be selective and use color sparingly. A intensely involved with the drawing. thick, dark lines; some medium thick-
little color at strategic points should One way to cause this to happen is to ness lines; and some very light, faint
be sufficient. Rapid Viz line drawings leave out details that the viewer must lines. Three different line thicknesses
do not need more than three colors— fill in from his own mind. Most peo- make your drawing livelier and more
a bright color for the most important ple don’t realize that they have a ten- visually interesting to the viewer.
part of the drawing, a more subdued dency to fill in things, but they do. You
secondary color that complements have heard the saying, “Roses are red,
the main color, and a very subdued violets are….” You completed the
third color. Don’t be so splashy with phrase in your mind, didn’t you?
color that your drawing looks like a That’s how it works with images too.
circus—unless you are drawing a cir- The way you achieve viewer involve-
cus, of course. ment in your drawing is to leave out
little things here and there.
Mounting Another method is to use spray adhe- is a planning meeting for a building
When the drawing is completely fin- sive to adhere the drawing to a piece committee, for example, you may
ished you will need to mount it for of matte board. Affix black photo want to keep the drawing sketchy and
your audience to view. This is because tape, which can be purchased from a loose so that the people don’t incor-
your drawing was completed on photography store, around the edge rectly assume that you have made
transparent tracing paper, which of the drawing to form a border, and final design decisions when you don’t
needs a backup sheet for proper view- cut the matte board to size. have the authority to do so.
ing. The most common way to mount When presenting your finished draw-
drawings is to cut a window out of ing, make sure it is of adequate size
matte board and affix the drawing and placed in the right position. If
behind the window; however, I do not your audience is viewing it from 50
recommend this method unless you feet away, you cannot use an 8 1/2 ×
intend to show the drawing over and 11 sheet of paper. Similarly, if you are
over again. I prefer to use other meth- presenting it to kindergarten stu-
ods that are faster and less expensive, dents, you would not hang it 7 feet
but look just as nice for most viewing Presenting the Finished high on the wall.
situations. Drawing
The very last thing for a final drawing I have seldom, if ever, completed a
is to make sure that the drawing is drawing that I thought was good
presented under the right conditions. enough. The feeling is always that
Make sure the style of the drawing fits something could have been done bet-
the situation in which you present it. ter. But there comes a point where
If the drawing needs to be finished, there is no time or desire to do more.
make sure you present a finished I have to quit a particular drawing
drawing. If it needs to be rough and and move on to other things. You
spontaneous, then make your draw- probably will experience similar feel-
ing sketchy and rough. ings. Don’t worry—it’s normal to feel
One easy, inexpensive method is to
that way. Keep trying because this
draw a very bold line around the Try to foresee the circumstance under feeling motivates you to continuously
outer edge of the drawing, and then which the drawing will be viewed. If it improve your abilities.
simply adhere the drawing to an
opaque piece of paper using staples,
tape, or the like.
Remember one important rule when

presenting your finished drawing: the
visuals used in presentation are a
means to an end. We use those visuals
to communicate a message or con-
cept. They are not an end in them-
selves. Visuals are not meant to be
hung on a wall or in a gallery for other
people to see or to last forever. They
are meant as a means of communica-
tion. The following final drawings
demonstrate the successful applica-
tion of the Rapid Viz process.
12
13
14
Exercises Exercise 3.2

The following exercises are designed Draw your recommendation for
to help you better understand and improving what you consider to be
apply the skill of drawing thumbnails. the worst commercial on TV. Include
at least seven segments.
Exercise 3.1
Draw a thumbnail (no larger than 2"
× 3") of any three of the following
items:
■ A new idea for city-wide bus
stops complete with appealing
landscaping.
■ A modular mobile home exte-
rior design.
■ An interior for the new “Burg-
ereater” fast food restaurant
near the University campus.
■ A monument to be erected at a
local aquarium.
■ A layout of your new business
stationery.
Chapter 4
Graphic Expression
H
expression is the conversion of It is unfortunate that graphic expres-
ow important is it to learn
thoughts, ideas, or concepts into sym- sion is not taught in most schools
to refine and expand visual
bols that have meaning. along with writing, because graphic
potential? It’s vital.
expression has the same widespread
In this chapter, you will learn:
The mind thinks in pictures. It “sees” and valuable potential as a method of
things. Where most of us fall short is ■ How to get more out of your communication. For example, it is
in our ability to express these visual symbols through the process of easier to draw a map than it is to write
images. We benefit greatly when we graphic expression of your out in words all that a map can show
learn to refine and express our visual thoughts. graphically. The more effectively you
abilities. ■ How to create your own use graphic expression, the more free-
In this section, I hope to show you original graphic symbols that dom and ease you will have express-
how visual abilities can be refined express the message you ing yourself.
through graphic expression. Graphic want to communicate to
your audience.
143
We all use graphic expression As you can see the use of symbols isn’t Graphic expression is:
throughout life. We use symbols to anything new. We use symbols to con- ■ A great way to communicate
express thoughts and concepts. For vey information all the time.
clear, concise messages.
example, each of the four symbols However, what you probably don’t do
shown in the following drawing rep- is get the most of out of the symbols ■ A tool to aid in learning and
resents the concept of water. you use. remembering.
■ A method of expanding
the mind to inspire creative
New Symbols thinking and realize creative
When you express yourself graphical- potentials.
ly, each thought, each concept, each
message has its own set of symbols.
Since most people don’t learn how to
make symbols, they have difficulty
expressing themselves graphically. So
one of the first things that you need to
learn is how to make symbols. You
must learn how to give meaning to
symbols so that when other people
Another example is the use of the fol- see your symbols, they understand
lowing common symbols to express what’s happening.
ideas or concepts.
Applying Graphic Graphic expression is used for all three

Expression processes—communicating, learning, and
Once you have mastered how to cre- creating.
ate graphic symbols, the use of graph-
ic expression begins to be helpful in Communication
three basic ways. As we have noted, graphic symbols on
maps enable the information on the
map to be more easily understood.
Similar kinds of graphically expressed
Chapter 4 ■ Graphic Expression 145
symbols make other concepts easy to Recollection same thoughts and put them on a
communicate. In fact, it is often much Have you ever gone someplace and piece of paper, they become real. You
easier to communicate simple, con- later had someone ask you how to get see them in detail and they remain. By
cise concepts through graphic sym- there? You close your eyes and you capturing flashes of creative thoughts,
bols than it is through written words. think for a minute. You can see the much of the creative potential of the
A picture often really is worth a thou- destination in your mind’s eye. You brain can be captured. If thoughts are
sand words! know exactly what it looks like but not nailed down to a piece of paper,
you just can’t remember the exact they are easily lost forever.
Because the mind sees visual images
and patterns, if you can create visual route you took to get there. You may Also, because the mind thinks visual-
patterns on paper, you can learn and even have to hop in your car and start ly, a way to talk to the mind is by
remember more easily. It’s usually to drive to this destination to trigger graphically refining thoughts.
easier to remember an illustration in a your recall. As you pass the landmarks Graphically rendering the thoughts
book, for example, than it is to along the way the picture comes back makes it easier to refine or change the
remember a written concept that you in your mind and you remember thoughts so they become better and
read in hundreds of pages of material. again exactly where you are going and more concrete. This is done by graph-
what route to take to the point that ically writing them down, not only in
An example of the use of graphic
you can now create a map. verbal forms but also in picture
symbols is the blueprint for a build-
The mind has a tendency to learn and forms, symbols of what the mind is
ing. Graphic symbols are used to help
recall visually. Therefore, graphic thinking.
the architect conceive the idea for the
structure of the building. The same expression is a way of extending the
graphic symbols are used to commu- mind’s ability to learn and remember Mastering Graphic
nicate to the contractor to turn the more things.
Expression
structure from paper into reality. And
finally, the carpenter uses the blue- There are three major steps in learn-
Creativity
prints as a guide to build the structure ing how to express your message
Graphic expression expands the cre- graphically:
correctly and according to the archi- ative potential of the mind. Thoughts
tect’s specifications. are fleeting: they flash into the mind 1. Choosing the appropriate symbol
and then they disappear just as rapid- 2. Deciding the level of abstraction
ly. Because creative thoughts are so 3. Finding the essence of the con-
fleeting, they don’t seem to be real cept that is to be graphically
and are often lost. If you take those expressed
Choosing the Appropriate you to change the symbol—to graph- reveals a different point of view about
Symbol ically say something different. So the the same subject matter: the eye.
The first step to improving graphic symbol is dependent upon your pur- Notice that as the point of view
expression is to choose the appropri- pose. changes, so does the graphic symbol
ate symbols. Symbols are ways of that is used. This is what is meant by
In the following matrix of the eye
expressing one’s thoughts. Consider letting the point of view dictate the
there are many different points of
common symbols that depict a vari- appropriate symbol.
view about that eye. Each one of those
ety of concepts—poisonous materi- different illustrations on the bottom
als, no smoking, exit, male or female,
and so on. For every different concept
there is a different kind of symbol to
best express the concept. You must
learn to choose appropriate symbols
that convey what the concept is.
Because there are many different ways
of expressing any thought, you must
carefully choose the appropriate sym-
bol that best expresses your thought
by first determining the specific pur-
pose on which to base the meaning of
your symbol. If you want to express
that something is deadly poisonous,
then it is appropriate to use the skull
and crossbones symbol. If you want to
express a slightly different message for
that same poisonous material—for
example, that the material should be
stored in closed bottles—you have
changed the purpose of your symbol.
This alteration to the message causes
Deciding the Level of Certain laws govern levels of abstrac- Finding the Essence
Abstraction tion. One is that the more abstract a Graphic symbols have an essence of
You must decide the level of abstrac- symbol becomes, the more manage- meaning. Once you find that essence
tion for your symbol. What this able it is. The symbol can be applied of meaning it can become the basis
means is that a symbol, to be effective, to a lot of different situations, for creating the graphic symbol. An
can be very realistic or very abstract. although it can be more difficult to example of finding the graphic sym-
Sometimes it is more helpful to use a understand and more dependent bol that carries the essence is shown
very realistic symbol, but other times upon its surroundings or its context in the flowers, crosses, and structures
it is better to choose an abstract sym- to give that abstract symbol meaning. in the following image.
bol. Consider the matrix of the eye As in the eye matrix, that one single
again. At the bottom left is a photo of dot, which is an abstract symbol for
a real human eye. You know exactly an eye, could be used as an eye for a
what it is. As you proceed upward in variety of cartoon characters. A more
the matrix, the eye becomes sketchier photographic eye, however, is more
until it becomes just a dot. That dot realistic, more concrete, but it is less
means “an eye” just as the photo does. manageable. It would fit on only one
If, for example, you were to use a pho- specific face and look good.
tograph for an eye in a cartoon char- On the other hand, the more concrete
acter, it would look out of place. It or realistic in its application a symbol
doesn’t say any more about the char- is, the more concrete and limited in its
acter having an eye than does a single application is our understanding. You
dot. And, in fact, the single dot is the know more about the eye that is more
more appropriate choice for the car- All of these symbols have a similar
carefully drawn or illustrated than
toon. pattern of a double cross laid at an
you do about the dot. Concrete, real-
angle. The graphic essence of expres-
The same happens with other kinds of istic symbols are more understand-
sion in all of these symbols is the
symbols. Sometimes symbols are too able because they don’t rely on out-
same—the double cross.
realistic, too complex. Simple, side situations or context to bring out
abstract symbols can serve well the full meaning.
depending on the context.
Look again at the eye matrix. The same way, a string of windows in a group, and so on. A non-conformist is
matrix shows how the eye functions. skyscraper that are exactly the same, a an individual rather than a member
The top symbol of the Xs and arrows bunch of hippies all dressed alike, and of a group.
in the top center column is a graphic so on.
Now that you have defined what a
symbol depicting inversion. You strip
By definition, a non-conformist is the conformist is and a non-conformist
it back to its essence, its meaning, and
opposite of a conformist. Now list all is, you have stripped back the concept
you discover than an X indicates
of the things that a non-conformist is: of a non-conformist to the essential
“inversion.” Once you get back to that
irregular, uncontrolled, different from meaning that is to be graphically sym-
basic symbol for inversion you could
other people, not a member of a bolized.
create some other illustrations that
show inversion by using that same X
as the underlying structure.
Creating Graphic
Symbols
Now that you understand the princi-
ples of graphic expression, you are
ready to see how it is done by creating
your own symbol. Take the concept of
a non-conformist. Begin by writing
all of the things that a conformist is:
regular, controlled, the same as some-
one else, and so on. A group of many
people who are alike would be an
example of conformity. Some visual
examples of conformists or things
that conform would be a group of
business men in suits, ties, and coats,
a school of fish all swimming in the
The visual examples of conformity— walking in a line except one person non-conformist would be the hippie.
the monotonous skyscraper and the dressed differently and walking in the But if you put hippies in a row
identical businessmen—can be modi- other direction. and have one conservative business-
fied to depict non-conformity as man, then the conservative business-
Consider the effective use of the ele-
shown in these drawings of the sky- man becomes the (surprise!) non-
ment of surprise. You would normal-
scraper windows with one in which a conformist.
ly expect that in the row of business-
person is peering out between the
men with a single non-conformist the With practice you can create graphic
drapes and the identical businessmen
symbols that effectively convey mes-
sages to your audience. As with any-
thing you are not accustomed to
doing, you may encounter some diffi-
culty at first choosing and creating the
appropriate symbol. Remember the
following steps when creating your
symbols to best communicate the
concept or message that you wish to
convey:
1. Let your determined point of
view help dictate the appropri-
ate symbol.
2. Determine the level of abstrac-
tion needed. If your symbol
must be easily understood,
choose a more realistic symbol.
If your symbol must apply to
many situations or have general
application for a variety of
symbols, then choose a more
abstract symbol.
3. Find the essence of the concept Exercise 4.1 Exercise 4.2

in order to find the correct Match the following terms to the Make a grid similar to the eye matrix
symbol. Strip back the concept appropriate symbols from the images shown in this chapter for the other
to its basic meaning so that you shown on the following page: four senses:
can find a symbol to re-create
the same meaning. ■ Bell Telephone logo ____ ■ Hearing
■ Poison ____ ■ Smell
■ United States of America ____ ■ Touch
■ Stop your car ____ ■ Taste
■ Fast ____
■ Slow ____ Exercise 4.3
■ Look to the right ____ Use these points of view to express
■ Remove ____ characteristics:
■ Half full ____
■ Do not feed the bears ____ ■ Visually express the function of
■ Locked/unlocked ____ the sense.
■ Dollars ____ ■ Visually express the form of the
■ Male ____ sense.
■ Female ____ ■ Visually express an attribute of
■ North ____ the sense.
Exercises ■ Ancient Indian symbol ____
■ Clockwise ____
It takes time and practice to develop
■ Sign language ____
your graphic expression skills, so
■ Backpacking ____
work through the following exercises
■ A hobo symbol meaning “a
on your own.
kind lady lives here” ____
■ Fire prevention ____
■ Sixteenth note ____
■ Ranger station ____
■ Resistor ____
Exercise 4.4
Visually express five of the following
sayings:
■ Politics makes strange
bedfellows.
■ Taken with a grain of salt.
■ It’s not what it’s all cracked up
to be.
■ Pay through the nose.
■ March to the beat of a different
drummer.
■ The whole ball of wax.
■ The show must go on.
■ Paddle your own canoe.
■ Out of the frying pan and into
the fire.
■ Leave no stone unturned.
■ It’s no skin off my nose.

Visually illustrate two of the following Create a symbol for a sign to commu- Draw a symbol that signifies three
concepts: nicate three of the following concepts: of the following sports or physical
activities:
■ Influential ■ Poison
■ Polarity ■ Don’t open ■ Running
■ Obstinate ■ Hospital zone ■ Javelin throwing
■ Self-actualization ■ Unplug ■ Discus
■ Counter-culture ■ Sleeping permitted ■ Weight lifting
■ Thinking ■ Camping permitted ■ Boxing
■ Security ■ Turn left ■ Swimming
■ Meaningless ■ Must be accompanied by an ■ Playing hop-scotch
■ Reciprocity adult ■ Jumping rope
■ Recoil ■ Beware of undertow ■ Playing marbles
■ Oneness ■ Live poisonous snake ■ Hockey
■ Sullen indifference ■ Wet paint
■ Upside down
■ Muggers beware
■ Cold
■ Elephant crossing
■ Veterinarian
■ Shoplifters will be arrested
■ Don’t sneeze
■ Scratching allowed
■ Don’t feed the animals
Chapter 5
Graphic Creation
I
inside all of us to foster our innova- remember that you are able to do it
t’s important—in fact, it is
tion and creativity? because someone before you visualized
essential—that we become more
it and converted those visual thoughts
visual. Our American society is The next time you watch TV, flip a
into reality. It is mind-boggling to
dominated by verbal thinking. We light switch, or ride in an automobile
think that the world runs on visual
learn alphabets, words, and numbers
images created in people’s minds.
in school. Art and drawing are down
played as somehow being less impor- In this chapter, you will learn:
tant. Yet everything—every machine, ■ How to expand your creative
every invention, every modern conve- potential through the expan-
nience—existed first as a visual sion of your visual creativity.
thought in someone’s mind. Consider
how important visual thinking really
■ The role of using metaphors to
is. We owe our modern luxurious form new ideas.
lifestyle to visual thinking. Doesn’t it ■ How to apply methods for
seem logical that we ought to learn to creative problem-solving indi-
expand the creative visual potential vidually and in group settings.
153
Ideas Don’t Come from fied with strong artistic skills, the out- and you learn to trust both your
flow of responses can be enhanced. memory and imagination. Drawings
Nothing may be quite simple. Just working
There is no such thing as a creative Learning to utilize this memory bank
with abstract shapes and patterns
idea that originates from nothing. in a creative way is the greatest and
may serve your purpose. You may
Ideas come from the mind. A mind most essential challenge in the devel-
even repeat a single subject idea in
filled with knowledge, experiences, opment of your rapid visualization
different fashions. The scribbles
and an acute observation of the sur- skills. You must develop the ability to
around the edge of your phone book
rounding world is more likely to bring tackle themes or subject matter with
or calendar reflect this type of impro-
forth creative ideas. enthusiasm and confidence to enable
vised doodling.
your sketching to produce fruitful
One major problem with creative creative results. Remember that this The most important step is to begin
ideas is that because ideas are only kind of sketching—rapid visualiza- practicing this imaginative sketching
thoughts in the beginning, they are tion of ideas—trades accuracy and with pencil and paper. Allow your
easily lost. In order to “keep” those detail for expressiveness. The goal is mind to work freely on a variety of
ideas, it’s critical to commit them to a not drawing to create a photo-accu- subject matter.
piece of paper. Once drawn or written rate image; it is drawing sketchy, loose
down, the ideas are saved. Once on images that help you come up with or
paper, the ideas can be evaluated
Creative Ideas
refine ideas. Idea drawing may be
properly, refined, and improved. Get Creative ideas are rarely new. In most
nothing more than lines that have
your thoughts down on paper so you cases, they are old concepts combined
meaning to you, but are meaningless
can develop them! in a new and useful way to improve
to someone else looking at them. You
upon the original. For example, the
may miss on the details but strike it
electric toothbrush is just an electric
Imagination rich on creative solutions. You can
motor and a toothbrush combined to
The greatest source of ideas is the permit yourself to draw more sponta-
improve upon the traditional tooth-
human mind. An artist tends to rely neously and even recklessly when nec-
brush. Ben Franklin invented the first
on his sensory organs—principally essary to encourage creativity.
bifocal glasses by combining two
eyes and ears—to soak up impressions Although at first you may feel wobbly lenses in one pair of glasses. The tele-
of life that are then stored in the mind. in tackling a piece of white paper, phone is a combination of Alexander
This bank of ideas can be recalled dur- after you get seriously involved in Graham Bell’s knowledge of the
ing the creative process whenever the process (usually after numerous human ear coupled with magnetism
needed. When this memory is forti- efforts) the creative juices flow and electricity.
Chapter 5 ■ Graphic Creation 155
As this example demonstrates, mak- depicted by the bottom of the V; how-

ing logical connections between ever, as you compare them in more
objects is easier at abstract levels than general, abstract terms, they have
at real levels. Physically, liquid oil is more in common.
not like a solid glass marble, but if you
Any object can be compared to any
understand that, abstractly, oil often
other object from an abstract point of
behaves as tiny beads of fluid, then it
view. Pick two objects and try com-
is easy to make the logical connection.
paring them to see for yourself. This
The Vs illustrated in the following abstraction method might prove to be
graphic visually explain how abstrac- one of the most productive idea
tion helps create logical relationships. development processes you could ever
A snail and a man have nothing master.
in common at the concrete level
A sketch of a phonograph by Thomas Edison.
All creative ideas are logical connec-

tions. Sometimes these connections
seem irrational or illogical to an out-
side observer, but they are logical con-
nections to the originator of an idea. If
someone said, for example, that mar-
bles are very similar to oil, you might
laugh. But if you envision lubricating
oil as millions of tiny marbles sand-
wiched between two surfaces, you can
see the logical similarity.
The Metaphor For example: speeding vehicles; however, when

Human beings need order in their you look at a more abstract level to
The Internet is an information
lives. We seek an understandable identify the relationship of vessels
superhighway.
framework on which to fasten new (information on the Internet and
My boss is a pig. motor vehicles on the superhighway)
ideas and experiences. We understand
All the world is a stage. traveling long distances at a high rate
the new by linking it with our knowl-
edge of the past. Metaphors can seem absurd at first— of speed you can begin to see the
until the relationship is clear. For similarity.
A metaphor is the comparison of the
example, on the surface the Internet To learn from a metaphor the learner
meaning and attributes of one thing
may seem nothing like an actual must be an active participant. He
to the meaning and attributes of
superhighway made of concrete and must act and make some decision—
something else.
take some risk. He does not manipu-
late, but invests something of himself
so that growth may result.
After analyzing the data relevant to
the structure of the atom, Lord
Rutherford sought a model of the sys-
tem he had discovered and found it in
the solar system. Later experiments
modified Rutherford’s metaphor
about the atom as a microscopic solar
system, next using a metaphor of
shells to understand the atom’s struc-
ture. As knowledge advanced, the
metaphor changed—scientists still
needed some metaphor for compre-
hension—first the solar system, then
15
shells, and who knows what next.
A metaphor often is used to describe Metaphors are helpful in generating Collective Creativity
the emotions by comparing them new meaning from old or unfamiliar
with the physical world. Shakespeare concepts. Comparing the qualities of
for Groups or
penned, “Shall I compare thee to a one thing to another creates new Individuals
summer’s day?” and Victor Hugo relationships. Visual metaphors are Problem solving in a group can be
wrote, “Laughter is the sun that drives essential to many professions for the especially productive. This kind of
winter from the human face.” development of ideas. An architect, collective problem solving is often
for example, must rely on visual referred to as brainstorming. However,
metaphors to create new buildings. the creative methods that produce
Just as Shakespeare used verbal results when a group of people collec-
metaphors to add life and give interest tively brainstorm a problem also work
to his plays, visual metaphors are used well for individuals.
by the architect to give life and inter-
Creative solutions can be found by
est to a building. Frank Lloyd Wright,
applying certain methods. If you can
considered by many to be the greatest
cause your mind to think in ways that
architect of the 20th Century, used
produce creative new ideas, logically
metaphors in the design of his unique
you will be more creative. Rapid visu-
buildings. Hallways would burst into
alization helps refine ideas. The brain-
the freedom and light of a spacious
storming methods outlined in the
room, giving a feeling of security and
remainder of this chapter produce
warmth. Shapes and colors for build-
creative results. Your ability to express
ings were patterned after shapes and
these creative solutions in some visual
colors found in nature. Room config-
form on paper is essential to the
urations were arranged to create cer-
refining of the embryonic ideas. Use
tain feelings for the inhabitants of his
rapid visualization to express the
buildings.
ideas. It will be faster and easier than
trying to verbalize many of the cre-
ative expressions.
Rules for Finding Creative How a problem is stated exerts down on paper. Thoughts that seem
Solutions tremendous control over how it is crazy at first can yield extremely effec-
The following rules increase your solved. The definition of a problem tive solutions when combined with
ability to find creative solutions: can dictate a solution before creative other seemingly crazy thoughts. If all
thinking can begin. Be like H.G. thoughts are not written down in the
1. State the problem. Booth—don’t confine yourself by try- first place, you will not have the
The development of new ideas usual- ing to improve old methods that don’t opportunity to combine them to get
ly comes when you have a problem— work well. Get to the real problem the final perfect solution. Use words,
a need that must be met. Jonas Salk and forget the same old solutions that phrases, or pictures—anything that
would not have developed the polio have been tried dozens of times rapidly will capture the essence of the
vaccine without the problem of an before. ideas as they flow from the individu-
epidemic of people dying and being als in the group. New and different
2. Pick a subject or problem that is
crippled by the disease. And before he relationships between the ideas
understood by all involved.
could find the cure for polio, he had expressed will cause additional ideas,
to determine what was causing the A lot of time can be wasted if people but only if all the ideas can be seen
disease. He had to identify the prob- in your group don’t know the prob- together.
lem before he could solve it. lem they are trying to solve. In a
4. Concentrate on quantity not
group setting, present all of the neces-
Identify the real problem. Don’t be quality.
sary background to the group.
misled by preconceived notions. For A great scientist once said, “The way
example, many people tried to solve 3. Write out all ideas and objectives
to get a good idea is to have lots of
the problem of cleaning dirty floors so everyone can see them.
ideas.” Produce as many ideas as pos-
by improving the design of the In a group setting, use a chalkboard, sible so you will have more to pick
broom. But only H.G. Booth realized overhead projector screen, or some from at the end of the brainstorming
that the problem was not poorly other device to write out all ideas so session. After the session, it is easy to
designed brooms—it was removing everyone in the group can see them. If eliminate useless, ridiculous, or
the dirt. Booth threw out the broom you are working alone, don’t think impossible ideas; however, it is
and invented the vacuum cleaner, you can get away without putting the extremely difficult to find quality in a
which reversed wind to suck up dirt. random thoughts on paper. One of short list of ideas. Without quantity,
the key secrets to successful brain- you’ll most likely miss the quality
storming is having all of the thoughts ideas too.
ativity and thoughts. Brainstorming between a falling apple and the bodies
requires an open and free environ- in the heavens? Where would modern
ment that gives an incentive for idea medicine be without William Harvey
protection. making a connection between the
function of a pump and the working
6. Hitchhike.
of a human heart? How is a sunrise
Let each participant’s thoughts build like hope, a cockroach like a tank, or a
upon another’s ideas. Sometimes tree like a young boy? As teacher and
ideas that initially are off-beat and artist Gyorgy Kepes said, “The separa-
impractical will trigger other ideas tion of our sensual, emotion, and
that can be quite useful. That ridicu- rational faculties into separate little
lous idea that you don’t want to say slots is the prime reason for the form-
out loud could prompt someone else less nature of our environment and
to think of the perfect solution. the lives we live.”
In brainstorming, don’t narrow 7. No “no-no”s.
Visualization skills can increase the number
of ideas you have and can improve their
your vision. Search all over in your
Your goal is ideas, not judgments. By
quality. experiences for ideas that relate to the
letting your mind run wild you can
problem. You may find an idea in lit-
eliminate mental blocks to creative
erature, yesterday’s breakfast, or an
5. Keep it loose. solutions. Don’t judge what you or
insect’s mating habits. Connect
anyone else may think. If you have an
Nothing can stop effective, creative ideas that don’t seem to belong
idea, don’t hesitate for fear of being
brainstorming faster than a leader together, and they may inspire the
judged. Don’t squelch someone else’s
with a Napoleon complex—someone perfect solution.
seemingly dumb idea either. It may
who commands others to perform by The essence of getting good ideas is inhibit that person from participat-
attempting to force others to produce forming meaningful connections ing, and you need everyone’s input in
good ideas. Keep unnecessary struc- between knowledge and experiences the process. Evaluate the ideas gener-
ture out of the process. The command in our lives. What would modern ated after, not during, the brainstorm-
“Give me good ideas!” will do just the physics be like if Isaac Newton had ing session.
opposite by inhibiting the group’s cre- not recognized the connection
8. Last is best. thoughts. A visual sketch of the Exercise 5.1

thought can often be much more Illustrate any four of the words in the
Often the last half of a brainstorming
expressive than words used to following list:
session generates the best ideas. It
describe the thought.
takes the first half of the session to ■ Hot dog
warm up and get all of the usual If you do not capture creative ■ Chairman
responses and habitual solutions out thoughts as they come to you, they ■ Warfare
of the way. When these are out, the will come and go like the wind. Great ■ Eastern
new ideas and creative solutions tend creative thinkers of the past probably ■ Inhuman
to appear. Unfortunately, most brain- are no more creative than you are, but ■ Flippant
storming sessions end too soon, hav- they put their thoughts down on ■ Headlong
ing generated nothing more than the paper for all to see. If you record your ■ Rubber band
old mental clichés instead of new thoughts on paper, you will probably ■ Defiance
ideas. be amazed at how creative you really ■ Dispute
are. Creative thoughts are nothing if ■ Antidote
I do not know any truly creative per-
they are not recorded. Resolve to ■ Pigment
son that could store creative new
begin sketching your thoughts today. ■ Vengeance
thoughts in his or her mind. Great
You will be delighted at the creative ■ Tangle
innovators throughout history have
expanse your mind possesses. ■ Usurp
recorded their ideas in some form or
another—most often in visual form. ■ Fallacy
If you study the notes of great creative Exercises ■ Tissue
minds like Albert Einstein, Leonardo ■ Tempestuous
Following are some visual exercises to
DaVinci, Issac Newton, Alexander ■ Hollow
improve creative potential. They are
Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and ■ Safeguard
designed to get ideas flowing and
others, you find their notes are rich ■ Winsome
enable you to learn how to capture the
with visual images. They didn’t just ■ Underwear
thoughts before they float away never
write their thoughts, they visually to be seen again.
sketched their thoughts. If you want to
be creative, you need to capture your
Exercise 5.2
Combine an item from Column 1 with three items from
Column 2 to make a new product.
Column 1 Column 2
■ Grapes ■ Apartment complex
■ Apple ■ Drawers
■ Orange ■ Jewelry
■ Watermelon ■ Computer terminal
■ Corn on the cob ■ Fountain
■ Peas ■ Telephone
■ Tomatoes ■ Protective helmet
■ Rhubarb ■ Clothing
■ Carrot ■ Casegoods
■ Bell pepper ■ Light fixture
■ Walnut ■ Shoes
■ Celery ■ Air transportation
■ Lettuce ■ Water transportation
■ String bean ■ Land transportation


Use your imagination to create five Create five inventions that will Illustrate 10 new inventions that will
new senses for humans. In addition to enhance one of the existing senses. be in use in the year 2050.
sight, taste, hearing, smelling, and
touch, you now have a new sense.
Illustrate that sense and explain what
the sense is.
Exercise 5.6
Cut and paste items from magazines
to create two new inventions. The
inventions can be as realistic and use-
ful (or as wild and outlandish) as you
want them to be.
Exercise 5.7
Design a musical instrument to be
played by one of the following life-
forms.
■ Octopus ■ Bee
■ Gerbil ■ Ant
■ Flea ■ Giraffe
■ Worm ■ Bat
■ Bird ■ Alligator
Exercise 5.8 Create your own throw-up sheet that Exercise 5.9
The doodles on the next page com- contains any one of the concepts from Repeat Exercise 5.8, but do it with a
bine to form what I call a “throw-up the following list. Fill up the entire group of people rather than alone.
sheet”. This sheet is an example of a sheet with your ideas for this one
catchall for the many ideas that thing you choose from the list.
emerged from my mind when given ■ Better ways to carry clothes
the assignment to create something. I ■ Better kinds of clothes
find it fun to periodically create a new
■ Ways not to need any clothes
throw-up sheet for some wild idea
just to keep my creative thinking pow- ■ Better ways to get information
ers sharpened. ■ Directional lights
■ Portable eating units
■ One-person transportation
vehicles
■ One-person housing ideas
■ Ways to grow food
■ Things that expand and
contract depending on the
amount of light exposed
■ Things that use camouflage
Exercise 5.10 ■ Plastic pipe ■ Lighting

Take material or technology from one ■ 50 gallon drums ■ Moveable shelters
discipline and apply it elsewhere. The ■ Conduit ■ Outdoor furniture
following example depicts a new form ■ Cement blocks ■ Moveable exhibit
of lighting created by combining light
■ Scaffolding ■ Playground equipment
fixtures with pipe. For this exercise,
combine any two of the following ■ Old tires ■ Planter boxes
materials and applications you like to ■ Cable ■ Exercise equipment
create your new invention. ■ Rocks ■ Bedroom furniture
Exercise 5.11
Pick two items from the following list
and illustrate how you will improve
them for use in the future.
■ Blimps
■ Modular housing
■ Emergency housing
■ Maximum land utilization
■ Crop growing systems
■ Underwater vehicles
■ Business offices
■ Home recreation
■ Clothing
Exercise 5.12
You have just traveled to a newly dis-
covered planet. You want to illustrate
for your friends back home what you
have seen and learned about the
inhabitants of this new planet.
Illustrate three of the following items.
■ A species of wildlife
■ A musical instrument
■ A typical dwelling
■ Scenes from the latest box
office hit
■ A favorite recreational pastime
■ The national flag
■ A common medical procedure
■ A favorite meal
Chapter 6
Learning with Visuals
V isuals can be a great aid to

learning, understanding, and
remembering. As the saying
goes, a picture is worth a thousand
words. It is easier to see and under-
stand than to hear and process infor-
mation. Visuals can increase your
ability to learn something.
In this chapter, you will learn:
■ Why visuals aid learning and
comprehension.
■ How to take visual notes.
■ How to use Rapid Viz tech-
niques for your own learning or
for teaching others. A visual explanation of the Doppler Effect.
169
The following story of one of my stu- At the end of that semester Mary
dents illustrates how visual learning came to me to proudly announce that
can increase comprehension and she had earned an A in her psycholo-
retention of information. gy class as the result of visual note-
taking. She said that drawing out in
Mary was a student in one of my
visual patterns made it much easier
classes. She wasn’t an outstanding stu-
for her to understand then later recall
dent; she was an average student, but
what she had learned in class.
she worked hard and performed well
Mary’s story is just one of many simi-
in her art and design classes. One day
lar situations that I encountered while
she was feeling discouraged and con-
teaching.
fided in me that she was not doing
well in a psychology class. She Another example of the success of Visuals Aid
explained that she just couldn’t grasp visual note-taking is Evelyn Wood,
the total concepts. She was disap- nationally recognized teacher of Understanding
pointed to be earning a C in the class. speed reading. If you have ever The strength of visuals to aid under-
She didn’t want an average grade— observed an Evelyn Wood demonstra- standing is threefold:
she wanted an A or B. I suggested that tion, you have seen students rapidly ■ Visuals create a “big picture” to
she try taking visual notes rather than reading many pages in a book and simplify complex concepts.
verbal notes. I explained that by struc- then recalling in detail what they read.
■ Visuals provide structure of
turing things with visual patterns, Her students use a visual note-taking
concepts in the mind’s eye.
geometric shapes, or doodle-type technique to remember what they
drawings she may be able to under- read in books. Teaching students to ■ Visuals form strong mental
stand and remember the subject more read rapidly is only a part of Evelyn images for the mind to recall.
easily. After a thorough explanation of Wood’s genius. I think the greatest Visuals enable you to see a whole pic-
the technique Mary caught on and skill that Evelyn Wood teaches these ture at a glance rather than just the
agreed to try it for herself. students is the ability to remember small, individual parts. By seeing the
what they read. The way she does this whole structure, you can see the rela-
is by teaching visual note-taking and tionship of each of the parts. This
recall to help students learn faster. whole structure and the relationship
Chapter 6 ■ Learning with Visuals 171
of the parts lead your mind to the an orderly life. We want things to it is uncomfortable to us. Visual pat-
details of the concept that you are try- make sense. We want things to relate terns are one way to help things to
ing to understand. By showing the to something else. If something just make sense. They form a picture of
whole and the relative parts at a seems to come out of nowhere or if the relationship of parts. By relating
glance, visuals make complex con- we hear things that don’t make sense, things one to another we make sense
cepts easier to understand. out of things. So visual patterns feed
our natural tendency to seek order;
The following illustration is a visual
they help give order to the things that
of a complex concept—weather con-
we learn.
ditions on earth resulting from heat
gain and loss from solar/earth inter- Complex things are made easy to
action. The illustration provides an understand by tying the concept to a
overall view of how the system works, visual pattern. Structures give order
and by understanding the overall sys- to details. When we see the whole pat-
tem, it is then easier to understand the tern of something, then it is easy to
details in perspective as you learn understand the parts. It is easy to
more about the concept. Once you understand the details if we see the
have a visual image of the system’s relationship of the parts. Visuals help
pattern, if I talk about the importance complex things seem easy to under-
of solar energy to life—how solar stand.
energy affects the weather and atmos-
A third way visual notes help is that
pheric conditions on earth—that
the mind seeks strong mental images
makes sense because you can see how
to recall. Visual notes are a strong
that happens. The details are easy to
mental image created for the mind to
understand because you have seen the
recall. This image makes it easier for
whole picture.
the mind to picture what is happening
Another thing that visuals do is give 16 and remember what is happening.
structure to things. It is a human ten- The weather on Earth as affected by solar
dency to seek order. We want to have radiation.
How To Take Visual theme, sort out the different elements As you can see in this example, we
that apply to it—the stories, the facts, have drawn a fairly complex body;
Notes the figures, the different details. Ask however, you could do the same thing
Visual note-taking is relatively simple yourself the key questions: Who? with a very simple, stick figure draw-
as long as you do a couple of basic What? When? Where? Why? How? ing as well.
things. First, you must develop some The answers to these questions form a
kind of structure for your note-tak- The next example of visual note-
structure for understanding the con-
ing. With this structure, you can tie taking was created to demonstrate the
cept. Put these elements around the
the parts and the details together so measurement of time using natural
central theme to form a relationship.
that everything will make sense to you means.
This process is demonstrated in the
later to aid your recall. To develop following example of visual note-tak-
your structure, begin by identifying ing on the body’s physical responses
the central theme of the subject mat- to fear.
ter. Once you’ve identified the central
In this example, the central theme is
fear. As you look at the elements of
the visual note, you can readily identi-
fy the various elements related to the
body’s physical reaction to fear—the
pupils dilate, blood pressure increas-
es, adrenaline is released, the hair
stands on end, and so on. The visual
enables you to better recall these reac-
tions that occur throughout the body
and where they occur in the body.
How natural phenomena record the pass-

ing of time.
The body’s physical responses to fear.

The third example is a simplified Mark Twain—A Visual worked out his own system through
visual pattern that demonstrates the trial and error throughout his life-
need for education to include bal-
Note-Taking Pioneer time, and his system wasn’t revealed
anced learning in both scientific and On occasion you may find yourself until years after his death when a
artistic fields. Even though the major- responsible for making a speech at a post-mortem essay was published.
ity of the information is written out, professional conference, convention, The system Twain developed was so
the inclusion of the circles and hands testimonial dinner, whatever. Studies effective for him that he claimed he
makes a visual image for the mind to have shown that people rank public could remember an entire speech 25
remember to aid recall of the written speaking as their number one fear, years after he gave it and could recall
out information. while death is number two. Amazing! it in complete detail through a single
One way to overcome the fear of pub- act of recall.
lic speaking is to improve your speak- In his early days as a lecturer, Twain
ing skills. You may be surprised to used the usual full pages of text notes
find how effectively visual note-taking to keep his thoughts in order. He’d
can aid in the development of your write down the beginnings of key sen-
public speaking skills. tences to take him from one point to
Most of us wish we could speak elo- another. Typically he would write and
quently and easily with the words memorize 11 key sentence beginnings
flowing naturally, sprinkled with the for a lecture. The problem was it just
perfect anecdotes and humor and didn’t work. He’d remember the sen-
backed by a clear grasp of the facts tence but forget the appropriate order
and detail. That’s the way good speak- causing him to stop and consult his
ers come across. And those good notes, which spoiled the flow and
speakers don’t speak from notes, so spontaneity of the entire speech.
how do they do it? His next attempt was to not only mem-
Mark Twain faced these same prob- orize the key sentences but also the first
Education should include balanced learning.
lems.17 He wasn’t a particularly skillful letter of each sentence to keep them in
speaker at first, but he became one of order. That didn’t work either—not
the most successful orators in even when he limited the number of
American history through the use of key sentences to 10 and inked the first
visual note-taking techniques. Twain letter of each on his fingers!
“I kept track of the fingers for awhile,” Samples of his visual note-taking Why Visuals Work
Twain wrote, “then I lost it, and after include a haystack with a wiggly line
Twain was a writer, so it may be sur-
that I was never quite sure which fin- under it to represent a rattlesnake to
prising to you that writing down his
ger I’d used last.” remind him to talk about ranch life in
thoughts didn’t work for him. It was
the West. Slanting lines with an
Twain even tried licking off the inked much easier and more effective for
umbrella under them and the Roman
letters as he went along with his him to recall the visual patterns he
numeral II referred to a great wind
speech, but found that people would created, and the same is true for near-
that would strike Carson City every
notice he was more interested in his ly everyone. There are several simple
afternoon at 2 o’clock. A couple of
fingers than his subject. Inevitably a reasons why visuals create such strong
jagged lines representing lightning
listener or two would approach him mental images:
reminded him to move on to the sub-
afterward to ask what was wrong with
ject of weather in San Francisco where ■ Visuals form a unique mental
his hands.
he noted there wasn’t any lightning or image.
Then came the realization—the great thunder. ■ Visuals provide a general
turning point—that it was difficult to overview.
Twain’s visual note-taking system was
visualize letters, words and sentences,
so effective in preparing him for lec- ■ Visuals simplify concepts.
but pictures are easy to recall. Images
tures that he spoke without text notes ■ Visuals create mental order.
grab you—especially if you draw
from that day forward and his system
them yourself.
never failed him. Before each lecture
Forming a Unique Mental
“In two minutes I made six pictures or pubic appearance, he drew a pic- Image
with a pen,” Twain reported. “They ture for each section of his speech, all
did the work of 11 catch-sentences, strung out in a row like a storyboard. It is naturally easier for the mind to
and did it perfectly.” He would look at the images when he recall visuals as they create a unique
was finished and then destroy them. mental image. If you look at words on
Twain was no artist, but he did the a page, you see a gray pattern. If you
drawings anyway. Samples of his art- When he spoke, the images were again
fresh and sharp in his mind. If he look at a visual picture, more often
work indicate crude drawings—not than not the picture is much different
really considered art, but they did the wanted to add comments based on
the remarks of a previous speaker or than any other visual picture you see.
job. Having drawn the pictures him- The image is unique. This creates a
self, he found that he could throw presenter, he simply created and
inserted another picture in his series mental image for the mind and that
them away and still recall the images image is easy to recall.
at will. (Try it yourself. You will be of images.
surprised how effective it is.)
Providing a General The Importance of The methods for creating visual

Overview memory patterns are the same as the
Your Own Visuals ones used for creating visual note-
Another advantage of visual pictures
Visuals help you remember things taking patterns. You begin with the
is that they provide a general
best when you create those visuals central theme behind the concept,
overview. Visuals are a help because
yourself. Your drawings don’t need to identify the related supportive ele-
they take the mind from general to
be fancy or even particularly artistic; ments to that theme, and then create
specific. Concepts are more easily
they only need to be a visual pattern the structure of your visual. No mat-
understood and remembered when
that makes sense to you. If you create ter how strange the visual pattern—
they are taken from general to specific.
the pattern, no matter what that pat- even as odd as an alligator leaning
tern is, it is better than if you rely on against a wall wearing a chef ’s hat—
Simplifying Concepts someone else’s pattern to help your the structure you create relates the
Visuals simplify concepts that would mind recall the concept. parts to the central theme. As you see
otherwise seem complex or intimi- If you are familiar with the term in the examples found throughout
dating. By viewing a key concept as mnemonics, you can see parallels in this book, visual memory patterns
simplified by a visual drawing, it the way these techniques work. take a variety of shapes, sizes, and
becomes easier to understand the Mnemonics is the technique of using styles—whatever is necessary to cre-
details related to the concept. related sounds to trigger the memory. ate a visual pattern to aid you with
For example, I had a friend that could recall of memory.
Creating Mental Order not remember the name Arlene Cook, Draw, in your own style, whatever
Visuals aid in recall because they cre- so he created his own mental image of reminds you of the story or topic. For
ate mental order that all individuals an alligator that was leaning against a example, sales must increase could be
need. Humans naturally want things wall. This alligator wore a chef ’s hat to drawn with a vertically pointed arrow
to make sense and have order. Visuals trigger the association with “cook”. and a dollar sign. If you have figures to
are an easy way to give order and Once he created this mental image remember, draw them coming out of
sense to concepts. through the combined use of people’s mouths, in pyramids, under a
mnemonics and visualization, he no building, whatever will trigger the
longer had trouble remembering the image and the numbers in your mem-
name Arlene Cook. ory. Often the wilder the image, the
easier it will be to remember.
Rapid Viz Aids Exercises ■ Platonic love

■ Deductive reasoning
Learning and Recall ■ Ecosystem
Most people readily recognize the Exercise 6.1
■ Heat pump
value of visual aids. They look at and Visually depict at least five of the fol- ■ General system theory
remember visuals they encounter in lowing concepts: ■ Microeconomics
books such as diagrams that commu- ■ Characterization ■ Transactional analysis
nicate concepts. However, most peo- ■ Entropy ■ Offset printing
ple do not draw their own visuals to ■ Euphemism ■ Carbuncle
aid understanding. If you employ the ■ Structural stability ■ Sterling engine
Rapid Viz note-taking technique, ■ Harmony ■ Meiosis
your ability to learn and recall will be ■ Network ■ Learning curve
increased greatly. ■ Linear induction ■ Specialty advertising
■ Synergy ■ Checks and balances
■ Arms race ■ Soliloquies
■ Balanced budget ■ Manifold
■ Injection molding ■ Legume
18 The boiling-water reactor. Basic machining processes.

The transfer of heat.

Visually depict how to do any three of Watch an informational movie or TV Read two magazine articles. Take
the following activities: show. Be aware of the different visual visual notes of what you read. Revisit
explanations given to communicate your notes two or three weeks later to
■ Make bread
the intended message. Take notes test your recall of the articles. Then
■ Start a car
using the visual note-taking tech- reread the articles. Objectively cri-
■ Eat an apple
nique. Later rethink the movie or tique how effectively and accurately
■ Cut grass
show by comparing the use of visuals your visual notes aided your recall of
■ Swing dance
used to your choices for visual note- the content of the articles.
■ Evoke a response
taking. Compare your visual notes
■ Follow a scent Magazine Article 1:
with another source (an encyclopedia
■ Cut your own hair
or online references) that explains the _________________________________
■ Sell a wristwatch
same subject matter and record an _________________________________
■ Make money
assessment of your notes.
■ Tie a shoelace _________________________________
■ Pick a nose _________________________________
■ Change a tire _________________________________
_________________________________
■ Install a lock _________________________________
■ Drill a well _________________________________
■ Write a poem Magazine Article 2:
_________________________________
■ Destroy a tank _________________________________
■ Play soccer _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Appendix A
Additional Exercises
T his appendix contains addi-

Exercise A.1
tional exercises for your own Learning to visualize can be achieved
personal study or for use in a by causing your mind to see new
classroom environment. These exer- views of objects. Draw a three-
cises are meant to challenge your new dimensional sectional view of the
skills and strengthen your visualiza- object described by the front, top, and
tion and graphic expression tech- side views of the objects shown on the
niques. next page. (Hint: The section views
are as though a portion of the object
were cut away.)
179
20
19
Appendix A ■ Additional Exercises 181
Exercise A.2
A key component of visualization is
to see the internal workings of
objects. The images shown on this
page are examples of two techniques
used to see internal views of objects.
The van is shown as though the outer
shell were transparent allowing you to
see the internal parts. The hair dryer
is shown as an exploded view of all of
the internal parts.
Find a small gadget or appliance that

you can disassemble. Take it apart and
draw the parts using either of the two
techniques shown—the transparent
view or the exploded view.
Exercise A.3
Design five different styles of flash-
light using the critical elements (light,
switch, batteries, connection) shown
in the following image.
Exercise A.4
The two images on this page show real
and imagined views of playground
equipment. Create your own drawing
of playground equipment that you
would like to see built.
21
Exercise A.5
The photograph on the next page is
of a narrow street that could be con-
verted into something fabulous.
Place a piece of tracing paper over
the photograph to trace the struc-
tures. Now use that template to cre-
ate a new “something” for the narrow
street. It could be anything from a
dog park to a pedestrian rest area to
an outdoor café—whatever your
mind can imagine.
Exercise A.6
Transform this old house into a new technique of transforming something
structure. The new building need not, old into something new can be a
and probably should not, appear any- source for numerous other exercises
thing like the original house. Improve on your own.)
it in any way you can imagine. (This
Exercise A.7
Grid sheets are visual comparisons of
two variables. Grid sheets that analyze
the different characteristics of a given
situation can expand the visual mind.
Study the following example to see
how the grid pattern was used to ana-
lyze the problem. In this example, the
dots on the chart indicate where the
items listed across the top correspond
to the items listed down the right side.
Select two variables you can compare
to create your own grid. For example,
create a grid depicting the number of
people that walk along five different
streets during different hours of the
day. List one variable horizontally
across the top or bottom and list the
other variable vertically along the left
edge of the grid. In this case, the two
variables are the streets and the hours
of the day.
Exercise A.8
Creating new objects from simple
shapes expands visual powers. The
circular restaurant in the following
image was created by combining
cylindrical shapes. Use this technique
to combine spherical or triangular
shapes to create a new bank. If you
wish to go further, combine other
basic shapes to create new clothing
apparel, new transportation equip-
ment, or any other item you can
imagine.
Exercise A.9
Create three drawings of ways the
street in the following photograph
could be improved or changed.
Exercise A.10
Draw three different design ideas for improvements to the camper. Use
improving or changing the camper tracing paper to help you quickly
shown in this photo. Your drawings draw the basic parameters of the
may include aesthetic or functional camper, if necessary.
Exercise A.11
Flip visuals are a popular rapid visual-
ization tool. Begin by drawing your
own step-by-step cartoon show.
When your drawings are completed,
place them stacked from beginning to
end on top of each other and flip
through the drawings as you would
flip through pages in a book to see
your drawings in action.
Exercise A.12
Use tracing paper to copy the basic
structure for this new electric auto-
mobile. Draw five different outer
shells for the vehicle. Make each con-
cept car as different and visually excit-
ing as you can possibly imagine.
Exercise A.13
Create a power hand tool that does
not need electricity as a power source.
Your tool can be a redesign of an
existing electric tool in use today or
something completely new. Possible
alternative power sources might
include water, wind, gravity, light,
geo-thermal, fly wheels, etc.
Exercise A.14 25 Positive Results: 25 Negative Results:

Imagine that a “matter transporter” _________________________________ _________________________________
has recently been invented. This _________________________________ _________________________________
device can transport matter from one
_________________________________ _________________________________
location to another instantaneously.
_________________________________ _________________________________
Distance is no problem.
_________________________________ _________________________________
List 25 positive results and 25 negative
_________________________________ _________________________________
results from the invention of the mat-
_________________________________ _________________________________
ter transporter.
_________________________________ _________________________________
Illustrate three positive and three neg-
_________________________________ _________________________________
ative results that you listed.
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
Exercise A.15
Study the following sequence illustra-
tions. Duplicate this sequential tech-
nique to create a seven sequence
illustration of the following activities:
■ Your drive to school or work
■ A walk through a building
■ A walk through a park
■ A walk down your street
■ A recent trip you took
■ A visit to the grocery store
22
Appendix B
Suggested Readings
T
Archigram, ISBN: 1568981945, 0393730409, W.W. Norton &
he following list includes
Princeton Architectural Press. Company.
some of the best books writ-
ten by authors with years of Architectural Delineation, Earnest E. Design Drawing Experiences 2000
experience in drawing, visualization, Burden, ISBN: 0070089396, Edition, William Kirby Lockard,
teaching, and developing visualiza- McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 0393730417, W.W. Norton &
tion processes. Please take the time to Company.
Architectural Illustration: The Value
find and read them all. I am sure you Delineation Process, Paul Stevenson Design with Nature, Ian L. McHarg,
will find them to be helpful in your Oles, ISBN: 0442262744, Van ISBN: 047111460X, Wiley Pubishing.
mastery of visualization, and valuable Nostrand Reinhold Publishing Co.
additions to your reference shelf. Design Yourself!, Hanks and Belliston,
Architectural Rendering: The ISBN: 1560520469, Crisp Learning.
Techniques of Contemporary
Designers Dictionary, Bruce T. Barber,
Presentation, Albert O. Halse, ISBN:
ASIN: B0006W43CS, Upson
0070256284, Mc-Graw Hill.
Company.
Design Drawing 2000 Edition,
William Kirby Lockard, ISBN:
197
Designers Dictionary Two, Bruce T. Graphic Problem-Solving for Architects The New Drawing on the Right Side of
Barber, ISBN: 091138054X, St. and Builders, Paul Laseau, ISBN: Your Brain, Betty Edwards, ISBN:
Books. 084360154X, Cahners Books. 0874774241, Tarcher Publishing.
Draw! A Visual Approach to Thinking, How to Draw Animals, Jack Hamm, The Pencil, Paul Calle, ISBN:
Learning, and Communicating, Hanks ISBN: 0399508023, Perigee Books. 0823039900, Watson-Guptill
and Belliston, ISBN: 0913232459, Publications.
Language of Drawing, Edward Hill,
Crisp Learning.
ASIN: B0006BOU40, Prentice-Hall. The Thames and Hudson Manual of
Drawing the Head and Figure, Jack Rendering with Pen and Ink, Robert
Pencil Broadsides, Theodore Kautzky,
Hamm, ISBN: 0399507914, Perigee W. Gill, ISBN: 0500680264, W.W.
ISBN: 0442110413, Van Nostrand
Books. Norton & Co.
Reinhold Publishing Co.
Drawing As a Means to Architecture, Visual Thinking, Rudolf Arnheim,
Perspective: A New System for
William Kirby Lockard, ISBN: ISBN: 0520242262, University of
Designers, Jay Doblin, ASIN:
1560522232, Crisp Learning. California Press.
B0007DQJUA, Whitney Library of
Drawings by American Architects, Design.
Alfred M. Kemper (editor), ISBN:
Perspective Drawing Handbook,
0471013692, John Wiley & Sons.
Joseph D’Amelio, ISBN: 0486432084,
Experiences in Visual Thinking, Dover Publications.
Robert H. McKim, ISBN:
The Big Yellow Drawing Book, Dan
0818504110, Brooks/Cole Publishing
O’Neill, H.D. O’Neill, and Marian
Co.
O’Neill, ISBN: 0967591902, Hugh
Graphic Design for the Computer Age: O’Neill and Associates.
Visual Communication for All Media,
The Natural Way to Draw, Kimon
Edward A. Hamilton, ISBN:
Nicolaides, ISBN: 0395530075,
0442113749, Van Nostrand Reinhold
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Publishing Co..
Credits
6. Drawing by Carl Landow, Manhat- 11. Introduction to Engineering Design
T
he following illustration and
information sources were used tan Community College, Caudill and Graphics, George C. Blakley and
Rowlett Scott Ernest A. Chilton, The Macmillan
in the creation of this book. Company
7. Drawing by Howard F. Elkus, AIA
1. U.S. Steel Corporation Headquarters Building, The Archi- 12. Drawing by Richard Dorman, Office
2. Droodle Book Series, Roger Price, tects Collaborative Building, Dorman/Muirselle Associ-
Price-Stern Publisher 8. Drawing by John M. Johansen, Leap ates
3. Abstracta Systems, Inc. Frog Housing, John M. Johansen and 13. Drawing by Jim Hamilton, Seattle
4. John M. Johansen and Associates, by Associates Center Hospital, Fred Bassetti &
Ashoik M. Bhavnani, New York, NY 9. Reprinted from the January 1977 Company, Architect
5. From the paper “Design Approaches issue of Progressive Architecture, 14. Architects/Planners Alliance, Inc.,
to the Fibrous Glass Reinforced Poly- copyright 1977, Reinhold Publishing Ralph F. Evans Architect, Developer,
ester Bathroom as Related to Market Company, p. 73 (Richard Ridley and Owner
Needs” by David D. Tompkins and Associates) 15. The Metaphorical Way of Learning
Merritt W. Seymour, Owens Corning 10. Symbol Sourcebook, Henry Dreyfuss, and Knowing, W.J.J. Gordon, Por-
Fiberglass Corporation McGraw-Hill Publishing Company poise Books
199
16. Reprinted from the January 1977 19. Fiberglass/Plastic Design Guide, pre- 22. Architectural Illustration of the Value
issue of Progressive Architecture, pared by Owens-Corning Fiberglass Delineation Process, Paul Stevenson
copyright 1977, Reinhold Publishing Technical Center, Market Develop- Oles, AIA United States Pavilion
Company, p. 72 (Richard L. ment Laboratory Design Depart- Expo ‘67 (early scheme), R. Buck-
Crowther) ment under the direction of J.A. minster Fuller/S. Sadao
17. “The Speechmaker’s Quandry, Here’s Keown, illustrations by D.A. Damico
How Mark Twain Solved It”, Educa- 20. Timberform, Inc.
tional Dealer, January/February 1977 21. Reprinted from the September 1978
18. Reprinted from the January 1977 issue of Progressive Architecture,
issue of Progressive Architecture, copyright 1978, Reinhold Publishing
copyright 1977, Reinhold Publishing Company, p. 123
Company, p. 68 (Burt, Hill & Associ-
ates)
Digital art…
no canvas, no boundaries, no end to the possibilities
When Pancakes Go Bad: Optical Delusions with
Digital 3D Design Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artists Adobe Photoshop
ISBN: 1-59200-391-5 ■ $24.99 ISBN: 1-59200-487-3 ■ $39.99 ISBN: 1-59200-524-1 ■ $29.99
Creating 3D Effects for Film, TV, and Games Hollywood 2D Digital Animation: Mastering Digital 2D and 3D Art
ISBN: 1-59200-589-6 ■ $49.99 The New Flash Production Revolution ISBN: 1-59200-561-6 ■ $39.99
ISBN: 1-59200-170-X ■ $39.99
Call 1.800.354.9706 to order

Order online at www.courseptr.com
Everyone Should Draw
ISBN: 1-59863-256-6 ■ $24.99 U.S.
View the world around you in an entirely new way as you hone your
skills of artistic observation. Everyone Should Draw is an easy-to-
follow guide for non-artists who wish to gain a more rich and fulfilling
life through art training. An introductory book, it is not targeted at
the aspiring artist or art student, but rather caters to general readers
who are interested in acquiring an artistic outlet in their lives.
Following the step-by-step instructions, you can learn how to create
your first works of art.
Conquer the basics of drawing as you learn how to:

■ See and perceive light, perspective, and composition.
■ Communicate through drawing.
■ Use art for expression and fulfillment.
■ Gain artistic vision.
Call 1.800.354.9706 to order ■ Order online at www.courseptr.com

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Rapid Viz, Third Edition

A New Method for the Rapid Visualization of Ideas

Kurt Hanks & Larry Belliston

Printed in the United States of America Visualizers:

Thomson Course Technology PTR, a division of Thomson Learning Inc.

Chapter 4 Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199

Rapid Viz—Not Another

confusion and non-perfor- frame of reference or comfort Another Way of Learning

Exercise I.3 Exercise I.4

Now make something from your doo-

Answers to Exercise I.4:

Exercise I.5 Exercise I.6

Exercise I.7 ■ He had learned the amazing Exercise I.8

O ne of the greatest challenges The Box Method

One-Point Perspective Two-Point Perspective

Key Principles of Perspective 3. The nearest angle is 90° or

Dividing a Square The lower half of the next example

Draw this cube

Draw this cube

Adding Squares Squares drawn in perspective appear

Assorted Boxes Exercise 1.12 ■ Draw a 2 × 2 × 5 box with an open

■ Draw a 2.5 × 2 × 3 box using two-

■ Draw a 2 × 4 × 1 box using one-

Visualizing the Object Exercise 1.14 indicated by a dashed line. These

Complicated Objects Exercise 1.15

Drawing Cube Shelving 3 Recreate these objects sitting on the

Drawing a Chair Exercise 1.17

The chairs shown here look different

Drawing Other Objects

■ A box of tissue ■ A bed

■ A tall building with a helicopter

■ An upside-down suitcase ■ A skyscraper

■ A children’s bedroom schematic

Use the cubes below to draw a different view

Now draw an aerial view of the same

Drawing Interiors ple. Use boxes and cubes to create dif-

Exercise 1.21 furniture, add windows, whatever you

Exercise 1.22 Note: The minor axis is the narrowest

Draw a page of squares in perspective

Spheres Exercise 1.23 Cylinders and Cones

To draw an accurate sphere, begin by

Complete the object that is Create perspective drawings for the

■ A drinking glass with a straw in it

Exercise 1.27 Using tracing paper refine the follow-

If you want to draw an object in per- Drawing Buildings and

When adding contour lines to your

I had one student who aspired to Exercise 1.33

Exercise 1.37 Shading Shading gives form to objects. The

Select several photos of existing cars

Exercise 1.38 Exercise 1.40 Curved Surfaces

Exercise 1.42 Light Against Dark

Exercise 1.45 Exercise 1.46

Exercise 1.47 Shadows

Shadows for Complicated

A cast shadow that falls over a curved

Reflections A reflection is simple to draw. It is a begins at the baseline and is a mirror

A reflection can show parts of the Exercise 1.54

Using the first drawing as a guide,

Finish drawing this partially com-

Exercise 1.55 Exercise 1.56 Exercise 1.57

Color ■ Use complementary colors. If Drawing with Color

Exercise 1.58 Exercise 1.59

2. Subordinate all indicated People