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View Full Version : Use a ruler in environment sketching? General Tips for environment sketching?

leptonish
02-08-2010, 08:01 PM
1) Is it okay to use a ruler or should I use a ruler when doing environment sketching? So far I've been doing it freehand and it looks sloppy to me because I find it difficult to draw a straight line over long distances. I want to strike a balance between it looking non-mechanical and have some feeling and yet I want it to look neat.

2) Also do you have any tips on environment sketching in general? In the past, I've gotten bogged down with the details of every object in the room so I end up drawing only about a quarter of the room of what I intend to draw. I'm thinking that next time I'll draw the most important structures in the room and the overall shape of them instead. Can you suggest better strategies?

Edit: I forgot to mention that when I say environment sketching, I mean that it's from observation rather than imagination.
Lunatique
02-09-2010, 04:29 AM
I think it depends on the look you're after. If you're after a very accurate and polished look, then a ruler is fine, but if you are after a very expressive look, then perhaps it's better to do it freehand.

You can try not rest your drawing tool against the ruler, but rest part of your hand against the ruler instead. So as you draw the line, it's your hand (for example, your pinky) that's sliding along the ruler, not the drawing tool. That's what I used to do when I had to ink straight lines with a brush. It allowed a bit more flexibility and expressiveness.
leptonish
02-09-2010, 02:16 PM
Thank you Lunatique. I'll give that a try.
Katzenminze
04-01-2010, 02:51 PM
hey, as robert already said, of course it depends on your look, but I personally would say not rulers in sketching. when you sketch youre thining with the pencil, youre exploring ideas and trying to find what works. a ruler will only slow you down, dont go for to precise in a sketch. once youre happy with the look/structure and composition you can start working out the piece, in this phase i would use a ruler for architectur eand perspective lines, doing this by hand might end up kinda messy.
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