Non-perspective drawing

Simply put non-perspective drawings have no perspective. That is to say, there are no vanishing points therefore lines that disappear into the distance have to be treated in one of two ways - a) they don't exist (an orthographic or elevation) or b) they exist, but no perspective will be applied to them (oblique and isometric view).

The following diagram is a sample of the typical reference material you might expect to receive on a technical illustration project. Most major plans after being designed will be broken down into elevation views (first 4 images) and an isometric form (last image at right) to be given to the people in charge of manufacturing the product.

Kevin Hulsey: from his Tutorial Series

All objects of course are 3 dimensional and when displaying them in a 2D fashion we must include features not visible from the 2D viewer's angle (straight on in the case of an orthographic drawing, or from an edge-view from the case of a oblique or isometric view). Therefore, hidden lines must added to show that these features DO exist.

A simple breakdown of the non-perspective types of drawing can be seen below:

Orthographic / elevation view

Technically an Orthographic view is simply the 3 elevations combined into a page and spread so that the top, front and side views are positionned to easily convert them into an oblique or isometric view.

Oblique view

One face is flat, the angle of the Z axis is then 45 degrees off of this.

Isometric View

The front and Z axis are both 30 degrees to the horizon.

Perspective Drawing For The Technical Illustrator

Taken from Kevin Hulsey from his Tutorial Series

Perspective Basics

A thorough understanding of the principles of 1-Point and 2-Point Perspective is essential to creating an accurate, and visually appealing piece of art. A lay-person with no technical understanding of the principles of perspective drawing will nonetheless have an intuitive negative reaction to a piece of art in which something is amiss. Using the perspective techniques shown in the preceding tutorials, the mental impression they will make on a viewer will be so strong that once mastered, the illusion of 3-dimensional depth will remain, even when the visual trickery involved in the process has been revealed.

Any good technical illustration starts with well executed line art. If you are working from any type of reference other than a CAD output in the desired angle, you will need to have a strong fundamental understanding of the principles of perspective drawing. This page will cover the various types of perspective angles you will encounter. In the tutorial lessons that follow this page, you will be given the tools needed to map out a perspective grid for any s-dimensional situation. From this grid, you will be able to create realistic three dimensional drawings from flat or "Off Angle" reference.

The three photos below demonstrate the difference between 1-Point and 2-Point Perspective, as well as 3-Point Perspective. The first photograph (Fig. 1) is an example of one-point perspective. All of the major Vanishing Points for the buildings in the foreground of Fig. 1 converge at one central location on the horizon line. The angle of view or Point Of View (POV) in Fig. 1 is referred to as Normal View perspective. In Fig. 2 the vanishing points for the two opposing faces of the center foreground building project towards two different vanishing points on the horizon line. In Fig. 3 we see that the horizontal building elements project to the left and right horizon and the vertical building elements project to a central vanishing point in the sky. This upper vanishing point is called the Zenith. If one were looking down on the object from a Bird's Eye perspective, the vanishing point below the horizon and would be called the Nadir.

Deconstructing "Perspective" from Photography

In the next three diagrams, you will see the same three photographs with Vanishing Point trajectory lines (magenta) and Horizon Lines (blue) traced over the subject matter. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are both examples of Normal View perspective. A Normal View angle places the Horizon Line at a natural height as if the viewer was looking straight forward without tilting the head/camera up or down. In these two examples, you will notice that all of the vertical features of the buildings are straight up and down.

Fig. 6 is an example of a Worm's Eye perspective. In Fig. 6 the head/camera is tilted upward placing the Horizon below the picture. The perspective when the view is tilted in an upward direction, creates a third vanishing point at the Zenith. All of the vertical building features will converge at this upper vanishing point. If we were looking down on a subject, the viewing angle would be a Bird's Eye View and the vertical details would converge at the Nadir.

This technique of tracing parallel lines to their convergence point would be used to construct a Perspective Grid from exiting photographic material. Each convergence point will represent the exact location of the Horizon, Zenith, or Nadir in that photograph.

Practical Exercise: Take 15 minutes to complete Isometric to orthographic sheet

Tips to Sketchingfrom: DesignSojourn.comOne of the greatly misunderstood concepts of design is that a good designer must be a good sketcher. Sketching can be self-taught and doesn't need to be perfected in order to succeed. There have been famous designers who have created terrible sketches but end up with great designs, and great sketchers that are hopeless designers.

Essentially you would only need to draw or sketch well enough to communicate your concept on paper without you having to explain what it is. You don’t have to win the beauty contest, but you WILL have to do well enough so that a fellow designer (or if you want it to be tougher on yourself, a non-designer) can understand what you are attempting to communicate. Notice the key word here? It’s not drawing, draw, design, or sketch, it’s communicate. A good sketch communicates an idea clearly and succinctly.

Sketching is also one part of the design process that makes up a successful design. Strong understanding in proportions, colors, and manufacturing processes are other important elements that can make or break a design. So don’t despair if your sketching ability, at this time, is not up to par, as you will have a chance to refine it in the downstream design process.

Before we go on lets take a look at the different kinds of sketches so as to not confuse yourself when you go crazy over somebody’s apparently great work.

Thumbnail or Napkin sketch

Source: Core77

A thumbnail sketch is a very basic sketch that has an almost child like quality to it. This type of sketch is mainly about getting your ideas down on paper as quickly as possible without too much care about proportions and beauty. Its often pretty rough focusing only on the key“big” idea. Thumbnails sketches are often the most frequently used sketch technique used to communicate ideas.

Emotion Sketch

greencab

Source:MikedesignThese are the sketches people go ga-ga over and a main source of a designer’s spine tingling sensation as well as frustration. Also called Inspirational sketches, such sketches are often use to set the tone of a design, brand language or product range.

z1_sketch_04

Source:ToyfonEmotional sketches are also very difficult to do. Simply because an emotional sketch is extremely form orientated, and used as a means to communicate emotion. Hence the designers who create emotional or inspirational sketches are often called “form monsters” and have the uncanny ability to turn an emotion or expression keyword into a line, form or silhouette.

However one if you look closely into such sketching style you would realize such sketches don’t actually communicate a lot of information. If you look at the example above, can you ask yourself how does the door open? Where is the door handle? The side mirrors?Its because such sketches are meant to convey just the look or feel of a product and nothing more. It intentionally or unintentionally leaves out things like mechanical fixtures, part lines, or assembly information etc. The best emotional sketch designers are actually able to convert their sketches into great products, but unfortunately you be also surprised to know most cannot and remain in just form or concept development.

Information SketchThe information sketch is perhaps the level at which what most designers, whom are worried about their sketching ability, should aspire to. It’s the minimum type of sketch level that would allow other designers to understand what you are trying to draw.

starlight_me_pin01

http://www.flickr.com/photos/designsojourn/312071628/

hp laptop2 copy

SourceThere are a lot of tangent lines, exploded views, transparent layering, a little color here and there, but all in all you can easily tell almost right away what is going on. Right now so how do we do it? How to we get to the level we are satisfied with? Or how do we just improve our sketching ability?

Tips on how to be a sketch god! (or at least get you close!):From DesignSojourn.com

1) Know how you draw

Do you draw lines by moving your wrist, elbow or shoulder? There is really no right or wrong way to draw, though most purist advice to use draw from the shoulder. The reason for this is really about the type of sketch you want to create.

Wrist action encourages “tight” sketches and very good for a controlled sketch style. Drawing from the shoulder gives you a more sketchy and loose lines as you are literally firing off the lines. If you want the create that Emotion sketch this is the technique to use, but frankly this style requires a lot of practice in controlling your lines. Drawing from the elbow gives you the middle ground. At the end of the day pick the technique that you are most comfortable with.

2) Practice

When I started my design career, I drew everything every day. I refused to use tracing paper, rulers or erasers. If you want to improve your sketching skills you need to invest time and effort. Practice drawing buttons, perspective cubes, and horizontal or vertical lines. I have pages full of horizontal lines of at least 15cm long.

3) Understand the concept of varying line weights

One of the good tricks of sketching is to use different line weights or thicknesses. Basically you use thicker lines for edges further from the eye, and thin or dotted lines for edges closer to you.

4) Use intentionally sketchy lines by keeping your arm loose

In other words lines don’t end at the junction, keep them going and shoot them off. Creating loose sketchy looking lines is really a technique that can be easily learned.

5) Redraw your sketches and present them in a better light

I have seen many portfolios of designers with a few years of experience still include sketches from their school days. Now if you have been following my advice your sketching ability would have improved, so re-draw those old and ugly sketches, there is nothing and no-one saying you should not. This time, perhaps, take the opportunity to refine it to the level that you are happy with it.

6) Use callouts with cool handwriting

I don’t think I have to say much more about this, but the fact that annotations at strategic places does makes a sketch look cool. Oh and if your handwriting is not too good, I do suggest you pick up a book on drafting and practice.

7) Use the photocopier to save redrawing a good part

I only recommend this if your sketching ability is fairly good or if you are rushed for time. Otherwise redraw it from scratch. Photocopiers work great with Liquid Paper or Correction Fluid.

8) Draw big, but show it small

Actually a great presentation trick is to scan in your images, touch up the lines with Photoshop, and present them in a collage. Such a presentation strategy makes average sketches look good, and good sketches look GREAT!

9) Draw small, but show it big

If you have still a tough time sketching from your elbow or shoulder and if your line control is still not the best, what I suggest is to draw a thumbnail and blow it up on a photocopier or scanner. This way you would have an underlay to redraw your sketch with the same look and feel but with thinner lines.

10) Use layouts created from 2D or 3D software

Talking about the use of an underlay, use this time tested trick to create your sketches with a correct perspective, or for you to create a 2D orthographic sketch in proportion.

11) Draw with a pen

From what I’ve been told, sketching with a pen, instead of a pencil, is really about losing the ability to erase your lines, or erasing your mistakes.The idea here is that drawing with a pen forces you to think before your draw, and as you cannot erase your work, and you will then draw with a determined solution in mind. In other words, drawing with a pen trains your mind to think the design solution through before you actually put it on paper. It will make you a much better designer.The other reason is that, you stop being precious with your sketches and drawings, i.e. you draw and if it does not look good, you don’t get to erase and draw over, but you throw your drawings away and start fresh. This re-setting and starting from scratch seems to help make you a better designer, so the say!

Practical Exercise: Take 5 minutes to find a 1 point perspective picture from the internet of your choice. Take 15 minutes to sketch this

and turn this in for a completion mark once you're done. Take 5 minutes to find a 2 point perspective picture from the internet of your choice. Take 15 minutes to sketch this

and turn this in for a completion mark once you're done.

Assignment #1 - Collage of sketchesYou are to make 3 elevation views (front top side) and 4 isometric sketches of the same supplied object (1 sketch every 90 degrees). You are to make each sketch the same dimensions on a blank piece of 8.5x11 paper.

To submit:

front-top-side elevation views (3 in total) isometric (30 degrees from horizon - NO PERSPECTIVE) views of each of the 4 sides

You will be evaluated as follows:

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Lineweights

Superb choices in lineweights that best illustrate the object. Sketch is free from distracting elements

Good choices in lineweights that best illustrate the chosen topics. Sketches are defect-free but may contain a few unwanted features

All the pictures are present for the object. The sketches have some defects, but still portray the object

Most of the pictures are present for the chosen object. The sketches have many defects or are poor quality

Views Angles/views are correct down to the smallest detail.

The presentation of the object is adequate, but some care is needed to fully complete the detail

All aspects of the object chosen are present, though detail and orientation leaves something to be desired

Elements from the object are missing, or have serious flaws in presentation

Use of Time

Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders.

Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders.

Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so.

Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so.

Filetype and size All sketches are present Generally all sketches are

presentMany sketches present. Some components missing.

Only a few of the requirements have been met

Assignment #2 - 1 and 2 Point Perspective of Residential Buildings

Part - A

You are to make 2 sketches, and a 'good' 1-point perspective drawing of the following house exterior: (tip - divide the paper into quarters to help with ensuring proper proportions).

Part B

You are to make 2 sketches and a 'good' 2-point perspective drawing of this house interior. Try to focus on shading on the white wall in the top right corner. The best place to start is to divide the sheet into quarters and work out proportions. KEY: In the good copy 2 point perspective you are to change the bed with a different type of bed of another type taken from an image search of Google.

For a brief overview of 2-point drawing if you forget - follow this tutorial link.

To submit:

Minimum of 2 sketches of each picture One 1-point perspective of the first picture One 2-point perspective drawing (including the changed bed). One PSD collage of the sketches and the good copy of the 1 and 2 point drawing

You will be evaluated as follows:

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Sketches

Superb choices in line-weights and angles that best illustrate the object. Drawings are free from distracting elements

Good choices in line-weights and angles that best illustrate the chosen topics. Drawings are defect-free but may contain a few unwanted features

The sketches have some defects, but still portray the object

The sketches have many defects or are poor quality.

1 point perspective drawing

Lines merge seamlessly at the VP. There are no flaws in the drawing.

Lines merge at the VP with few flaws in the drawing. Lines generally at the VP.

Lines merge but with much room for improvement.

2 point perspective drawing

Lines merge seamlessly at both VPs. There are no flaws in the drawing.

Lines merge well at both VPs. There are generally no flaws in the drawing.

Lines merge at both VPs. There are flaws in the drawing.

Lines generally merge towards the VPs. There are multiple flaws in the drawing.

Bed replacement

The bed has been replaced with a type of bed that flawlessly integrates into the room.

The bed has generally been replaced with a type of bed that integrates into the room.

The bed has been replaced with a type of bed that doesn't quite integrate into the room.

The bed has been replaced, but the style doesn't reflect the type of room design at all.

Use of Time

Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders.

Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders.

Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so.

Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so.

Filetype and size All elements are present. Generally all elements are

present.

Many present. Some important components missing.

Only a few of the requirements have been met

Assignment #3 - Sketch ChallengeYou are to make an informational sketch (with callouts), and a 2 point perspective sketch of ONE of the following options:

a small electric commuter 3-wheeled vehicle a single person commuter plane-car (can be more 'plane like' or more 'hover-car-like') an exterior story and a half (e.g. 'cape cod')

When done, bring them into Photoshop in a collage as with Assignment #1.

To submit:

informational sketch 2 point perspective sketch collage

Evaluation:

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Informational Sketch

Superb choices in line-elements and angles that best illustrate the object. Drawing is free from distracting elements. Callouts are clear.

Good choices in line-elements and angles that best illustrate the chosen topics. Callouts are clear.

The sketch has some defects, but still gives the feel of the object

The sketch has many defects to the point where it is hard to identify the product

2 point perspective sketch

Sketched lines merge seamlessly at both VPs. There are no flaws in the drawing.

Lines merge well at both VPs. There are generally no flaws in the drawing.

Lines merge at both VPs. There are flaws in the drawing.

Lines generally merge towards the VPs. There are multiple flaws in the drawing.

Use of Time

Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders.

Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders.

Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so.

Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so.

Filetype and size All elements are present. Generally all elements are

present.

Many present. Some important components missing.

Only a few of the requirements have been met