Learning a New Language Pt. 2

Monday, 26th August, 2019

Prof. Kireet Patel delivered a lecture, in which he proposed to rechristen the word “sketching” as “The Science of Seeing”.

There is no obvious square shape in the human form. Then why did Da Vinci draw the Vitruvian Man inscribed in a square? There is no obvious square, triangle, or parallelogram in a bicycle yet we are able to construct one very easily with the help of the aforementioned shapes. Geometry is the set of signposts which guide us on our quest for our desired sketch. There is no destination; no sketch is done. If it communicates our intent, it works; and that is our objective- reinforcing last week’s learning. He exhorted us to look for the geometry which is so ubiquitously present in our surroundings, and use these signposts while sketching, instead of wandering aimlessly in the thick, dense forest that is a blank sheet of paper.

Prof. Patel first mentioned the importance of drawing the object true to its form.This is again a reiteration of my learning from last week, about form being paramount. He urged us to refrain from rendering too early, which is a common shortcoming, since we are blinded by our desire for that “wow” sketch. We must subtract the reality from the object, and look at it in terms of points and lines. “Learn to delay the temptation of making it look real,” he said.

“No tools are wrong; we use them wrongly”

-Prof. Kireet Patel, 2019

Prof. Patel also introduced the idea of looking at mediums as degrees of freedom, and not objects which make marks on a surface. Approaching a medium in this way will give us an idea of what to expect from it, and will inform the sketching process. We assess its abilities, limitations and characteristics, thus allowing us to engage with it fully and understand it better. Only after building a relationship with that medium will we be able to explore it to its full potential. Prof. Patel likened a medium to a friend; “Each friend has his/her own character. It (Mediums) are like a friend you must understand. Some friends are great for deep conversations, some friends are great for partying, some give sound advice; make friendship with your medium, understand it.” After talking about mediums, someone asked Prof. Patel what he thought about the use of an eraser, and he had this to say: “We are not carrying a mistake in our sketchbooks, we are carrying learning” (Patel, 2019). He drew a clear distinction between mistakes and errors; the former being a fundamental mistake in observation, the latter being a small misplaced line here or there. These errors can be erased and one need not fret over them because we are all human, after all!

One of the most important takeaways for me was something that Prof. Patel mentioned towards the end, about intent and its role in sketching. The positioning of the object gives the viewer an insight into how the artist or designer wanted it to be perceived. A stool placed right side up is for sitting or placing something upon it; but a stool upside down or at an angle communicates that it is no more an ordinary stool. It tells a story- maybe it has been toppled over, or thrown across the room, or in our case, a part of our composition. This impacted me so much, I doubt I will ever forget this principle. The best way to put this into practice is to first have a clear idea of what the sketch is supposed to inform the reader about, then pick the most appropriate angle/view, which captures this intent: Do you want to show how big the building is? Pick a wide perspective, from an insect’s eye view. Is a specific tree to be highlighted? Look for a view where it has a subtle background, and detail the background less. This is of course for immovable things; for smaller objects, one has the freedom of composing it as desired, following the same principles of drawing attention to what you want the viewer to see.

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Tuesday, 27th August 2019

Today I was able to get a clear sketch of a bicycle. I made lots of study sketches in which I dissected and understood the shapes present in the cycle, its geometry (the double diamond frame is such a versatile piece of engineering, it is truly amazing the load it can bear) and how these same shapes transform when viewed in perspective. I then finished the final detailed sketch, constructing it using all the references I gathered during my study, which turned out well. I was making progress on all fronts, as the sketch was appropriate for an A3 size page, the lines were dark and legible and the proportions were good. I was ready to move on to the perspective view.

Figure 1: Study sketch, trying to understand the geometry of the cycle, with errors corrected in the sketch by the author. Source: Author’s Photograph

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Wednesday, 28th August, 2019

I discovered that the perspective view was going to demand much more attention, and decided to spend the day understanding how the cycle presented itself, when viewed from various angles. I made some study sketches trying to understand the angle of the plane, first trying to plot a vanishing point, but those sketches were too exaggerated as the human eye cannot see such a distorted view at regular height. Taking Hamid sir’s advice, I decided to trust my eyes, and let them verify each line for me. I did this and tried to build the rest of the cycle within the construction lines, learning more about the cycle with each line. What angle the tubes are attached at, the twists on the holder support, all these details made themselves obvious with every sketch I made. I must also credit my incredible friends from different unit, who taught me the little nuances that they picked up, facilitating wonderful peer learning- for example, one girl had observed the pattern of the spokes in detail, and all of us had our spokes checked by her. Likewise, I was able to help my friends from other units by sharing my insights and learning and helping them apply it too. I learnt that one must be willing to give freely, and push each other to do better.

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Friday, 30th August 2019

Figure 2. Perspective sketch, with detail of chassis, spokes, rear seat supports & stand. Source: Author’s Photograph

Every day is a test of patience and perseverance - how long I am able to sustain my interest, and finish the sketch. Some take an hour, some take four; but all of them deserve our complete attention,This discipline was instrumental in preparing me for today’s sketch, which would demand every ounce of attention that I had. It stands testament to the growth I have seen in my sketching and observatory skills, since I was able to put into one sketch all the details and information I gathered through my previous sketches. It took me some time to get the construction lines right, but after that, it was. Now, looking back at the first sketch (Figure 1, of the previous blog post), I feel that I’ve learnt to see things from a completely different perspective!