Draw Less, See More by Lucas Najle

Draw Less, See More Communicating the Essence of Place

Lucas Najle

Draw Less, See More

Communicating the Essence of Place

Lucas Najle Fall, 2013

Draw Less, See More

This book is dedicated to Santiago Fernandez and Jose Lugo. Two individuals who have helped guide me along my journey through architecture school and supported me more than anyone else on my quest to improve my drawing skills. Their immense knowledge and natural talent for hand drawing has been an inspiration to me since day one. They have shown me what can be achieved when one takes great pride in every aspect of their work. Although no longer alongside them in studio to copy from, their guiding voices still ring loudly every time I put a pen to the page. It is thanks to them that I am where I am today. I consider them my mentors, my role models, two of my strongest supporters, and above all, I am honored to call them my friends. Thank You.

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Table of Contents Foreword

Drawing from Observation

Street Views: Elevations

Street Views: Thumbnail Sketches

Speculative Drawing

Pure Speculation

Speculative Renditions

The View from Above

The View Inside

Putting it all together

The Money Shot

WorksCited

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“Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see-to see correctly-and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eye. The sort of ‘seeing’ I mean is an observation that utilizes as many of the five senses as can reach through the eye at one time” -Kimon Nicolaides The Natural Way to Draw

“We can never determine beforehand precisely what the final outcome will be. The developing image on paper gradually takes on a life of its own and guides the exploration of a concept as it travels between mind and paper and back again.” -Francis D.K. Ching Design Drawing

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Foreword “Draw Less, See More” is a quote I heard directly from Francis D.K. Ching on a 3 day sketching tour of Orlando in 2012. I didn’t make the connection at the time, but this eloquent phrase was the answer to a puzzle I had spent the last few years searching for. Often people blindly suggest to start drawing something to understand how it works. This is very sound advice, but my question was a very simple one. What are we really doing when we draw? As an architecture student, we seldom escape a critique from our professors without urging us to sketch an idea out before moving further with it. As someone who has always enjoyed sketching this has never been a problem for me. I enjoy drawing and almost always default directly to grab a pen and start letting my ideas flow through my hands onto the page. Something about this process always feels very natural, there is something about having complete control of every single line that allows the creativity to really take the idea where it wants to go. As I began to move through my education and started learning more advanced ways of communication I was introduced to several types of computer software. Somewhere along those lines, lost amidst the translation from analog to digital perhaps, the control of those lines started to become more and more scripted. Lines no longer follow the movement of your hands but now move along primary axis; we view them on a screen but cannot touch them. To be able to physically touch these drawings we must print them out. A step which often leads to yet even more isolation from the creative spirit. Once we print, we give up the control of these lines once again as it is not really up to us but to the settings on the printer. Far too often the results of a drawing depended less on how well it was constructed, but more on the quality of the printer. Slowly but surely these disconnects began to have an impact on my drawings. Draw Less, See More

“No amount of technique with color media can rescue a drawing that displays a lack of understanding of the basic principles of perspective, line quality, and light and shadow.” -Michael Doyle Color Drawing

“Whether a drawing is executed by hand or developed with the aid of a computer, the standards and judgments governing the effective communication of design ideas into architecture remain the same, just as the rules of spelling, grammar, and punctuation for the written language remain applicable, whether jotted down by hand in the traditional manner, typed on a manual or electric typewriter, or entered by keyboard into a word processor.” -Francis D.K. Ching Design Drawing

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It was not until I started comparing these drawings to my older work that I realized they were becoming increasingly more rigid. The essence of these drawings which were so rich in the initial sketches was completely gone. Left in its place a hollow representation, a mere shadow, of what the original idea was in the beginning. Why do these drawings look so stale? This is something that seemed very strange to me. It was here when I decided to retrace my steps in search of finding a way in which drawings could be created, regardless of the medium, and still retain that initial essence. Along my journey I took an urban sketching course with the great Francis D.K. Ching. We explored areas of downtown Orlando and sketched for three days. Having him there to help us every minute we had pen to paper. What struck me as most inspiring was not necessarily his drawing technique, which was unparalleled, but mostly his attitude. When he drew, he seldom looked at his page for more than a moment. Instead, his eyes were almost fixed on the subject; studying every single nuance of the building he was recreating on his page. Sure he looked down often, but his hand only moved for a fraction of the amount of time that he was looking up. When asked about this, he responded with a simple phrase that has been locked in my mind ever since: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Draw Less, See More.â&#x20AC;? This fantastic notion suddenly put everything into perspective. At any moment there are hundreds of things we are looking at, but in that time how many things are we truly seeing? It is much more important to take the time and not just look at what we draw, but actually see it for what it is. It is this step which gives every single person a unique view on the entire world around us. No two people will look at something and also see the same thing. If we can train ourselves to really see what we are trying to draw, we will be able to get just that much closer to communicating the true essence of place.

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Drawing from Observation

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Street Views: Elevations This exercise began as a study of building elevations but quickly evolved into something with much more meaning. As soon as I saw this Moorish building in the Historic Downtown Sanford area, I knew there was something that intrigued me. What followed was a search to explore this place and not simply draw what the place looked like, but more impor-

tantly find a way to draw what I saw it to be. As I turned onto Commercial St. I was immediately taken back

by the large Moorish Style Building which dominates the block just passed the corner. The rest of the street was very quiet, with no pe-

Drawing 1: Media: Water Color Paper: Water Color Paper Finished Size: 9”x12” Elapsed Time: 35 Minutes Drawing 2: Media: Photoshop Base Image: Drawing 3

destrian or vehicular traffic. The only movement came from the power cables slowly swaying in the wind. In this eerie setting, the vacant Moorish Building stood out playfully along this quiet block, almost as if it had been forgotten in time. The setback of the building within its lot pulled me down the street. As I walked closer I slowly became entranced by the intricate details of the building. Bricks used in every way possible adorned the facades of the

Finished Size: 9”x12”

building. Stepped bricks under the tower and chimney seemingly

Elapsed Time: 30 Minutes

float off the façade. In contrast, the brick buildings across the street

Drawing 3: Media: Copic Pen, Paper: Sketch Paper Finished Size: 9”x12”

were uninspiring with their common running bond pattern and more modest use of reliefs. As I continued along the street, the large Moorish Arches denoting the windows and entrance gave way to an all stucco building next door.

Elapsed Time: 30 Minutes

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Street Views: Thumbnail Sketches This building continues the grandiose scale of the Moorish building, with its green canopy continuing the large presence on the street. As I arrive to the corner, the buildings stop and instead I am greeted by a seemingly barren environment: two parking lots complete1

ly devoid of any notion of human scale. A few trees lend some visual interest but can only do so much. Now at the end of the block, I turn and look back at the buildings I have just walked past. From this angle, the gleaming Moorish building still proudly dominates the block. Despite the presence the newer buildings surrounding it brings life to an otherwise un-

Drawing 1:

der appreciated block. I leave the site with a renewed sense of ap-

Media: Pencil, Copic Pen, Prismacolor

preciation: regardless of the amount of time that has passed since

Marker

it was built, this building has inspired me today. Hopefully some-

Paper: Sketch Paper

day one of my buildings will be able to do the same.

Finished Size:2â&#x20AC;?x4â&#x20AC;? thumbnails Elapsed Time: 5-8 Minutes each

This exploration was carried out entirely on site, and all these original drawings where created through direct observation of the environment. When drawing like this, the challenge lies in being able to look past the surface of the buildings and to see the what makes this place unique. By searching for this character it is that we begin to understand what is truly creating essence of place. It is only once we have identified this essence that we can begin to create it in the drawing. If done correctly, the essence of the place will bring an entirely new level of depth to the drawing. A type of depth that takes the viewer past looking at a sketch, and starts allowing them to actually see a place.

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Speculative Drawing

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can never determine beforehand precisely what the final outcome will be. The developing image on paper gradually takes on a life of its own and guides the exploration of a concept as it travels between mind and paper and back again.â&#x20AC;? -Francis D.K. Ching Design Drawing

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Pure Speculation Architects spend a majority of their time thinking of new ways to build things. Focusing on what something could be, not just what it is today. It is important then to make sure these ideas are clearly communicated. In our mind, these ideas exist as pure essence of place. Rarely do they ex1

ist as complete solutions with all their details worked out. It is through drawing that these ideas are able to become reality for the first time and begin the design process that follows. Allowing ideas to flow through the hand onto the page is a skill that takes time to develop. At first it is very difficult and often leads to more frustration than anything else. Often this leads students to turn to the

Drawing 1: Media: Pencil, Copic Pen, Prismacolor Marker Paper: Sketch Paper Finished Size:4â&#x20AC;?x8â&#x20AC;? thumbnails Elapsed Time: 10-15 Minutes each

computer too early in the design process. By doing this, we are not letting the true essence of the idea immerge into what it truly wants to be. Understanding this principal, these sketches show an example of how an idea can quickly be brought out of the mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye, and onto the page for everyone to see. The true skill lies not in being able to draw a representation of this idea, but in being able to retain the true essence of the idea and communicate it to anyone who looks at it.

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Speculative Renditions Sketching by hand allows for the rapid exploration of many different options. Often much faster than any other type of process. Being able to let ideas flow freely is a skill that designers must be able to rely on. One of the beauties of sketching is that all you need is a pen or pencil and a 1

page. This minimalism allows for sketching to happen in nearly any setting. Since no one can plan out when they will get an idea, having some way of being able to document it at any time is crucial. An exercise I like to challenge myself to often is one I call the “random jar sketch.” This is more of a test on principals of drawing more so than developing any one media. The principle is very simple: walk over to

Drawing 1:

someone’s desk and ask to borrow their jar of pens. The challenge is to

Media: Sharpies

create a sketch while using only the contents from this jar and making

Paper: Sketch Paper

sure not to leave any type of medium out. This forces incredible amounts

Finished Size:4”x8” thumbnails

of thought to be put in to exactly where to put each color, how to use

Elapsed Time: 10-15 Minutes each

each pen correctly, and most importantly it causes you to trust in knowing that you have no idea what the final sketch will ultimately become. These drawings were done as a study of the building form within it’s surrounding context. The way to achieve the sketches became a lesson in itself. By choosing to work with Sharpies it forces one to be critical about every line they draw. Although an unintentional outcome, this questioning and constant rechecking allowed the design to be analyzed in a way that was very simple and straight forward. Because of the bold nature of the colors available, every line of the building becomes pronounced. This makes any flaw with the design immediately apparent and provides a nice way to start the creative process of the building form at this scale.

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The View from Above The view from above is a unique view in many ways. Few types of drawings communicate as much information as clearly as they can yet, unless we are in an airplane, we can never really experience the built environment in the way we see it here. At these great distances, we can see things 1

we will never be able to comprehend when on the ground. Also, there are certain elements which appear incredibly apparent on the ground which don’t even register in the view from above. This conundrum prompted an interesting exploration into the relationship between scale and detail. By taking a look at the same area at varying scales, we can begin to understand this relationship.

Drawing 1:

The first sketch shows an area from very far away: 1:150 when complet-

Media: Copic Pen, Prismacolor Marker

ed. Here several elements which begin to weave the fabric of the city are

Paper: Trace Paper

very apparent. Buildings gather into blocks, these blocks start to define

Finished Size: 7”x10”

the street edges. These streets start to tie all the elements of this city to-

Elapsed Time: 90 Minutes Drawing 2:

gether. This kind of layering is very easily observed at this scale. The second sketch is two time closer than the previous sketch. Here we

Media: Copic Pen, Prismacolor Marker

can now start seeing new amounts of detail that were simply too small

Paper: Trace Paper

to include before. This scale starts to tell a different story about the rela-

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tionships of the building to it’s immediate surroundings. The trade off

Elapsed Time: 45 Minutes

of this is that, because we are now looking at a smaller area, the relationship to the city is somewhat harder to read.

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The View from Above Cont. The next sketch is a simple figure ground study. This shows only solid or void based on building location. It’s main mission is to communicate the density of the city. The interesting thing to note here is how this drawing reads just as clearly regardless of the fact it has been shrunk 1

many times the original size. These studies at varying scales led to the development of the final version of the site plan. Using the lessons learned from each scale to inform the design of the building. It was through these loose studies that the driving factors of the site where realized. The final image shows a synthesis of the things discovered in the explo-

Drawing 1:

ration. Notice how the intricate details of the initial image were retained

Media: Copic Pen,

to help keep the essence of the city. Then as the design evolved, the vary-

Paper: Trace Paper

ing forces which formed the building were highlighted in the site plan.

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This allows for more control on how the drawing is viewed. The impor-

Elapsed Time: 15 Minutes Drawing 2: Media: Adobe Photoshop

tant part was not to communicate exactly what the site plan would end up looking like, but instead to get the observer to see the true essence of the way the building was formed.

Base Image: Google Maps Finished Size: 9”x19” Elapsed Time: 15 Minutes

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The View Inside Verticality is one of the most influential factors when considering how a space feels. It can be very easy to design a space which makes it’s occupants feel small, or cramped and frustrated. It is because of these rela1

tionships that the exploration of these drawings set out to find ways to make sure these spaces were being designed correctly and with the human scale at the forefront of those efforts.

Communicating an accurate sense of scale is crucial to being able to capture the essence of place. Very few tricks are as effective at communicating the scale of a space as drawing a person occupying that space can be. Entourage is the key to animating any drawing. This can be done in many

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ways: Trees, Cars, People, Trains, etc. All these things, which bring life

Media: Copic Pen, Prismacolor Marker

and activity to a place in real life, add a small piece to the puzzle of com-

Paper: Trace Paper

municating the essence place. It is logical then to include those elements

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in any drawing which seeks to accurately portray the essence of this place.

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In these examples the elements which influence the building are clearly shown. These relate the building to it’s surroundings and root the com-

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position of the spaces within. People and furniture activate the spaces

Media: Copic Pen, Prismacolor Marker

and together with the activity shown around the building they help bring

Paper: Trace Paper

life to the drawing. These are no longer simply lines on a page, but peo-

Finished Size: 7”x24”

ple inside a building. Now the drawing starts to create an immersive ex-

Elapsed Time: 55 Minutes

perience with the observer. One of the last key elements in communicating the essence of place.

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Putting it all together

â&#x20AC;&#x153;No amount of technique with color media can rescue a drawing that displays a lack of understanding of the basic principles of perspective, line quality, and light and shadow.â&#x20AC;? -Michael Doyle Color Drawing

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The Money Shot Through my personal experiences sketching alongside Francis D.K. Ching, one of the most important parts of a good drawing lies in creating depth on the page. We are constantly drawing three dimensional elements in our drawings but are limited to displaying these elements in 1

only two dimensions. In his book, Design Drawing, Ching lists eight visual impressions that are useful when trying to create depth on the page: -Continuity of outline -Size perspective -Vertical location in the visual field -Atmospheric perspective

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-Perspective of blur

Media: Copic Pen, Prismacolor Marker,

-Texture perspective

Sharpies

-Shift of texture or linear spacing

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-Transitions between light and shade

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It is through the comprehensive use and understanding of these principles that we can start to create significant depth on the page. By examining the subject we are drawing we can arrive at many of these conclusions, but what happens in the case of a new idea such as in the examples shown here? There is no real world example which we can study to learn what to draw. It is in these situations that we must take in all of the lessons we have learned along this journey and start applying them to our own personal experiences.

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The Money Shot Cont. Memories are often all we have to reference when first viewing a drawing of a new concept or idea. We must rely on our knowledge of what these spaces would feel like based solely on our past experiences. We can understand the scale of the drawing by the comparing the relationships 1

of the things we see in the drawing. This interaction between drawing and observer is incredibly important to understand. By far the most important aspect of communicating the essence of place is creating depth. This depth, however, goes much further than the drawing conventions listed on the previous page. These conventions are all tools which we can employ to create a truly interactive experience be-

Drawing 1:

tween the drawing and the observer. This interactive experience gives

Media: Photoshop

the drawing a “depth” akin to actually being in this place in person. In

Base Image: SketchUp Model

its purest form, the essence of place.

Finished Size: 26”x56” Elapsed Time: 150 Minutes

One of the most apparent differences from viewing a drawing and viewing things in real life is that our eyes can only focus on one thing at a time. A simple way to test this is to focus on one object and see what level of detail you can see of those elements which lie either closer to you or beyond this element. Understanding this phenomenon, we must choose what we want the drawing to communicate and make sure that those elements are in focus. As in the example, elements which lie either closer or further away must show less detail. In addition to this, elements which are not intended to be the focus of the drawing, such as entourage, can be drawn at a lower level of detail than those parts of the building which are the focus of the drawing.

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The Money Shot Cont. One of the best ways of doing this can be drawing just enough of them so that we are “suggesting” to what it could be. Finding the sweet spot that communicates just the right amount of information, so that we understand what they are, without becoming overpowering to the overall 1

composition of the drawing is the trick to creating this interactive experience. Too much detail and these elements compete with the rest of the drawing and attract too much attention.

In the end, when done correctly, all of these techniques allow a drawing Drawing 1:

to become much more than simply lines put down on a page. They be-

Media: Photoshop

gin to tell a story: they engage the observer in an experience that is just

Base Image: SketchUp Model

as much theirs as it is anyone else’s. Much in the way that a handshake

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works, the drawing only provides half of the complete experience. The

Elapsed Time: 120 Minutes

drawing reaches out towards the observer, providing just enough detail to encourage them to reach out and meet the drawing. Allowing them to analyze the drawing and fill in the rest as they see it. This takes the observer to a level much more sophisticated than simply looking at a few lines on a page. They are seeing the true essence of the place.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether a drawing is executed by hand or developed with the aid of a computer, the standards and judgments governing the effective communication of design ideas into architecture remain the same, just as the rules of spelling, grammar, and punctuation for the written language remain applicable, whether jotted down by hand in the traditional manner, typed on a manual or electric typewriter, or entered by keyboard into a word processor.â&#x20AC;? -Francis D.K. Ching Design Drawing

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Works Cited Ching, Francis D.K., and Steven P. Juroszek. Design Drawing. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1998. Print.This book is a great database for a wide range of drawing techniques. It includes basic principles and guides you along as your drawing skill progresses by introducing new concepts and useful techniques. Doyle, Michael E. Color Drawing: A Marker/colored-pencil Approach for Architects, Landscape Architects, Interior and Graphic Designers, and Artists. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980. Print.This book provides incredibly detailed analysis of color drawing techniques. It has a multitude of different rendering examples and easy to follow instructions on how they were created. NicolaiĚ&#x2C6;des, Kimon. The Natural Way to Draw. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. Print.This book sets a good tone for the exploration of drawing. Although not focusing primarily on architectural drawing, the concepts in this book are still very valid and contribute very well to our understanding of hand drawing.

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