How to :
UPAD
1st year
A guide to UPAD first year students Urban planning and architectural design department
German university of technology Oman
How to :
UPAD
1st year
Rayan Al-Khanjari Samir Al-Maawali Sarah Al-Harrasi Amira Al-Azri Usama Al-Maskari
German university of technology Oman
E L B A T
Designer's Opening Message
T H E
B A S I C
F I G U R E
Human proportions
P E R S P E C T I V E S
Perspective drawings
S H A P E S
shape in design
C O L O R
Color study:
A N D
A T M O S P H E R E
CONTENTS
F O
5 6 14 22 28
I N T R O D U C T I O N
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Introduction There are many skills needed in the field of urban planning and architectural design, but there are basic essential tools to understand before getting started. This book will dive into the necessities and skills a first year student of UPAD should have and cover what you need to practice in order to start this major. The book consists of four main topics that would help you in the long run of the first year, from perspective drawings and understanding the angles, shapes and how they are formed and appear in reality, to color and atmosphere study and understanding how the human figure is structured and drawn from a point of view. This servese as a guide and a tutorial as well, assisting you in the basics of each topic and helping you have a better grasp on the essentials of the major. All topics included in this book are explained in detail and go through the basic structures in which you will require in the first year, as in coming years subjects would be more focused on programs and in depth aspects of the major, this book will only prepare you for what you need and the basic necessities of the first year.
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The Basic Figure
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Human proportions
Step A: A well-proportioned figure is defined by the alignment of the joints.
A Chart for Heads
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Start by drawing an oval or egg shape for a head. Mark down eight measurements, the last one being the ground.
The Pelvis
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Add the pelvic bone next, simplified as a flattened circle between marks 3 and 4, with the hip joints sitting on 4. Then draw the spine connecting the head.
A well-proportioned figure is defined by the alignment of the joints.
The Legs and Knees
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The knee joints sit on mark 6, as that line corresponds to the bottom of the knee caps. To complete the leg, connect the hip joint to the inside of the knee cap, and then again, the outside of the knee to the inside of the ankle.
The Ribcage and Belly Button Draw an oval that starts halfway between 1 and 2, down to mark 3; but it is best to chop off the lower part of it as shown here to imitate the actual rib cage, as the empty part between the two volumes is important. The width of the oval is roughly the same as the pelvis for now. Place the belly button on mark 3.
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The Shoulders
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The shoulder line is about halfway between marks 1 and 2, with the shoulder width 2 to 3 head-widths. Slightly curved down.
The Arm, Wrists and Hands The arms: The wrists are on mark 4, slightly below the hip joints which sit on it. The fingers end roughly at mid-thigh, which is mark 5. The elbows should be drawn as elongated ovals sitting on mark 3.
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Step B: Filling out the edges
A Chart for Heads Follow the skeletal guide lines and draw the human anatomy as you please. Size and proportion differ for each individual. Make the human figures your own. Draw your friends and family
Follow the skeletal guide lines and draw the human anatomy as you please. Size and proportion differ for each individual. Make the human figures your own. Draw your friends and family
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Practise time!
Give it a try and see how you do! Practise makes perfect! A Few Tips Start with the head. Draw with a light hand. Once you get the hang of it, you don’t have to follow all the rules. Do what looks best to you.
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Practise Space:
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Perspectives
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Perspective drawings
Perspective drawings are one of the most essential tools in architecture, it helps view structures in many angles and viewpoints in order to understand it in a higher quality. Drawings in a perspective view give objects of a 2D surface more of a three-dimensional view, there are 2 main types of perspectives: linear perspectives and atmospheric perspectives.
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Linear perspective
Linear perspective is the more useful type of perspectives when it comes to architecture and drawing precise views from what you see in reality One, two and even three-point perspective all fall in the category. These methods represent a space in which the scale of an object diminishes as the distance of the view grows larger, meaning the further the object is the smaller it is.
Drawings in this perspective have to follow a certain rule and that is that the lines of the object have to follow the vanishing point, also known as the position where object meet in a horizon line or the convergence of where the ground meets the sky.
Knowing all that, it is fairly easy to conduct and illustrate a linear perspective.
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You will be mainly using one- and two-point perspectives so it is beneficial to understand these methods before getting into architecture.
In order to draw an object on the drawing surface without it looking flat, we follow the method of the perspective, this not only give our object dimension, but it also gives us an idea of how close or distant the object is in space.
Perspective is visible in everything we see, imagine standing in a desert and it is completely flat for miles, nothing in sight and you can see as far as possible from a single line representing the horizon line or eye level line, and it is a continuous land, if viewed laying down the horizon line will appear lower and the exact opposite if viewed from a higher sight. By adding a vanishing point anywhere on the horizon line, it will help determine where the objects are placed and where our sight of the object becomes harder to see as the further they are.
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2
two-point perspective
In two-point perspective instead of having one vanishing point on the horizon line, there are two
You can change these points but if you bring them too close together warping could take place in your drawing which could make the illustration more abstract than realistic.
By drawing down from one of the vanishing points this will give us the bottom and top edges of the object in this case a cube, going to the second vanishing point and repeating the same process will connect the bottom and top edges of the other side of the object, from there point its easer to draw the top side by connecting the elements based on the horizon line, the idea of space becomes easier to understand with the help of perspective.
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3
Three point perspective
Three point perspective is similar to two point but with a third vanishing point, unlike the two vanishing points on the eye level line the third one should be further and outside the drawing area.
Aligning the lines for the two main vanishing points to the third one would be difficult since it is outside the working area but is easy if you follow the direction of the two-vanishing point by using a ruler if u must.
A three-point perspective is ideal for showing sides the one- and two-point perspective cannot show, the viewpoints are in the middle forming a triangle of viewpoints from three vanishing points.
This method is perfect when illustrating a view of buildings from the top since it appears as a spheric and realistic viewpoint and can be done by just using three points. Even in an eye level as if you were looking up at a building, this method helps express the realistic detail in showing the height of the building through the third vanishing point and the diminishing of surrounding buildings as the get smaller through wards the two vanishing points on the horizon line.
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Examples of perspective drawings from reality:
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More complex shapes and objects can be formed fairly easy as well as long as you follow the methods of linear perspective, eventually you will be able to draw landscapes and sceneries just by observing where the horizon line an vanishing points of your view since most of the field exercises require you to illustrate what you see on sight making it a very helpful tool in architecture.
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Shapes
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shape in design
The meaning of shape in design The status or condition of something
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Geometric shapes
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When thinking of shapes these are the first to come to mind. They include squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds, circles, ovals etc.
These shapes are easily identified and have been given names. The shapes with straight lines and angles usually symbolize structure and order, while the shapes with curves are softer and represent connection and community.
Natural/organic shapes These are irregular shapes and are often curved or uneven. Like most things in nature, these shapes tend to be comforting and approachable.
Represented in the shapes of rocks, clouds, leaves and flowers, they are mainly nature based, but can be man made with elements such as paint blobs or free drawing that are created through spontaneity.
Abstract shapes Abstract shapes are recognizable in form but are essentially not real as they are simplified versions of organic shapes. To give you an example, icons are abstract shapes that represent concepts and ideas, a stick figure is an abstract shape of a person
A shape can be defined as the form of an object or its outline, outer boundary or outer surface. Shapes can successfully create an outstanding and effective graphic design. The mood and message of the design may be enhanced by altering its shape in terms of form, color and size. Shapes can be soft, curved, rounded, angled or sharp and each conveys a different type of mood or emotion. They may be used in a variety of ways, such as to organise, connect or separate elements and content. Shapes may also symbolise or represent a concept, create movement, provide depth or texture and a lot more.
We can find different basic shapes such as: The two dimensional – square, rectangle and ovel The three dimensional – rectangular prism, cylinder and sphere
Much in the same way that the human mind derives meaning from color, it also derives meaning from shape. Circles, squares, triangles, lines and paths all have their own meaning. A skilled designer therefore, can use this to infer meaning withing their designs.
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Circles, ovals and ellipses
Positivity: because of its natural shape Community: everything within the circle is a sense of community so you can use circles to link objects together
Circles represent eternity because they have no beginning or end. They also represent free movement. If you pick any point on the circle your eye will naturally draw itself back to that point.
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Square and rectangles Squares, rectangles and other hard-edged shapes convey: Stability balance Professionalism Efficiency Strength Beacause squares and rectangles are familiarity, thay are not used to grab attention. Combining hard-edged shapes with cool colors can make a design seem uninviting.
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Triangles
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Triangles are often associated with power, science, religion, law, order. Triangles always tend to point towards something because they have three points so wherever they go they are pointing on something.
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Color And Atmosphere
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Color study:
Color study: What is color study? Color study is a quick practice for exploring different color options before beginning an art piece. Be it a painting with wet medium using paints, or dry mediums like pencils and pastels or even digital paintings. shadow. If you want to make a specific thing on your painting to appear lighter, make sure you use lighter or brighter color than the rest of the study.
How to: Color Study: Step 1) Keep it small. Color studies don’t have to take up a whole page. If you’re working with physical mediums, you can see how the colors react on that certain medium by doing a swatch test. Details don’t matter, work quickly, don’t overthink it. Step 2) Use bigger brushes, even when working digitally. For dry mediums like pastels or pencils, you can scribble. Step 3) Arrange your swatches on a margin, you can even place it on a separate page/layer. Step 4) Have fun! Go crazy with different palettes and different temperatures. Push the values to the extremes. Make the sky green. Step 5) Repeat. You can keep doing more color studies until you’re happy with the color scheme you came up with.
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Example illustrating how color studies can help in creating a unique color scheme of the same artwork but in different tones.
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Color Theory: Color theory is the collection of rules and guidelines that artists and designers follow to communicate with users through appealing color schemes in visual interfaces. It has a direct connection to psychology, culture and human optical ability. Those rules we’re established after an extensive research and collected knowledge throughout history
Fun fact: Sir Isaac Newton is the person who invented and established color theory and color wheel in 1666. He understood human perceptions of wavelengths of light. And that is when colors were categorized in three groups:
1. Primary (Red, blue, Yellow) 2. Secondary (Mixes of primary colors) 3. Tertiary (Mixed of primary and secondary)
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Following the study, findings advanced and developed new color properties. Hue : How it appears (e.g. “ the color Yellow’’) Chroma : How pure it is (If it has shades, tints or tones) Lighting : How pale or saturated it appears
How to use Color scheme and color temperature for design harmony :
There are many ways you can achieve harmony in a design or artwork. Using these methods in color arrangement can achieve a great balance and make your artwork attractive, impressive and full of depth.
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Monochromatic : Take one hue and create other elements from different shades and tints of it.
Analogous : Use three colors located beside one another on the color wheel (e.g., orange, yellow-orange and yellow to show sunlight). A variant is to mix white with these to form a “high-key” analogous color scheme (e.g., flames).
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Complementary : Use “opposite color” pairs—e.g., blue/yellow—to maximize contrast.
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Split-Complementary : (or Compound Harmony) – Add colors from either side of your complementary color pair to soften contrast.
Triadic : Take three colors which are equally distant on the color wheel (i.e., 120° apart: e.g., red/blue/yellow). These colors may not be vibrant, but the scheme can be as it maintains harmony and high contrast. It’s easier to make visually appealing designs with this than with a complementary scheme.
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Tetradic: Take four colors that are two sets of complementary pairs (e.g., orange/yellow/blue/violet) and choose one dominant color. This allows rich, interesting designs. However, watch the balance between warm and cool colors.
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Square: A variant of tetradic; you find four colors evenly spaced on the color wheel (i.e., 90° apart). Unlike tetradic, square schemes can work well if you use all four colors evenly.
Your colors must reflect your design’s goal and brand’s personality. You should also apply color theory to optimize a positive psychological impact on users. So, you should carefully determine how the color temperature (i.e., your use of warm, neutral and cool colors) reflects your message. For example, you can make a neutral color such as grey warm or cool depending on factors such as your organization’s character and the industry.
Summary Page:
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Website for digital color schemes and palettes:
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How to :
UPAD
1st year
"Design is where science and art break even." - Mieke Gerritzen
A beginners guide to the learnings of basic drawing. Urban planning and architectural design department
German university of technology Oman