Conclusion

Constructing a drawing using measuring techniques is a much more technical process than simply using your eyes to determine placements and proportions. Some artists measure often, others rarely measure at all. How much you use these techniques is entirely up to you. If accuracy is paramount in your work, I recommend measuring often.

I know measuring can be frustrating for some students, but it does get easier with time and practice. Practicing measuring techniques like the ones taught in this chapter have an added benefit. The more you measure, the more you train your brain to make these kinds of evaluations on its own before you even apply measuring techniques. Measuring by hand improves your ability to measure by eye alone. Over time, you’ll find that you rely less on going through the process of measuring, but nevertheless, your drawings will appear more proportional and believable.

Measuring is a technical process that requires a lot of study and practice. It is very common for students to need to go through this information multiple times before they have absorbed all of these methods. Each new object is a measuring puzzle to be solved. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Once you develop the skills necessary to take measurements, you can be creative with how you apply them.

Finally, it’s important for you to remember that technical accuracy is only one aspect of the drawing process. If you were to compare my drawings side by side with their actual subjects, you would find there are numerous errors, exaggerations, and other differences between my drawing and reality. A drawing is not a facsimile. Perfect accuracy is not the point. You need to determine how important accuracy is for the work you want to do and use measuring techniques accordingly.