Progressive Perspective Drawing for Theatrical Scene Design

Dunsi Dai

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781000342550
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Art General

Progressive Perspective Drawing for Theatrical Scene Design provides theatrical scenic designers with the tools to create quick and precise perspective drawings.

The book explores three methods of perspective drawings at progressive skill levels – the Grid Method, the Frame Method, and the Freehand with References Method – allowing scenic designers to build on their drawing technique consistently. Replete with discussions on pencil techniques, step by step instructions, and set sketches from professional set design projects, this volume guides readers from the basics of the cube system to the more challenging freehand drawing.

Progressive Perspective Drawing for Theatrical Scene Design is an excellent resource for students of Scene Design, Stage Design, Set Design, Scenography, Stagecraft, and Design for Theatre, as well as an accessible self-study guide for those with an interest in scene design.

The book includes access to downloadable pre-made perspective grids, to help readers familiarize themselves with one and two vanishing point grids.

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Perspective drawing is an important communication tool for scene designers. Perspective drawing for theatrical scene design has some special features rooted in its basic function: communicating ideas between scene designers and other members of the production team such as the producer, the director, other designers, and the shops. For this purpose, a scene design perspective drawing needs to be clearly defined and in proportion with key details. You can develop your drawing skills so that you may communicate your ideas quickly and accurately. This gets your design concept across fast and allows you to modify it quickly during the production process.

For years, mechanical perspective drawing has dominated many theatre perspective drawing classes in colleges. While it is an effective method for accurate perspective drawings, it has a sharp learning curve for beginning designers. More importantly, it has a rather complicated procedure that tends to be very slow in drawing practice. Scene designers are required to work at a fast pace by nature of our work. We need to brainstorm ideas quickly, get these ideas to our production team on the run, and keep adjusting/refining design sketches in a continuous process. Thus, for scene designers, drawing fast is crucial.

The perspective drawing methods introduced in this book (the Grid Method, the Frame Method, and the Freehand with References Method) represent progressive approaches to perspective drawing. They are laid out sequentially in terms of challenges on drawing skill levels. This approach aims to help beginning designers to quickly start drawing and move forward progressively. These perspective drawing methods start with a low learning curves (the Grid Method), then encourages students to move onto the next skill level (the Frame Method then Freehand with References Method) when they are ready.

All three methods are related. They are designed to help designers grow their perspective drawing skill consistently on one path. You will see that many features of the Grid Method are also used in the Frame Method, and many features in the Frame Method are further developed in the Freehand with References Method. All three methods discussed in this book are in one perspective drawing family for different skill levels. You are not really learning three totally different methods; rather, you are learning how to draw perspective progressively in three skill-related stages.

Remember the following points as you proceed:

• Drawing in proportion is the key. Because scene designers are working in a tangible environment—a stage where the set is interactive with actors in real dimensions—whatever you draw will eventually establish a proportional relationship with the ultimate reference: the actor. In other words, you need to draw with the actor in mind as the basic proportional reference.
• Draw clearly (readability). This way, your production team (director, other designers, shop, etc.) can understand what you want to tell them in terms of how various objects of the set relate to one another.
• Relate your perspective drawing to your floor plan. This helps to bring your artistic dream into the physical specifics of the given production space—your set on a given stage.

CHAPTER 2
MATERIALS AND TOOLS

• Paper:
  You can draw on just about any paper for a perspective drawing (including your drafting vellum). For presentational quality, my favorite paper is 100-pound Bristol Board (in 11” × 14” size). Most of the example sketches shown in this book are done on this paper. This paper’s surface is durable, erases well, and is strong enough to stand up by itself when in presentation. it is reasonably priced, especially if you buy it in pad size.

• Vellum:
  This is the same vellum (or clear print) you used for your hand drafting project. it is transparent. it is handy to use, if you plan to use those pre-made grids, which are downloadable from the publisher’s website (www.routledge.com/9780367860790). Just choose a pre-made grid PDF file and print it out (check “fit” in the printing window). Tape the printout down, then tape down a sheet of vellum over it. You are ready to draw with the Grid Method.

• Pencil:
  Regular #2 pencil is good enough in most cases. Pencils with various hardness and softness, such as 2H, 4H, and 2B, are optional and fun to play around with. For all of the example sketches shown in this book, I only used a regular #2 pencil, because that has been what I do with my freelance design projects.

• Eraser
  Any good eraser will do. I recommend using I-by-2-inch “pink erasers.” These are the most common erasers on the market. They erase well, in large size, and with low cost, which encourages users to feel free cutting the erasers to obtain sharp edges to apply the erasing techniques introduced in this book.

• Rulers:
  An architecture scale ruler (used to take measurements from floor plans, set up grids with the Grid Method, and set up the frame with the Frame Method).
  a 12-inch straight ruler for drawing lone straight lines.
  A small ruler around 4 inches is very convenient to use for drawing detail lines. it could be a small triangle, a straight ruler, or you might want to have both.
  Those will help you to draw most of the straight lines in your drawing when you need to clean up your work.

• Flexible Curve:
  This is a drafting tool that many scenic designers prefer to have. It helps you to draw smooth curve lines. However, it is not a must-have. You could opt not to use it. Personally, I do not use it much. In most cases, I draw curves freehand. On the positive side, this tool gives you more accuracy in curve drawing. Many of my students find having a flexible curve handy.

• Masking Tape (or Drafting Dot):
  This is another drafting material that is especially helpful when you are working with the Grid Method. It helps keep your drawing in place while you are setting up the grid and working out all of the perspective lines.

• Clear Latex Spray:
  I use Krylon Clear Matte Finish to seal my pencil sketches. 3M’s product also works well. it is usually applied to the drawing after the show is over, when you want to archive your work and want to make sure your pencil drawing will not get smudged. At that point, you spray a coat of Clear Matte Finish Latex Spray over your drawing. Some people apply it right after their drawings are done. however, if you do so, it will make further changes to your drawing difficult.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 2 MATERIALS AND TOOLS
• CHAPTER 3 PERSPECTIVE BASICS
• CHAPTER 4 PERSPECTIVE DRAWING METHOD BASIC: CUBE SYSTEM
• CHAPTER 5 PERSPECTIVE DRAWING METHOD I: GRID METHOD
• CHAPTER 6 DRAWING TECHNIQUE
• CHAPTER 7 PERSPECTIVE DRAWING METHOD II: FRAME METHOD
• CHAPTER 8 PERSPECTIVE DRAWING METHOD III: FREEHAND WITH REFERENCES METHOD
• CHAPTER 9 DRAWING FIGURES IN PERSPECTIVE DRAWING
• CHAPTER 10 PERSPECTIVE DRAWING PROJECTS
• CHAPTER 11 THE NEXT STEP: EDIT AND DEVELOP PERSPECTIVE DRAWING IN PHOTOSHOP
• SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL A SAMPLE CLASS SCHEDULE
• Index