8-POINTEDSTARBLOCkS 45
There will be times, depending on the complexity of
your design, when you will have drawn a lot of lines.
Use different-colored pencils to help clarify the drafting
process. The initial lines you draw, based on the basic
structure, are construction lines needed to draft and
create the design. Construction lines are not always
seamlines. You will erase all unnecessary lines to create
the design, and then shade the needed template shapes.
Because many of the following designs are symmetrical,
you only need to draft one-eighth or one-quarter of the
design to create the necessary template shapes.
Once you get going, you will see the sense of things; you
will see repetition of diamonds, 90° and/or 45° angles,
octagons, and so on. The lights will go on, I promise
you. If you find that you love 8-pointed star designs,
then keep going and discover how to make your own
beautiful 8-Pointed Star blocks in any size you choose
(the exercises in this book will draft 6 ̋ blocks).
You will need graph paper, a compass, a pencil, and a
ruler.
Basic Underlying Structure
This structure is the stepping stone to an abundance of
8-pointed star drafting designs. Not all are stars, and yet
all share a common bond of shape, space, and angles.
TO DRAFT A 6 ̋ (FINISHED) BASIC UNDERLYING
STRUCTURE:
- Draw a 6 ̋ square. Divide the square in half
diagonally in both directions and then vertically and
horizontally. - Using your compass, place the pivot point at a corner
and expand the pencil to the exact center. - Leaving the pivot point at the corner and holding the
compass position, swivel the pencil to lightly mark the 2
lines that extend from that corner.
Pencil
pointPivot
pointDivide the square, expand the compass
from one corner to the center, and mark
2 lines that extend from that corner.- Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the remaining corners.
Label the marks A and B and erase the curved lines.
A
BAABBB A
Draw curved lines from each corner.ABAAABBB
BASIC UNDERLYING STRUCTURE:
Label marks A and B and erase the curved lines.