Teach Yourself Visually Drawing

Measure Your Object.

Before you begin to draw, you need to
determine the correct proportions of
the object you are going to draw. In
this section, you will learn to use a
simple tool as a visual measuring aid.

When you measure your subject, it is essential that you either sit or stand in
a fixed position. You must also maintain the same position that you intend
to have for your complete drawing (see page 32).

Holding an implement with a long handle (such as a paintbrush, a knit-
ting needle, or a long pencil) as a measuring tool, extend your arm com-
pletely. Align the end of your measuring tool with the top end of the
object (in this example, a vase) and then use your thumb to mark the
position of the bottom of the object on your measuring tool. You have
now created a unit of measurement, or a scale, that represents the height
of the object as seen from where you are sitting or standing. To record
this measurement for later reference, you can put some tape (opaque,
not clear) around the measuring tool to mark this point, which is shown
in the photo on the right. You can then hold the tool horizontally (arm
straight) to line up the end of the tool with the left side of the vase. You
can see where the tape ends. Now you have established the relationship
of the height of the object compared to its width.

Unit of Measurement

The Process