Week Two Lecture: Drawing Lines/Scale/Intro Dimensions
Return to Classroom

It is a necessity that you read and follow all instructions throughout the Lecture. Lectures are designed with interactivity, to aid in the learning process. Often times the lectures will include tips for properly completing assignments. Be sure to read all information, view all audio and video files and complete all practicals associated with each lecture.

Overview
Lettering and the Ames Lettering Guide
Equipment and Scale
Lines
Squares
Drawing Plans
Recap

Overview

Lines in architectural drawing are the essential element of communication. It is through drawings that the Architect/Interior Designer explains their ideas - design ideas. It is essential that the Architect/Interior Designer master the basic drawing techniques that we will cover this session. Simply put if you can't draw it doesn't matter how good your ideas are because no one will ever see them.

During this session you will view video clips on:
Tools
How to Use a Scale
The Ames Lettering Guide
Thin, Medium and Thick Lines
Drawing Lines.

Lettering & The Ames Lettering Guide

The first thing I would like to work on is lettering. We made great progress last week but lettering is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Remember to always use your straight edge to make your verticals. The straight side of the Ames lettering guide works great for this. Also, don't forget that dark black letters are our goal.

Before we get started practicing lettering, I want you to first view the video on the Ames Lettering Guide. The Ames Lettering Guide works like the chalk holder your elementary school teacher used. It makes guidelines for you to use when doing your architectural lettering. I want you to know that it will take a bit of practice to master this tool - so be patient as you get started.

Click here to view the Ames Lettering Guide Video 56K - 256k

Click here to view Lettering Example Files: A-Z and 0-9 <flash player>

Now that you have viewed the Ames Lettering Guide Video, use your lettering guide and your 3H lead to draw a number of guidelines with your lettering guide set at 6. These guide lines are now 3/32" apart and if you use one space your letters are 3/32" high and if you use two spaces your letters are 3/16" high. Practice making guidelines and writing the alphabet at 3/32" and 3/16" high.

Have Questions?
If you have questions regarding any of the material covered in this section, visit the "Week Two: Lettering and Ames Lettering Guide " Discussion Forum. The forum can be accessed by clicking on the "Activate Course WebCT Account" link located on the course "Classroom" page. Once inside WebCT's discussion board, post questions and/or comments under the appropriate forum.

Equipment & Scale

Next, I want you to look at the videos on Tools and Scale. After viewing those video clips we'll be ready to work on scale some more. View the video now and then return to this lecture.

Click here to view the Tools Video 56k - 256k
Click here to view the Scale Video 56k - 256k

Let's do a little work on reading your architect's scale. Your scale should never be used to draw lines it should only be used for measuring. Here is an example of what your scale would look like at ¼ " scale. If you drew a 4' line at ¼" scale the line would actually be 1" long because each foot is represented as a ¼" length.

Let's go over a few things you should notice on your scale:
Find the 0. To the left of the zero the inches are represented and to the right of the zero are feet. When you look at the inches you have to remember that there are 12" in a foot. When looking at the scale you should see that in the ¼" scale the inches are divided in inch and half inch increments. Now looking to the right at the foot increments, you notice that there are two strings of numbers- one high and one low. To figure out which numbers to read, look at the 0 and read the numbers that are in line with the 0.

The best way to learn to read a scale is through practice! Assignment 2A focusses on lettering and scale skills. See "Assignments" link under Week Two on the course "Classroom" page, for detailed assignment instructions.

Have Questions?
If you have questions regarding any of the material covered in this section, visit the "Week Two: Equipment and Scales" Discussion Forum. The forum can be accessed by clicking on the "Activate Course WebCT Account" link located on the course "Classroom" page. Once inside WebCT's discussion board, post questions and/or comments under the appropriate forum.

Lines

As we said earlier, an Architect and Interior Designer communicates their ideas through drawings. These drawings are made using Lines and Letters. We have already begun to master letters so the next big step is drawing lines. Don't worry if you "can't draw a straight line". It is very difficult for anyone to draw a straight line without using tools. So, for this course, always use tools to draw straight lines. Triangles and the T-Square are the tools we'll use.

It is difficult for me to talk you through drawing lines so I want you to view the video clips on linework. Before you begin the video set your drawing surface up with a sheet of vellum paper (taped down) and your T-square and triangles ready to use. You will also need your lead holders and the 3H and H Lead. As you view the video practice making thin, medium and thick lines. View the video now and then return to this lesson.

Click here to view the Thin, Medium, and Thick LinesS Video

Have Questions?
If you have questions regarding any of the material covered in this section, visit the "Week Two: Lines" Discussion Forum. The forum can be accessed by clicking on the "Activate Course WebCT Account" link located on the course "Classroom" page. Once inside WebCT's discussion board, post questions and/or comments under the appropriate forum.

Now that you have seen the video and have done a little practicing you are ready to do Assignment 2B.

Assignment 2B Tips:
As you begin the assignment you will want to layout the sheet before you draw a single line. First, you want to lightly mark off where your title goes. Assignment 2B requires that you draw 15 lines. You want those lines to be evenly spaced and aligned on the left hand side of the paper. You'll want to measure in ½" from the left edge of the paper and draw a light vertical line down the side of the paper. Now mark off a point 1" down from the top of the sheet. Mark ½" increments down from that 1'' point along the vertical line. This planning will guarantee you a well laid out sheet. The finished drawing should have the correct line weights. Be sure to put the title and border on the drawing.

Assignment 2B focusses on line drawing skills. See "Assignments" link under Week Two on the course "Classroom" page, for detailed assignment instructions.

Squares

You are now able to draw a straight line and it is time to move on to drawing a square. In the video clip on lines, John Silva showed us what to look for in a well drawn square. For Assignment 2C, you will draw 3 squares all of them 1'-0" in size but each at a different scale.

Right now I want to talk about the correct way to draw a square. The first thing you need to do is to set up your sheet of paper. Remember to draw all of your lines as light guidelines (this means using a 3H lead.) When your drawing is all done you will darken the lines in with the appropriate line weights.

Let's draw a 1'-0" square at ¾" scale...
The first thing to do is to draw the top line of the square. Place your scale along the top or bottom of your t-square or parallel rule. Make sure the ¾" scale is on top and put a mark at the 0 point and at the 5' point. Remove the scale and draw a light line between the two marks.

Next, draw the vertical lines of the square. We could measure down 5'-0" in scale but there is always a chance that we will measure incorrectly. The most accurate way to draw and find the length of those sides is to use our drafting tools. We can find the bottom edge of the square by using our 45 degree triangle.

The last step is to draw the bottom line of the square. Easy enough, just connect the two bottom lines.

Ok, that's it! You should now know how to draw the squares that you will use in Assignment 2C.

Assignment 2C Tips:
Remember that each square is 1'-0" each and each square is in a different scale. Also, as you begin the assignment you will want to layout the sheet before you draw a single line. This means that you need to plan ahead. Nothing is worse then starting to draw your last square and discovering that it won't fit. So be sure that you measure and think about where things go on the sheet. The finished drawing should have the correct line weights. Be sure to put the title and border on the drawing.

Assignment 2C focusses on square drawing and scale skills. See "Assignments" link under Week Two on the course "Classroom" page, for detailed assignment instructions.

Have Questions?
If you have questions regarding any of the material covered in this section, visit the "Week Two: Squares" Discussion Forum. The forum can be accessed by clicking on the "Activate Course WebCT Account" link located on the course "Classroom" page. Once inside WebCT's discussion board, post questions and/or comments under the appropriate forum.

Drawing Plans

Now that you have gotten the hang of drawing lines and squares it is time for a more Architectural drawing - a Floor Plan. This will be a simple floor plan of a garden shed. Look at Assignment 2D [see week two assignment link in course Classroom for detailed instructions on completing assignment 2D]. This drawing shows the dimensions of the building. These dimensions will be used by you to draw the shed but more importantly they will be used by the contractor to build the shed. The dimensions on a drawing are the information that governs the size of what is built. If the dimensions differ from the actual drawn width of a door opening the written dimension rules. We will talk more about dimensions in Lecture 3. Right now, we simply need to be able to read the dimensions.

Assignment 2D Tips:
As we begin this drawing once again you must think about how the drawing is going to layout. Mark off your title area and mark out where your plan will fall on the sheet. You will draw the plan at ¾" = 1'-0" scale. The following steps will show you how to layout a floor plan:

The first step is to draw the outside lines of the shed walls. We will draw these as a rectangle that is 5'-0" wide and 8'-0" long. Remember light lines.

Click here to view Plan1f

Next, draw the inside lines of the shed walls. From the dimensions given we know the walls are 8" thick. Be sure you find this information on the assignment sheet. Use your scale placed against your straight edge to mark off 8" towards the inside of the shed from all 4 walls. Draw the inside edge of the wall.

Click here to view Plan2f

There are now two rectangles on your sheet. We have not been concerned about the door opening up to this point. It is easiest to draw the walls lightly and then go back and mark the openings. The door opening appears to be centered but we do not know that for sure. We always go by the dimensions which tells us that the door opening for the shed is 3"-0" wide and is 1'-0" in from the outside wall. Measure over 1'-0" from the right side and mark that point. Measure over 3'-0" from the 1'-0" point. Draw your lines for the door opening.

Click here to view Plan3f

The finished drawing should have the correct line weights. Be sure to put the title and border on the drawing.

Click here to view Plan4f

Line weight is something you read about in the Architectural Graphics book. Line weights assist the viewer in "reading" your drawing. In two dimensional drawings the "rules" for line weight that we will use in this assignment are as follows:

In 2 dimensional drawings (plans, sections and elevations) whatever is closest to you is the thickest line.

In floor plans we assumes that the plan is cut at 4'-0" above the ground. Think of it as someone coming through this shed with a chainsaw and cutting off the top of the building. As you look down from above whatever you see closest to you is the thickest line whatever is farthest away is the thinnest line. In the shed there is only one lineweight because there is only one plane - the walls. The walls are the closest to you so they are the thickest line, which in this drawing could be a thick or medium line.

Assignment 2D is now complete. Make sure to review assignment instructions via the Week Two Assignment link on the course Classroom page to make sure you properly completed all assignments for Week Two.

Have Questions?
If you have questions regarding any of the material covered in this section, visit the "Week Two: Drawing Plans" Discussion Forum. The forum can be accessed by clicking on the "Activate Course WebCT Account" link located on the course "Classroom" page. Once inside WebCT's discussion board, post questions and/or comments under the appropriate forum.

Recap
Well it was another big week now your are drawing floor plans in scale. Hopefully, you are amazed at how far you have come in only 2 weeks time. Next week we will continue working on line work and lettering. We will also draw another floor plan and begin Orthographic Projection drawings.