Design and Tradition: A short account of the principles and historic development of architecture and the applied artsFenn, Amor
History
Design and Tradition: A short account of the principles and historic development of architecture and the applied arts
Fenn, Amor
Architecture; Art; Decoration and ornament; Decoration and ornament -- History
Architectural drawings are drawn to scale, that of eight feet to one
inch being general, with working drawings to a scale of half an inch to
the foot accompanied by full-size details and profiles of mouldings. The
drawings are geometric, that is in plan, elevation, and section,
expressed in line and generally tinted. On plans and sections arbitrary
colours are employed to indicate material, for instance, red denotes
brick, purple-grey, stone, warm grey, cement, Prussian blue, iron or
steel, and burnt sienna or Vandyke brown, wood.
These drawings convey little idea of the intended effect to the lay
mind, and it is customary to suggest the eventual appearance by
perspective views, but for practical reasons they constitute the most
convenient form from which dimensions can be taken for working purposes.
_Structural Design_
In all structural design similar drawings are necessary, although sketch
designs in perspective may be made to suggest effect, working drawings
are imperative to the execution of the work. These, when reduced to the
essential conditions of rendering, with explanatory details and
sections, assume a very different aspect to the original sketch.
The success of the completed work depends upon skilful detailing, which
must be thoroughly explicit to be of real value.
For convenience such working drawings are generally made on detail
paper, which is usually obtainable in rolls sixty inches wide by
twenty-five or fifty yards. This is sufficiently transparent to be
employed for tracings, a great convenience when copies are in request,
and is a good surface for pen, pencil or chalk, though somewhat thin for
colour.
Designs can be sketched in charcoal, and the desired lines drawn in ink.
When dry the charcoal lines can be obliterated by rubbing with a leather
or soft cloth, by which the charcoal is distributed, forming a tone over
the whole surface. This is easily removable by india-rubber, and
excellent relief effects can be obtained by judiciously taking out
lights and strengthening shadows, though to avoid any possible
misunderstanding it is usual to also indicate the relief by sections
drawn through the details.
_Lucid Arrangement_
In geometric and working drawings when plans and sections are incidental
to lucid explanation, these latter should appear relatively; that is,
the plan should be in alignment with the elevation, etc. Statements and
directions as to procedure are often necessary, and these, placed with
judgment and in good lettering, are valuable in balancing the drawing.
Not that this has any effect on the work, but because it has a good
influence on the designer.
Possibly the story of Giotto and the circle that figured in the early
school primers is responsible for the very general impression that the
use of mechanical instruments is inartistic. Another characteristic of
the young beginner is a total disregard for anything in the nature of
exact dimension.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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