Week One - Drawing and Shading Techniques / Communicating the Physical Site

Getting to know my tool kit and different types of mark making

Drawing and shading techniques:
Points and stippling -

Lines and cross hatching -

Conveying light and shadow gradients -

Creating values through line weights and mark making -

Observing and documenting the site

Understanding the details of the site:

What buildings or structures are on the site?
How many?

there are 3 apartment style buildings on the site.

How big are they?

they are all five to eight story buildings.

where do we get into the buildings?

there are entrance doors at the bottom of all three buildings - entrance and exit.

Are they multilevel? (if so, how do we get from one to the other?)

yes, they are multilevel and they have stair wells.

How far apart are they?

they are practically connected to each other.

What natural elements are on the site?
Trees?

there are trees on the site, they are part of the garden beds.

Shrubs?

there are shrubs scattered throughput the garden beds and around the buildings.

Waterways?

there are no waterways on this site.

Rocks?

there are rocks scattered through the garden beds.

Material Elements found on site
What are the manmade elements composed of?
Brick?

bricks are not featured on this site.

Steel?

steel is used in the construction of the buildings as well as some of the decorative features (lamps posts etc.).

Glass?

all the windows and some of the doors are made from glass.

Sandstone?

there is no sandstone on this site.

Concrete?

the buildings are almost entirely made up of concrete, as are the walkways and barriers - concrete is the most used material on this site.

How do people use the site?
Is there a thoroughfare?

yes, there is a pathway towards on side, as well as all around the buildings.

Is there a contemplative space?

in my opinion, no.

What are the different intended or unintended functions of the site?(for example, do people use the space to rehearse dance routines, or smoke cigarettes, or simply sit on the grass)

the intended use for the space is accommodation for students, as well as a path way through this section of the campus. People have used the grass space as a path even though it was not intended for this use.

What is the orientation of the site?

the front of the site is north facing.

How do we record or communicate a 3D space or a physical site?

Different ways of recording the site.

Photography:
Task1: Using the camera on your phone or a digital SLR, take photos of the site to communicate both detailed and large-scale information. It is important to include people in your images so that you understand the scale of the different elements in relation to the human body and can communicate this to the people. For your at home online photoshop composite task this week, please make sure you take a of panoramashot for compositing one the subjects found on the moodle page in week 1. Consult with your team to make sure you each pick a different area or aspect of your site to communicate. 15 mins

Sketching:
Use different tools from your kit to sketch information about the site.Remember that is as much about the act of looking as it is about making marks on paper.

Task 2: Complete 5 one-minute blind contour drawings of different elements of the site.Blind contour drawing helps you understand what you are looking at. This occurs because the focus of the task requires you to only look at what you are drawing, not the paper you are drawing on. The drawing is almost irrelevant, the product is the act of looking. This exercise can feel very challenging as you have to relinquish however the results are often quite interesting and give new insights into the site. 5 Minutes

Task 3: Complete 2 five- minute sketch drawings that include the main elements of the site from your position.(you may pick separate viewing points for the two drawings).Attempt to indicate scale and the relationships of different elements to each other. (how far about, whichare in front and which are behind etc). Different Pens and Pencils can be used to show details liketextures, profiles of buildings and indicate significance by making lines darker or lighter. This can also beused to indicate which elements are solid and which are porous. Thicker pens can be used to indicatesolid elements while fine lines can be used to show details. Fine lines can also be built up to create texture and shadows. 10 mins

Task 4: Use your steps and a metre stick (supplied).Measure the dimensions/ boundaries of the site that you have been allocated.Measure the length, width and estimate height. 20 mins