Mastering Theatrical Design Sketching: Hand and Computer Techniques

1. Drawing and rendering are the primary visual-communication methods used by theatrical designers It is also important that you learn how to draw and render on a computer Both methods are important, but it is absolutely essential that you be able to draw and paint well by hand

2. Materials Designers use a wide variety of materials to create their sketches These materials can be divided into two categories: The material being applied: pencils, inks, paints, pastels, or markers Paper

3. Materials Pencils Almost any pencil can be used for sketching, but different pencils have different characteristics Hard-lead drafting pencils make crisp, sharp-edged lines Soft-lead drawing pencils make wider, darker, and softer-edged lines Colored pencils also come in hard and soft varieties

4. Materials Inks Some designers use inks for making preliminary and thumbnail sketches and outlining detail on renderings

5. Materials Paint Costume and scenic sketches and renderings have traditionally been painted with transparent watercolor paints Watercolor Designer’s Gouache Acrylic Brushes

6. Materials Watercolor Watercolor paint is a pigment mixed with water to create a transparent paint It is the traditional medium for theatrical renderings because it produces a luminescent quality

7. Materials Watercolor Watercolor pigments are available in three types: Tube—emulsified pigments the consistency of sour cream Cake—hard blocks of watercolor pigment Liquid—packaged in small bottles of highly saturated hues Tube and cake watercolors provide same high-quality pigment, so the choice is a matter of personal preference. Liquid paints mix easily and always remain transparent

8. Materials Designer’s Gouache Designer’s gouache is an opaque watercolor Available in tubed form in a wide range of hues, gouache closely resembles the “matte” reflective properties and colors of scene paint Matte—Dull, non-reflective

9. Materials Acrylic Acrylic paint is very versatile It can be thinned with water to be the consistency of watercolor When used as a watercolor, the only difference is that acrylic leaves a slightly “glossy” surface, rather than a matte surface Glossy—highly reflective, mirrorlike

10. Materials Brushes You should buy the best brushes that you can possibly afford Most artists believe the best watercolor brushes are made from red sable or a synthetic sable The brushes carry pigment easily, have a good “spine”, and cling together when wet You will need at least two sizes of brushes to begin—the higher the number, the bigger the brush Pick a smaller one for detail and a larger one for laying in washes Spine—the relative stiffness of bristles

11. Materials Brushes You should buy the best brushes that you can possibly afford Most artists believe the best watercolor brushes are made from red sable or a synthetic sable The brushes carry pigment easily, have a good “spine”, and cling together when wet You will need at least two sizes of brushes to begin—the higher the number, the bigger the brush Pick a smaller one for detail and a larger one for laying in washes Spine—the relative stiffness of bristles

12. Materials Pastels There are two primary types of pastel Chalk Oil

13. Materials Chalk Pastels Chalk pastels are formed into square or round sticks that have approximately the same consistency as blackboard chalk The square sticks are generally more useful for theatrical sketching because you can draw relatively sharp lines with the edges as well as a smooth wash with the flat surfaces Chalk pastels are available in soft, medium, and hard The brilliance of the color is linked to its hardness—the harder the stick, the less brilliant the color!

14. Materials Oil or Wax Pastels Oil or wax pastels have a slightly greasy feeling They are manufactured with a soft wax binder The wax makes these types of pastels very easy to blend

15. Materials Markers There are a number of different markers and marking pens available The principal differences are in the shape and material of the tip and the nature and characteristics of the paint or ink contained in the marker

16. Materials Paper Most final scenic and costume sketches are drawn or painted on some type of watercolor paper or “illustration board” Other types of paper, such as charcoal and velvet can be used with pastels, pencils, and markers, but they don’t work well with paint Illustration board—watercolor paper mounted on a pressboard backing to prevent wrinkling or bending

17. Materials Paper There are three primary surface finishes for watercolor paper and illustration board Hot-press finish—a slick, smooth texture achieved by pressing paper between hot rollers Cold-press finish—a slight surface texture achieved by pressing paper between cold rollers Rough finish—a pebble-grained texture achieved by cold-pressing paper with a textured roller

18. Computer Drawing There are a variety of drawing programs, and they contain a number of features Generally they can be divided into two generic types Painting programs Drawing programs

19. Computer Drawing Painting Programs Programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Fractal Painter are generally used for nontechnical drawings such as renderings and sketches

20. Computer Drawing Drawing Programs Objects created with drawing programs such as Strata Studio Pro and/or 3D Studio are object-oriented or vector images Vector programs can be used to create sketches and renderings, but their most used to create drawings containing multiple objects that may need to be manipulated independently

21. Computer Drawing Drawing Programs The actual drawing can be done with a mouse or with a “digitizing tablet” Most of the current drawing programs include color palettes ranging from a minimum of 256 hues to over 1.6 million colors These programs also allow you to select specific surface textures The majority of the programs also allow you to design the lighting for your drawings Digitizing tablet—an electromechanical device that converts the pressure of a stylus on a flat plane into binary information that can be understood by a computer

22. Computer Drawing Drawing Programs Drawing programs can be used in several ways Original sketches can be created with a program, such as POSER Hand-drawn sketches or research illustrations can be scanned into the computer and manipulated Scanner figure

23. Drawing and Rendering Techniques The following suggestions will familiarize you with some of the basic techniques that are used with the various media Sketching Figure drawing Graphite transfers Watercolor Pastels Pencils and Markers Combined media

24. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Sketching Scenic, costume, and property designers need to be able to make quick, clear sketches Thumbnail drawings and preliminary sketches are presented and modified during production meetings Three principles: Lines must reflect the qualities of the materials they represent You must be intimately familiar with the physical characteristics of the materials you are drawing You must know what you’re drawing before you draw it

25. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Sketching Sketching creates a simplified view that shows the basic appearance and spirit or character of the object A major stumbling block is that people try to draw what they think they see rather than what they actually see All sketches are based on three principal elements: thematic lines, line angles and intersections, and proportion

26. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Figure Drawing It is imperative that designers, especially costume designers, be able to sketch the human figure easily Some designers believe it is important that a figure have a readily identifiable face—others do not The quick figure sketch is used to capture the flavor and personality of the character

27. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Figure Drawing Proportion is the single most important element of figure drawing Designers should become familiar with the skeletal structure of the body and how the various muscle groups work to animate it Practice, practice, practice! Take life drawing classes and draw during idle time.

28. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Graphite transfers Watercolor and pastel renderings and sketches usually begin with a pencil drawing It is standard practice to draw the design on tracing vellum After the sketch is complete, the vellum is turned over and covered with graphite The drawing is taped face up onto watercolor or illustration board and traced, thus transferring the design

29. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Watercolor A wash is the covering of relatively large area with a smooth layering of paint A wash can be laid down wet or dry Since watercolor is a transparent medium, you’ll need to remember that the whites and light colors are achieved by letting the paper show through It is normal procedure to build up a watercolor rendering from light to dark

30. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Pastels Oil or wax pastels are easy to blend and give a smooth, opaque finish Chalk pastels give a chalkier, luminescent finish Most designers prefer to use chalk pastels because they, unlike the oil pastels, can be used with watercolor Once the pastel has been applied, it can be blended using blending sticks, tissue, or your fingers

31. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Pencils and Markers Colored pencils and pens, as well as watercolor or oil markers, can be used to good effect for both scenic and costume renderings

32. Drawing and Rendering Techniques Combined Media To be able to select the appropriate visual expression for a design concept, a designer should feel free to use and combine a wide variety of rendering materials, styles, and techniques