Eye vs. ruler

[mtw]

When should you use a ruler to get proportions right and to make straight lines, and when should you use your eye?

[vudu]

I should use your eyes ALWAYS when making art. Rulers are lame sh*t :):). Develop your eyes n you'll never ask this question.

Peace. :D

[killing.people]

it all depends.

i use a ruler for perspective drawings ... thats it. i hardly ever do'em though.

[Don Wilkinson]

omg.....i'm going to have a heart attack..in my first semester object drawing class for the first half we have had to draw cubes cubes cubes cubes cubes in different forms and using different methods of perspective disection to figure out proportions and measurements, we do not use a ruler, we draw from life, and we build up drawings using structuring techniques. this is huge work on like 18x24 newsprint using the whole arm. You would not believe how STRAIGHT you can be after doing this for a few classes, it's all about refining your abilities. Anyway this may have nothing to do with what you are saying and I am just blabbering on, but in what context are you refering to? As in what are you working on?

[vudu]

Don: that is what I'm talking about. I bet my art teacher will pull of my hands if I use rulers.

Heh-heh... :):)

[mtw]

Originally posted by Don Wilkinson
As in what are you working on?
I wasn't working on anything at the time I asked this. I was just curious. I don't like using the ruler, but it seems like it could come in handy at times.

[foster]

It depends on what you mean by ruler. Basically all artist use some kind of unite of measure when drawing from life to compare placement and proportion. What i am talking about is the classic pencil held held out at arms length using thumb to crop the pencil at a unite of measure. Also the pencil (you can use any straight edge even your hand) can help measure angles. Just by mimicking the angle with the tool you get a better understanding of the angle.

So to measure is fine!

Jon

[Patton Art]

yeah, i agree with foster here...

i've been doing the self portrait a day stuff for over a month now. my eye has gotten a lot more accurate. i don't use rulers or straight edges to line up the eyes anymore (i used to have to use a ruler to draw a straight line across so i knew where the eyes lined up). Now that doesn't mean my eyes are always lined up perfect, or ever are; but it's a lot more accurate than it used to be without using "guidelines."
i don't do as much of that measuring with your pencil as i used to (still do, not as much). I did a SPotD in ink a few days ago. My first time going straight in with ink. Surprisingly the proportions were good and the eyes were lined up pretty dang good. It was surprising, since 2 months ago I definately couldn't have done that good without using "guidelines" or whatever you want to call them.
If I were to draw in perspective (which I will be doing in a few days when it's not raining, I'm going to draw my house from life) I would still use a ruler. I don't think there's any "cheating" in using a ruler for any reason. It's still nice to be able to not use a ruler and just use your eye though.
So yeah, train your eye and you won't have to use a ruler as much.

[Darrell Bowman]

one key is to use the whole arm verses just the wrist.
so from the elbow down move the arm across dont lock ur arms up or u might get a curve in it.

i have a small clear plastic triangle.

or use the v and b keys in painter.

training your eyes is good i can tell when a picture straight or not on a wall :)

[fletchgirl]

actually, interesting fact. many times, if you draw something in PERFECT perspective, i.e., using a ruler or a straight-edge for EVERYTHING, it won't look right to anyone else. an angle will be too sharp or something. i guess it's like stupid is as stupid does. the eye sees and relates to your brain, and on to your hand, what, and HOW it sees. not what is there. so, yeah, if i'm doing something with crazy perspective, i'll ruler the guidelines in, but eyeball the rest.

[mtw]

Originally posted by fletchgirl
actually, interesting fact. many times, if you draw something in PERFECT perspective, i.e., using a ruler or a straight-edge for EVERYTHING, it won't look right to anyone else. an angle will be too sharp or something. i guess it's like stupid is as stupid does. the eye sees and relates to your brain, and on to your hand, what, and HOW it sees. not what is there. so, yeah, if i'm doing something with crazy perspective, i'll ruler the guidelines in, but eyeball the rest.
I just learned in my architecture class that the Greeks would build things over and over again until they looked perfect to the human eye. They had to make pillars slightly curved outwards to make them look straight.

[Darrell Bowman]

That would explain this...the tower of pisa.

http://members.rogers.com/darrbow01/images/dot.jpg

[fletchgirl]

Originally posted by mtw

I just learned in my architecture class that the Greeks would build things over and over again until they looked perfect to the human eye. They had to make pillars slightly curved outwards to make them look straight.

whoa, see, now that's cool.

[Darrell Bowman]

maybe the architect had one leg.
that could explain that.