Gauging correct angles and proportions ( Drawing class )

My drawing class on tuesday was designed to measure angles and proportions accurately, and transfer these to paper.

 We started by drawing the boxes inside, by roughly sketching in the boxes without any measuring in order to contain the drawing within it boundaries, and to have something to pin our angles and proportions on.

Then we measured the angles of the box in perspective, by holding our arms straight out between our eye and the angle on the box, and then we slid our drawing pad underneath the pencil to to transfer the angle to be drawn in.

We did not attempt to find and fit the vanishing points on our drawings this week, as this would have made our drawings too small, but we were aware that our angles ought to be converging on an imaginary vanishing point off the edge of the paper.

The proportions were worked out by finding the shortest measurement, the drop on the smallest box, 

( green side ) and calling this measurement 1 unit,  seeing how many times that unit fitted into the length

 ( green side ).

We then adjusted our rough sketch of that part of our drawing, by applying the same proportions that we measured on the box, for example, the length was 3 units long in relation to the 1 unit drop.

Then we measured other parts of the box by measurements of units in relation to the whole.

Other measurements were also used by continually making vertical and horizontal measurements in a continual adjustment, so that the end drawing was all perfectly in proportion, and with correct angles from the viewpoint each of us were sitting.

We then went outside, and drew st Andrews church rooms, applying the same principles as we did inside with the boxes

The windows and doors were not added until basic structure, ie walls and roof, were drawn correctly in proportion and angles.

It helped us to find the correct place for the placing of Doors and windows, by finding the center of each gable wall in perspective, by drawing a diagonal cross from corner to corner, and drawing a vertical line through the center junction, this is the halfway point in perspective.

This junction is not the same as measuring the exact half way between 1 end wall and another, this would only count as the center point, if you were looking at the building straight on.

All the drawings on tuesday were exactly correct in angle and proportion relating to the position each of us was sitting.

 Next week, we will measure tone accurately, and render the surface with detail, perhaps we'll even draw in a bit of the church behind the church rooms? : ) this drawing below is what we might aim for.