Direct-to-Ink Exercises: Part Three: Post and Rail Panorama

This is the one of three exercises from the Richmond workshop : 01 Single Line | 02 Tone Shapes | 03 Post and Rail Panoramas

Ok, I’ll admit this last exercise is less about your pen work – but it’s a good application of the previous two exercises. Plus, this is a very common situation when you’re travelling with a sketchbook. Don’t you always go to those tourist spots with an amazing view? And of course you want to get it all in. (Note: In fact, we did not do this exercise in Richmond. I wanted to do it, but I think I’d put too much on the timeline. Everyone got a worksheet with these notes, so they can try it when they get home. ~m)

Here’s one way to tackle a panorama without getting lost in the details. (And without spending all day at it).

Direct to Ink Exercise: Post and Rail Panorama

• Decide how wide you want to go. The wider the field of view, the ‘shorter’ your drawing will be compared to its length.
• In a small book, this can make your drawing little more than bumps-on-a-horizon-line.
• Choose how many pages in your drawing. Will you work across a double page spread? Or keep going as you flip the page? There are also accordion fold sketchbooks that offer plenty of length.
• I prefer loose sheets as I like to start in the center, and work outward in both directions.

• To begin, choose a landmark that is the most important thing in your view. Something highly distinctive, a recognizable part of the skyline.
• This is your first ‘post’.
• The idea is to build your drawing like a fence. Placing posts, and joining them with rails.

• Each ‘rail’ is  a Single Line Sketch (see Exercise One).
• If you want to make it a little easier, roughly sketch a few key posts in pencil first, and you have a chance to do some sight measuring before the ink.
• Personally, I try not to be obsessive about accuracy, and often enjoy going straight to ink (or watercolor).
• Then it’s simply a matter of squinting at the values and scribbling in Tone Shapes (Exercise Two), and adding color if you want.