Vertical lines are usually drawn in an upward
direction, moving from left to right across the
drawing. However, when you have to draw a
number of vertical lines or lines slanted in the
same direction, the way you draw them will be
governed by the source of your light and the way
you have found that you can draw vertical lines
with greatest control.
Let the first lines dry before starting to draw
any intersecting lines. Watch carefully when you
draw one line across another line. You vary the
thickness of ink lines by selecting a pen unit that
matches your desired application and/or line
convention.
The order generally recommended for inking
is as follows:
1. Inking of a drawing must start from the
top of the paper and progress toward the bottom.
2. Start inking all arcs of circles, fillets,
rounds, small circles, large circles, and other
compass-drawn lines.
3. Ink all irregular curves, using a french
curve or a spline as a guide.
4. Ink all thick horizontal lines, then all
medium and thin lines.
5. Start at the left edge and ink the thick first,
the medium next, and finally the thin vertical lines
from left to right.
6. Follow the same procedure described in (4)
and (5) for slanting.
7. Ink section lines, dimensions, and
arrowheads.
8. Ink notes and title, meridian symbol, and
graphic scales.
9. Ink borders and check inked drawing for
completeness.
10. Use an art gum or a kneaded eraser to
erase pencil marks or for final cleanup of the
drawing.
LETTERING
The information that a drawing must present
cannot be revealed by graphic shapes and lines
alone. To make a drawing informative and
complete, you must include lettering in the
form of dimensions, notes, legends, and titles.
Lettering can either enhance your drawing by
making it simple to interpret and pleasant to look
at, or it can ruin your drawing by making it
difficult to read and unsightly in appearance.
Therefore, it is essential that you master the
techniques and skills required for neat, legible
lettering.
FREEHAND LETTERING
As you work with experienced draftsmen, you
will notice that their freehand lettering adds style
and individuality to their work. They take great
pride in their freehand lettering ability. By
learning basic letter forms and with constant
practice, you will soon be able to do a creditable
job of lettering and acquire your own style and
individuality. Anyone who can write can learn to
letter. As you practice you will steadily improve
both your style and the speed with which you can
letter neatly. Dont give up if your first attempts
do not produce neat lettering. Dont be afraid to
ask your supervisor for a few pointers.
An understanding of the letter shapes and the
ability to visualize them can be accomplished by
drawing them until the muscles of your hand are
accustomed to the pattern of the strokes that
make up the letters. You should be able to draw
good letters without consciously thinking of this
pattern.
Your position and how you hold your pencil
will greatly affect your lettering. You should
sit up straight and rest your forearm on the
drawing board or table. Hold the pencil between
the thumb, forefinger, and second finger; the third
and fourth fingers and the ball of the palm rest
on the drawing sheet. Do not grip the pencil
tightly. A tight grip will cramp the muscles in your
fingers, causing you to lose control. If you get
writers cramp easily, you are probably holding
your pencil too tightly. The pencil should be kept
sharpened to produce uniform line weights. A
conical-shaped pencil point works best for most
lettering. Usually, an F or H pencil is used for
lettering. A pencil that is too hard may cut into
the paper, or it may produce lettering that will
not reproduce easily. A pencil that is too soft will
require frequent sharpening, and it will produce
lettering that may smear easily on a drawing.
GUIDELINES
Figure 3-42, view A, shows the use of light
pencil lines called guidelines. Guidelines ensure
consistency in the size of the letter characters. If
your lettering consists of capitals, draw only the
cap line and base line. If lowercase letters are
included as well, draw the waist line and drop
line.
The waist line indicates the upper limit of the
lowercase letters. The ascender is the part of the
lowercase letter that extends above the body of
the letter; for example, the dot portion of the
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