[Meth0d]

Hey dudes,

well i sketch alot and stuff, and my letters are kinda improving. and i look on the internet alot for another writers sketches etc etc. and i've noticed that most people sketch with like bars, and then erase the lines between to get the letter.

if you know what im saying? like a main bar...and then make add small bars to that to form the letter..

well i wonder how do you do this? and how do you improve your sketches by doing this? i've tried it and some letters turn out ok, and some i just cant to with the bar system.

any help or explanation why this is good, or bad?

[Tierney]

Im not sure about the bar system but drawing a simple grid using a ruler or whatever makes drawing shit so much easier

[Meth0d]

anyone ? help pls

[Rile1]

hmmm if I'm right.....
usually I think they do this because it shows what they want the piece height to be, like say if ur gonna tag a huge wall u make the space bigger cuz u have the space to do it and vice versa.
It also helps with certain 3-d types by sometimes giving it a vanishing point..

but then again im not really that sure...but thats what I use them for hehheh

[Ground Control]

its the same concept of using graph paper, it's easier to measure things. it makes it easier to juxtapose sizes, forms, spacing etc.

[Pop N Jay]

basically it assures you that your letters are the same thickness and everything looks consistent... for example with an "A" it ensures that the two "legs" are consistent.

[Ninja_Bboy[IUC]]

check mr wiggles website on the graff tutorials theres a bit on how to construct letters with bars i think thats what your looking for

EDIT: Here we go http://www.mrwiggles.biz/how_to_construct_a_letter.htm

[madwakfreek]

that site sucks.. too many toys get off the easy way

[Ninja_Bboy[IUC]]

Hehe thats one opinion, mine is its got decent tips for beginners it helped me a few short years ago when I first started sketching. I suppose ppl get pissed cos then all the beginners go copying that style but then if other artists put up their own guides to help beginners there would be some variety of styles for noobs to bite not just one lol

[Ground Control]

those guides are excellent at what they do, it's just that people take away all the wrong things from them. they're not there to show you style or show you how to write like mr wiggles...the important thing is the construction of the lettering, its a very important technique that wiggles shows for drawing your letters, especially in the beginning.

[Jank]

do you mean like this: (i rushed out a pen sketch...ignore the bloke underneath!)


People do this for a few reasons. 1: letter stucture is v.important... as you get more complex leters its important the letters are still being formed from their principle parts(these principle parts are the blocks), and this technique makes sure u get that.
2) consistency. Letters, especially at first should be generally of the same width for most styles, and this helps with that.
3) erm... just generally if you look at letters they are made up of these blocks... try it... it helps!

[GraffitiMachina]

Originally Posted by Tierney

Im not sure about the bar system but drawing a simple grid using a ruler or whatever makes drawing shit so much easier

Yeah... in drawing. Are you going to take a meter stick when you go out to paint?

Drawing little sketchy lines to help to make sure everything is an equal width, but busting out a ruler isn't going to help when you paint (Which is what blackbooking is about IMO). Even if you do use it, at some point you are going to have to ditch the ruler and learn to do it by feel.