Drawing Tools

To prepare a drawing, you can use manual drafting instruments (see below) or computer-aided drafting or design. ( CAD ) The basic drawing standards and conventions are the same regardless of what design tool you use to make the drawings. In learning ‘drafting‘ - the name given to drawing in architecture and engineering, we will approach it from the perspective of manual drafting. If the drawing is made without either instruments or CAD, it is called a freehand sketch.



It is important to use the set-square resting on the parallel motion bar - the horizontal motion bar - as
the accuracy of the lines drawn and the speed with which they can be added is significantly improved. Isometric drawings need the 30 / 60 set sqaure and Orthographics use the 45 / 90 degree. Always use a sharp pencil as the line is more accurate and can be mesured more easily. HB is the softest grade of pencil that should be used. Either H or 2H grades give lighter-looking lines but are far finer and cleaner looking.

A moments thought will also make you realise that unless the paper is attached to the surface with its edges aligned to the board - then the drawing will not be square to the edge and nor will replacing the drawing be quite as easy if for some reason it has to be removed and replaced later. Steel clips or masking tape can be used to attach the paper to the board’s surface. When peeling tape off drawings make sure it is pulled back almost along itself so that the paper surface is not damaged.