"It was the drawing that led me to architecture, the search for light and astonishing forms." Oscar Niemeyer
I share the sentiments. Drawing is one thing that led me to architecture and then the search for forms and shapes, texture and patterns, space articulation and what not.
As students of architecture, the tools of engineering drawings kept us amused and engrossed for most of the times. With dreams in our eyes and some peculiar concept running at the back of our minds, we stepped into our college each day, carrying a paraphernalia of drawing instruments and sheets. Unlike other college students who went off to their colleges with a couple of books in their hands, we were loaded with our drawing tools. You name it and we architecture students had it all with us; from T-squares to French curves, from compass to drawing templates, from thick sheets to tracing papers and so on. We were like portable drawing studio ourselves!
During our college days, making architectural drawings was a labored task. It involved sharpening our pencils correctly, using the correct pen nibs for inking, and careful selection of tracing papers and sheets. I remember that we stood for hours, with our backs bent on the drafting boards, making detailed design drawings. We took a lot of pain to draw that perfect curve for an arched door or a curvilinear wall, using a compass and a pencil. Many of us bought large sized compass to inscribe larger arcs and circles. I still remember the small stationary kiosk in our educational town, where we architecture students would rush in at odd hours of the day and even at night for stationaries and supplies, much to the chagrin of the shop-keeper, but then he made a good profit out of his business and he always had a smiling face.
We worked for the entire night for our final presentation drawings. It was fascinating to watch our ideas emerging on to our drawing boards in the form of 2D and 3D drawings. Next morning in the college, we would exhibit our sheets on the display boards with equal passion and optimism, all to be drained and drowned, by the criticism of our professors and jurors. A student would feel most denigrated when the professor or the juror would make sketches on his sheet. The hours of gruelling work took no time to be reduced to self-deprecation at times.
We were the first batch in our college who got to use the computers and we positively carried on from there. Gone were those laborious days. We still continue to debate between computer-aided drawings and manually made drawings. But then as Thom Mayne said "Architecture is a discipline that takes time and patience."
During our college days, making architectural drawings was a labored task. It involved sharpening our pencils correctly, using the correct pen nibs for inking, and careful selection of tracing papers and sheets. I remember that we stood for hours, with our backs bent on the drafting boards, making detailed design drawings. We took a lot of pain to draw that perfect curve for an arched door or a curvilinear wall, using a compass and a pencil. Many of us bought large sized compass to inscribe larger arcs and circles. I still remember the small stationary kiosk in our educational town, where we architecture students would rush in at odd hours of the day and even at night for stationaries and supplies, much to the chagrin of the shop-keeper, but then he made a good profit out of his business and he always had a smiling face.
We worked for the entire night for our final presentation drawings. It was fascinating to watch our ideas emerging on to our drawing boards in the form of 2D and 3D drawings. Next morning in the college, we would exhibit our sheets on the display boards with equal passion and optimism, all to be drained and drowned, by the criticism of our professors and jurors. A student would feel most denigrated when the professor or the juror would make sketches on his sheet. The hours of gruelling work took no time to be reduced to self-deprecation at times.
We were the first batch in our college who got to use the computers and we positively carried on from there. Gone were those laborious days. We still continue to debate between computer-aided drawings and manually made drawings. But then as Thom Mayne said "Architecture is a discipline that takes time and patience."
A quote by Harriet Tubman to start the day with: "Every dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have with you strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and to change the world."
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