Other Articles Needed

One-half dozen thumb tacks with which to fasten the drawing paper to the board.

One rubber eraser.

One bottle of waterproof black drawing ink.

One penholder and fine pen-point.

Supply of drawing paper.

One drawing pencil. For this work you will need to use a very hard lead pencil; about No. 4H will be satisfactory. The pencil must be kept sharp; some draftsmen sharpen their pencils on both ends, making one point very slender and round while the other point is sharpened chisel shape; some prefer to have two pencils for this purpose. The round point is used in locating points and making measurements; the chisel point is used in drawing lines. You should have a small piece of fine sand-paper upon which to rub the pencil point in keeping it very keen.

Practice Exercise

Cut your drawing paper to some convenient size; it is not material what size you use, but it would be well to decide upon the size you expect to make your plates or drawings and have them all uniform in size and shape; this will make your work neat and systematic, and will aid you considerably in taking care of the drawings when you have a number of them completed. The paper is to be fastened onto the drawing board with thumb tacks. To do this fasten one of the upper corners of the paper by pushing the thumb tack through it into the board, then hold the T-square with the head firmly against the lefthand edge of the drawing board and set the paper exactly straight with the upper edge of the T-square; insert thumb tacks at each corner to hold the paper perfectly smooth; push the tacks in such a position that the tendency is to tighten the paper without crimping it.

With your scale and round-pointed lead pencil lay out small dots one-half inch apart from bottom to top along the lefthand edge of your paper; hold the T-square in its proper position and rule a horizontal line across the paper through each of these points. These lines should be exactly parallel.

Lay out similar dots on the top line; hold your T-square in its proper position, and with one of your triangles resting exactly upon the upper edge of the T-square, rule a vertical line through each of these points. It will require a little care to hold the T-square and triangle in their proper positions while drawing vertical lines. In slipping the triangle from one point to another, be very careful not to allow the square to get out of position.

If these lines are properly drawn your paper will be laid out in half-inch squares; you might use the other edge of your triangles and draw oblique lines.

Marginal Or Border Lines

Drawing sheets are usually laid out with a very heavy line ruled around the edge, thus leaving a margin entirely around the drawing. You can decide about the width of your margins when you are determining the size and shape of your sheets.

Inking

After drawings are laid out with the lead pencil, they are inked to make them clear and permanent. The inking is done with the ruling pen, found in the set of drawing instruments. Do not dip this pen into the ink, but with your steel pen or the quill which is in the cork of the ink bottle put a little ink between the nibs of the ruling pen. The width of the line made by the ruling pen can be changed by loosening or tightening the small set-screw on the side of the pen. Always test the pen on a scrap of drawing paper or on the margin which is to be cut off of your drawing. Use the pen in much the same manner in which you used the pencil in ruling the lines; however, you must be careful not to allow ink to get on the edge of the triangle or T-square. The only way to become skillful at this process is by careful practice.

Be sure to clean your pen thoroughly before laying it away.