IT is necessary that the designer should be familiar with the historic styles of architecture and furniture. He should also study the characteristic forms and ornamental details of each period. This will enable him to recognize the kind of furniture needed to harmonize with surroundings, learn what has been made, and store his mind with material that suggests new forms and ideas. In many instances the designer is required to make his work correspond with a historic style. Then his best course is to hunt up good existing examples of the style (not necessarily the articles he is working on, but any in the style), and with these before him try to give their character to the problem. When not restricted in any way, he should work out the forms suggested by the purpose for which the furniture is used. Study this purpose and consider the character of the material used in meeting it. By working with a knowledge of these requirements, a design may be made that does not resemble any style. It is more probable, however, a close adherence to the demands of the problem will lead to the employment of a style, and it is well that it should, as then some good example may be taken as a model. There are excellent models for modern furniture in all styles, though many of them may not be suited to exact reproduction, owing to change of customs. But, when possible, furniture should have the characteristics of some recognized style.

Many poor designs are due to a striving to produce something new and original, different from what is seen every day. The result is rarely pleasing. Any article that is designed with the intention of making it odd, peculiar or picturesque is usually poor. Aim to make it beautiful; not by disregarding styles, but by working upon rational methods. The result will be furniture with possibly but little ornament, and it may be noticeably plain and simple. But it is not desirable that all furniture should be richly ornamented, and overloading with ornament is, of course, to be avoided. Study good examples, whether ancient or modern, and if an article appeals to you as particularly good try and find why it does so. Make a memorandum of it and put it in a scrap-book for future use. Often, a long time after seeing several objects, it happens that some one of them is recalled vividly, while the others are forgotten. This impression is caused either by the value of the material from which the object is made, the beauty, the ingenuity of mechanical construction, or the eccentricity of design, and it should be valued accordingly.

The secret of successful study is the knowing what to select and how to use the material on hand. To know what not to do is almost as good as knowing what to do. It cannot be expected that a draughtsman will make a good sketch for an article unless he knows what he is trying to draw. The object should be as clearly defined in the mind as if the completed work was before him; otherwise his drawing will be vague and uncertain.

As the purpose of the sketch is to show someone, usually a person ignorant of conventional methods of draughtsmanship, the appearance of the completed furniture, too much care cannot be taken in making the sketch accurate and showing the detail in a way that will leave little doubt in the mind what is intended, that there may be no cause for dissatisfaction with the completed article because the drawing was not understood.

The sketch should represent the article correctly, and sufficient skill to make such a drawing is obtained by practice. There is no better preparation for designing than drawing from existing examples of good furniture. By sitting in front of a chair, for instance, and drawing it as it appears, a knowledge of the way its curves and lines should be represented in a sketch is obtained. It should be drawn as it is seen, not as it is known to be; that is, if the curve of the arm looks like a straight line, draw it so. If it is necessary that the curve appear on the sketch, change the position of the object so as to present the line as it is wanted, but do not make the drawing incorrect for the sake of presentation. A position can easily be taken that will show all that is necessary. If one drawing does not suffice to do so, make others rather than draw incorrectly.

The completed sketch should be as perfect a picture of the article as the draughtsman can make it in the time available. This is preferably a perspective drawing, though not necessarily one constructed mechanically. In fact, a free-hand drawing, made without the use of the conventional scales, is better. Of course, a knowledge of the principles and rules for making mechanical perspective is necessary to draw in this way, and if this knowledge is applied as the drawing proceeds the result will be satisfactory.

The object may be drawn of any convenient size and in a position that represents it to the best advantage. Certain articles may be drawn larger than others, and yet appear relatively of the proper dimensions. For instance, a chair may be drawn quite large to show all its details; while a cabinet is better sketched at a smaller scale, as otherwise it appears too large.

It is curious that to the unitiated a large drawing or photograph represents a large object, and vice versa a small drawing a small object. So, when a light, delicate piece of furniture is to be represented the sketch should be small and delicately drawn.

Chairs look well when drawn so the front is at an angle of about 45 degrees to the picture plane and with the corner nearest to the eye at a scale of one and a half inches to the foot.

It is not to be expected that a draughtsman can always have his ideas sufficiently formulated to enable him to draw a picture at once. Some preliminary work is required. A scale study may be made in orthographic projection to determine the proportion of the whole and the arrangement of the parts, and occasionally rough, full size drawings of parts requiring special study are made.