The document discusses using a viewfinder to help focus on the subject and composition when drawing from observation. A viewfinder is a small frame that can be held up to only show a selected area, helping the artist ignore distractions. It explains how to make a simple viewfinder from card and use it to find interesting perspectives by zooming in and out on a subject. The viewfinder helps the artist determine the outline and proportions for their drawing.

1. Big Draw
Wednesday 26th September 2012

2. Big Draw
Wednesday 26th September 2012
WALT : draw from life using a viewfinder

3. Big Draw
We are going to be looking in and around
our classrooms to create our drawings for
this year’s Big Draw.
To help us, we need a special tool called a
viewfinder.

4. What is a viewfinder?
In art, a viewfinder is a small frame you can look through.
Have you ever seen artists using their fingers to form a
square?
Their arms are outstretched and they look like they are
framing the view before them.

5. Here are some artists using their fingers as
viewfinders :

6. What is a
viewfinder?
These artists are actually using their fingers as a border to
help them visualise what they want to draw.
The frame they create with their fingers helps them find
exactly the view they want to draw.

7. However, it is easier
to use a real
viewfinder.
A viewfinder is an adjustable
see-through drawing tool.
It helps you to view focus on
exactly what you want to draw.

8. Here are some artists using real viewfinders…

10. Why do I need to use a viewfinder?
Viewfinders help you to focus clearly on the subject
you want to draw.

11. A viewfinder can
help you create an
ideal composition
by eliminating
clutter and
unnecessary
objects near the
subject of your
drawing.
You can make
your own
viewfinder.
Here are some
children using
viewfinders…

13. A viewfinder
can help you
focus on a
particular
subject close
up or see the
subject from a
different point
of view.
It helps you
create the
perfect
composition.

14. How do I make a viewfinder?
You will need : card, scissors, pencil ruler & paperclips.

15. 1. Draw two large L shapes on your card, using a pencil and a
ruler along the edges of your card.
The bars of the L shape should be about 3 cm wide. This is
about the width of your ruler. Both shapes can go on the same
card.

16. 2. Carefully cut the L-shapes out. Now you have two halves of a
frame. You won’t need the small square that’s left over.
_________
_________________

17. 3. Lay them on the table so that they form a frame with one
L shape lying slightly on top of the other.
Use your paper clips to join the L shapes together at the edges
like this…

19. How do I use a viewfinder?
Hold your viewfinder out in front of you, with your arm outstretched. Let’s
use a chair to look at, for an example.
If it helps, close or cover up one eye when you look through the hole.
Make sure the chair is touching at least 2 sides of the viewfinder
rectangle. You can adjust it either way, wider or narrower, to help you
focus on the chair.

21. How do I use a viewfinder?
This forms a border around the chair and lets you see the chair,
and the spaces around the chair.
We call this negative space (the space between the chair and
the borders of the viewfinder).
It might take some time but wait until you can see the negative
space as a shape.
Sometimes you can focus on the negative space to create a
drawing, if you like. Look at the negative space around these
vases. What do you see?

23. Hold the edge of the viewfinder and look
through the hole at your view. Always hold
it at arm’s length so that your view will be
the same every time you look at the
subject.
Move the viewfinder around, looking at
different views – it’s like looking through
the viewfinder of a camera – until you find
a view that’s interesting and pleasing to
your eye.
Your viewfinder can also be used to select a section of a larger object, and
can even be placed over an object if you can make it stay in place.
Relate the shape of your drawing to the shape of the viewfinder window – a
long narrow window will result in a long narrow drawing, a square window
will result in a square drawing, and so on.

24. You can use it in portrait position
like this :

25. Or in landscape position like this :

26. Now try out different views.
Look at a book through your viewfinder. Zoom out
by moving the view finder closer to your eye. What
do you see?
Try not to pay attention to anything outside of your
frame! You probably see the whole book and part of
the room around it.
Now, zoom in by moving the viewfinder closer to the
page. Do you see much more than a few words?

27. Focus on your
subject – the thing
you want to draw.
Use your view finder to
search your location.
What would make an
interesting picture?
Zoom out! If you move
your viewfinder edges
further apart, or the
whole thing further
away from you, you’ll
be able to see a wider
landscape.

28. Zoom in! If you move
your viewfinder close
enough, you’ll only be
able to see simple
shapes, colours and
patterns.
By keeping your arm
outstretched and
noting where the
object is touching the
border, you should
see the same view
each time you look
through the
viewfinder.

29. Begin your picture.
1.Hold your viewfinder very still.
2.Pretend the viewfinder is the frame of your picture. This
means you shouldn’t add anything you don’t see inside of it.
3. With your pencil and paper, draw the outline of everything
you see inside your viewfinder. Fill your paper.

30. Start
drawing!