25 Days to Better Drawings: Sighting, Measuring, and Mapping

Lesson Description

Lesson 19 of the 25 Days to Better Drawings focuses on three essential observational drawing techniques: sighting, measuring, and mapping. These methods form the backbone of accurate drawing and are invaluable tools for artists of every skill level. While creativity and expressive mark-making are important, the ability to observe proportions, angles, and spatial relationships with precision is what ultimately leads to convincing and realistic drawings. In this lesson, Matt breaks down each technique in a clear, approachable way before guiding you through a practical still-life drawing exercise using graphite pencils on white drawing paper.

The lesson emphasizes that accurate drawing is not about guesswork—it’s about slowing down, observing carefully, and using simple tools and methods to translate what you see onto the page. Whether you identify as a beginner or a more experienced artist, the techniques presented in this session help you refine your eye and develop reliable habits that improve consistency and accuracy in all future drawings.

Understanding Sighting Techniques

Matt begins by explaining the concept of sighting—using a pencil or similar straight tool held at arm’s length to gauge the angles and proportions of the subject. By closing one eye and aligning the pencil with visible angles and tilt directions, you learn how to visually “measure” the orientation of edges and compare one angle to another. This helps prevent common distortions that occur when drawing from observation without guidance.

Through demonstration, Matt shows how to hold the pencil properly, how to lock your arm and wrist for consistency, and how to shift between measuring angles and comparing verticals and horizontals. The key point is that sighting trains your brain to see angles as they truly appear rather than how you assume they should appear. This distinction is often the difference between a drawing that feels believable and one that seems subtly off.

Measuring Proportions Accurately

The next technique explored is measuring, which involves using the pencil as a proportional measuring device. By holding the pencil at arm’s length and using your thumb to mark distances, you can identify relative sizes—such as how tall one object is compared to another or how wide a particular section of the still life appears. Instead of trying to guess these relationships, measuring allows you to rely on simple comparative ratios.

Matt explains how to establish a “unit of measure,” typically the largest form or a key reference shape within the still life. You compare all other elements to this unit to maintain scale and proportion. With practice, measuring becomes a natural part of the drawing process—an unobtrusive but powerful tool that ensures accuracy from the earliest stages of your sketch.

Mapping Out the Drawing

Mapping is the third major technique covered in Lesson 19. Mapping involves laying down light, simple shapes that act as placeholders for the major forms in the subject. Instead of jumping immediately into detail, you begin by constructing a loose blueprint of the composition. This mapping process includes sketching envelopes, identifying general shapes, locating the correct placement of objects, and marking relationships between forms.

Matt demonstrates how mapping works hand-in-hand with sighting and measuring. After determining angles and proportions, you use those visual cues to place marks on the paper that correspond to the subject. This creates a structured, accurate framework that supports all later stages of shading and refinement. Mapping dramatically increases the likelihood that the finished drawing will be well-proportioned and believable.

Applying the Techniques to a Simple Still Life

With the foundations explained, the lesson transitions to a hands-on drawing exercise. Using graphite pencils on white drawing paper, you follow Matt step-by-step as he draws a simple still life—typically a small arrangement of everyday objects chosen for their clear shapes and manageable complexity. The goal is not to create a highly detailed or polished drawing, but to practice sighting, measuring, and mapping in a real-world context.

Matt begins by sighting the major angles of the objects and establishing the general envelope of the still life. Next, he measures the proportions, comparing the height and width of the primary object and using that unit to determine the scale of surrounding elements. Finally, he maps out the big shapes with a light pencil, creating an accurate structural drawing before committing to any heavier lines or shading.

As the drawing progresses, these techniques guide every decision—where to place edges, how large to make shapes, and how the objects relate to each other spatially. Once the structure is confirmed, Matt adds simple shading to reinforce form and value relationships, but the emphasis remains on accuracy rather than finish. Students are encouraged to be patient, check their decisions frequently, and rely on the observational tools introduced earlier in the lesson.

Building Confidence Through Observation

By the end of Lesson 19, students gain a deeper appreciation for observational drawing and the discipline of accuracy. Sighting, measuring, and mapping are skills that improve with repetition, and this lesson provides the clarity and practice needed to begin trusting these techniques. Whether you return to complex subjects or continue working with simple objects, the habits formed here will strengthen every aspect of your drawing process and set the stage for more confident, intentional artwork.

Lesson Materials

Graphite drawing pencil, kneaded eraser (or any eraser) and white drawing paper.

Lesson Resources

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