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02
SKETCHING THE
HISTORY OF
FURNITURE
WHAT WE ARE MAKING
WHY WE ARE MAKING IT
a variety of sketches of historical furniture
sketching is our first tool in our tool belt of design
ACTIVITY MATERIALS
Paper
Pencil
Fine Tip Markers
WARM UP SKETCHING
To begin, we will warm up with a follow-along tutorial of sketching four pieces of furniture. The video is 7 minutes long, so you will have plenty of time to go back and add detail. Before we start the video, divide one sheet of paper into four quadrants.
Follow along at your own speed, don't worry if you are falling behind.
Here we go!
5-10 min
Take some time to finish up your sketches.
We just did 4 sketches in about 8 minutes (2 minutes per sketch).
Our next sketches will will spend 5 minutes per sketch (x4 sketches).
20 min
SKETCHING TIPS
- Plan out the size of your sketch on the page before you draw anything.
- Start with the large overall shapes before you add any detail.
- Start with very light pencil lines. Then go back over with darker lines, either in pencil or felt tip pen.
DESIGN TIMELINE
We will now sketch four chairs that span the past 100 years of history of design. We will spend five minutes sketching each chair after learning about its era.
1990
1956
1928
1902
1
CALVET ARMCHAIR
Antonio Gaudi, Spain
inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and flowers.
1902
ART NOUVEAU
1902
Eiffel Tower Built (1887)
Paris Exhibition (1900)
Ford Model T (1908)
World War I (1914–1918)
ART NOUVEAU
CALVET ARMCHAIR
Antonio Gaudi, Spain
1902
sketch
2
MODERNISM
LC2 CHAIR
Le Corbusier, Switzerland
characterized by bold shapes, sharp corners, and minimal ornament.
1928
1928
Women Vote US (1920)
Penicillin Invented (1928)
Great Depression (1929)
Empire State Bldg. (1931)
MODERNISM
LC2 CHAIR
Le Corbusier, Switzerland
1928
sketch
3
SPACE AGE
TULIP CHAIR
Eero Saarinen, USA
characterized by plastic or fiberglass as a main component, with soft curvature
1955
1955
WWII Ends (1939 - 1945)
Sputnik Launched (1957)
March on Wash. (1963)
Civil Rights Act (1964)
SPACE AGE
TULIP CHAIR
Eero Saarinen, USA
1955
sketch
4
BIOMORPHIC
LOCKHEED LOUNGE CHAIR
Marc Newson, Australia
naturally occurring patterns or shapes reminiscent of nature and living organisms
1990
1990
Internet Invented (1988)
Gameboy US Launch (1990)
Persian Gulf War (1990)
Y2K Tech Scare (2000)
BIOMORPHIC
LOCKHEED LOUNGE CHAIR
Marc Newson, Australia
1990
sketch
1990
1956
1928
1902
Prompt
We will be sketching historically significant chair designs while understanding the eras from which they came.
Instructions
1) Begin by following the furniture sketching tutorial video to sketch four furniture typologies on a single sheet of paper.
2) Secondly, on a new sheet of paper, sketch the four historical chairs in the slides.
Deliverables
Photograph / scan your sketches and hang them on the wall to assess the strengths and areas for improvement of your sketching style.
Materials
Paper, Pens, Pencils