The Basics

Cross-the-Dot

We are moving onto the third technique that involves drawing multiple lines through the same intersection to improve your precision in hitting your mark. This time, instead of just hitting your marks, you are going to draw through and then past them.

Exercise Three

Starting with a fresh sheet of paper, you will want to place a few dots, we only need three, maybe four, which are going to act as our guide. You can start your lines at any arbitrary point - as long as you are finding the dot and drawing through it. My best advice for creating straighter lines is to avoid drawing with your fingers or wrist. Instead you will want to mildly lock these joints, making sure that you only use your elbow or shoulder in order to move the pencil across the page.

The goal of this exercise is to be able to draw multiple lines, all intersecting at the same point. This will be vitally important when mocking up perspective drawings, as many times multiple lines will all need to pass through the same point; be it lines aimed towards a vanishing point, or line converging at the corner of a box. These tend to be the most accurate lines as they are the ones that cross their destination and continue through them. This is because you have the ability for momentum to build, but end more organically as opposed to stopping at a specific point.

The secondary goal for this exercise is to add the technique of Ghosting, if you aren’t using it already. Ghosting is when you practice or pretend to draw a line before you touch pencil to paper. This is a common technique that artists often use without even realizing they are doing it, as it quickly becomes a habit Again, you might find it necessary to turn the page in order to get the best results, by establishing which direction permits you to obtain the cleanest lines.