Object drawing work environment at the Abydos Settlement Site project

Drawing small objects in situ at one of the settlement sites in Abydos, 2005.

The typical workplace consists of a large desk, covered with millimeter paper for taking quick measurements, a portable light source, a computer providing photographs (and music...), some sandbags for flexible object placement and a huge arsenal of drawing tools. ⠀ ⠀

Ideally, when drawing, the artist must have a direct visual contact with the original artifact to be able to make relevant decisions about its visual interpretation. Although it must seem outdated in the age of photogrammetry and 3D computing, taking traditional measurements and being able to render a freehand drawing of an artifact is still indispensable part of “understanding” an object. ⠀ ⠀

Although creating a modeled surface with equal emphasis on both texture and features seems counterproductive at first, a cleverly enhanced drawing can go a long way in finding its ground between oversimplification and photorealistic representation. The drawing can never be a derivative or substitute of the photograph and they must go hand in hand in providing the utmost record of the artifact. ⠀

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