- 1). Tape up inspirational pictures around your drafting table. Do you want to go with a European feel or a Californian minimalism? Tape up pictures of famous buildings that use that design style, particularly their railings. Look at how previous designers have handled the transition from railing to support column, does this school mandate that screws are hidden or exposed. The look you go with depends upon where the railings will be installed but do not ignore the lessons learned by previous draftsmen.
- 2). Tape down a pieces of drafting paper on your drafting table, close enough that you can use a T-square with it. Place the T-ruler against the side of the drafting table so that it forms a sliding straight edge. Quickly sketch out the stairs or floor that the railings will go on. Just make the lines straight. You do not need to be exact on anything else as the main focus is the railings.
- 3). Use a straight edge to sketch out the rough lines of the railing. You do not want any ornamentation at this point. You just want to establish the lines of the railings. Once the the rough look is established, add in with fine detail. Add flourishes, such as Chinese characters as crossbeam supports, or shape the support beams to look like the neck of a swan. Keep in mind the railing must still be structurally sound so make sure that the any supports you take away, you add back in another location.
- 4). Erase the sections and rough sketches that you do not want to keep in the final draft. Use a scrap piece of paper to cover any sections you do not want to inadvertently erase. Use a gum eraser to erase the finer points by shaping the eraser into a fine point that can reach in without disturbing any other lines.
previous post