20250115214726-Analyzing_Symmetry_in_Visual_Art

Analyzing Symmetry in Visual Art

From “Plumblines and Levels¨ in Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner

Two of our accuracy tools take their name from carpentry. The plumbline is a vertical dropline; the level, a horizontal. We use these to check the accuracy of symmetrical objects.

How vertical or horizontal our lines are is a matter of the framing principle of linear degrees, but so long as they are horizontal or vertical given the target framing or enframing, they will be of use to visually analyzing the 2-dimensional geometry of our drawing or sketch. In particular, position, direction and symmetry / asymmetry can be visually evaluated based on the plumbline and level, the plumbline being the vertical line on the figure framed, and the level being the horizontal line on the figure framed. Generally, plumbline and level meet at the center of the figure to be analyzed, or otherwise at the center of the page itself.

art visual_art drawings sketches sketching observational_drawing contour_drawing

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bibliography

• Capp, Robbie, ed. “Plumblines and Levels.” In Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner, 40–41. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2003.