How To Make A Viewfinder

I was always curious how to make a viewfinder and I am happy to say it turns out to be a very simple process.

To begin, you need a piece of cardboard - I used an empty cereal box but anything like that will do.

1. Cut your cardboard to the same size as your drawing paper.


2. Rule lines diagonally across your cardboard, joining opposite corners.


3. In the center (where the lines crossed), draw a rectangle measuring one inch by one and a quarter inches (1" x 1¼").


4. The one inch side should correspond with the shorter side of your cardboard. The rectangle in the middle should have the same proportions as the cardboard rectangle.


5. Cut out the inner rectangle.


6. You now have a viewfinder.

How To Use A Viewfinder

Hold your viewfinder out in front of you, with your arm outstretched.

Put a chair in your frame. If it helps, close or cover up one eye when you look through the hole.

Make sure the chair is touching at least 2 sides of the viewfinder rectangle.

This forms a border around the chair and enables you to see the negative space between the chair and the borders.

It might take some time but wait until you can see the negative space as a shape.

By keeping your arm outstretched and noting where the object is touching the border, you should see the same view each time you look through it.

Have you ever seen artists using their fingers to form a square? Their arms are outstretched and they look like they are framing the view before them. They are actually using their fingers as a border and they are visualizing what they want to draw.

Looking at a whole landscape can be daunting so the artist selects one area to concentrate on.

A viewfinder does this same job for you.

A viewfinder is also the small square that you look through on a camera.

It would be great if you could use your camera to do this exercise. I am sorry to say that it's a bit difficult because you won't have a hand to draw with! A piece of cardboard is easily held in one hand while you draw with the other.

Now you know how to make a viewfinder, you can use this tool to help you identify negative space.

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