Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/12/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The last time I used ruling pens for a real project was when I was finishing a presentation on mylar in 1991. It was a work-all-night-to-a -dealine situation, and the mylar had worn out the jewel tips on all the rapidographs I had. Ruling pens were definitely NOT the right tool for drawing on mylar, but I used them to finish up the work. At least you could erase them on mylar, instead of scraping off the ink with an exakto blade when using them on paper, vellum, or bristol board. I still use ruling pens occassionally when drawing for fun, but thank God I don't have to use them for work. Matt >> As an architect who was trained using ruling pens, the rapidographs >> provide inferior quality to ruling pens and require, comparatively, no >> skill. > > > Jeez, I was so glad to see the end of them. My high school drafting class > required we use them to ink on vellum. Getting a clean line with no > breaks or smudges was virtually impossible. The number of drawings I > ruined as I attempted to get the last few lines is place is uncountable. > That Senior drfating class was a whole year of frustration. Arghhh! > > I would have sold my soul to the devil to get my hands on a Rapidograph. > > Regards, > > Dick > > > > On Dec 15, 2009, at 8:02 AM, The Filippini Family- Matt & Blaise wrote: > >> It is, of course, all a matter of perspective. >> >> "Part of this is because the current technology does deliver "decent" >> results with far less skill and effort. >> Drawing a fine line of a specific width with a rapidograph pen >> required skill..." >> >> As an architect who was trained using ruling pens, the rapidographs >> provide inferior quality to ruling pens and require, comparatively, no >> skill. For those unfamiliar, ruling pens consist of two bladed points, >> adjustable to any width within their limits, which actually incise the >> paper as they deliver the ink, resulting in a perfect line. One drop of >> ink is loaded into the pen at a time. Mastering them to draw a line is >> difficult, and preparing inked building plans with them is quite the >> endeavor. >> >> Drawing a fine line with a ruling pen requires skill, the rapidograph >> requires (relatively) no skill but provides "decent" results. >> >> Now, of course, we architects draw next to nothing except quick hand >> sketches. All else is on the computer. Potentially perfect lines with >> ease (but people still mess up). >> >> Matt >> >>> Also (hopefully) true Doug. >>> And I've already responded how my efforts with the blacksmiths have >>> developed positively. >>> >>> Yet, I see the trend moving towards "good enough" >>> and away from "we need the best." >>> >>> The examples in the article: stock photos and footage for a couple >>> dollars, voice overs for ten or thirty dollars. >>> Back in the day - voice overs, photos, and footage meant royalties >>> for the talent for the life the spot. >>> >>> Part of this is because the current technology does deliver "decent" >>> results with far less skill and effort. >>> Drawing a fine line of a specific width with a rapidograph pen >>> required skill; >>> as did reading light and color temperature meters and actually >>> focusing a camera and knowing the DOF. >>> Auto white point, and auto focus in a decent P&S camera or drawing a >>> line in Illustrator - not so much. >>> >>> There will always be those who know and care about truly professional >>> results. >>> But I think that they're a smaller group than they once were. >>> Four of my (once major) clients have moved design, copy writing and >>> photography "in house;" >>> where for previous decades that was all ad agency and free lance work. >>> There are also many more people going after the work in every market. >>> >>> Again - no complaints - just the way it is (or appears to me). >>> >>> Regards, >>> George Lottermoser >>> george at imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com/blog >>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist >>> >>> On Dec 14, 2009, at 10:51 PM, Doug Herr wrote: >>> >>>> George I believe that in time this will be part of the up side. >>>> Along with teaching in-house skills you can illustrate how much it >>>> work takes to produce top-quality results. Not all in-house staff >>>> (I bet very few) will be willing to put that much work into the >>>> photos. You can show them that superior results are possible and >>>> that you can deliver those results. Some day they will need your >>>> superior photos. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >