We're adding a new feature to our newsletter. Starting this week from time to time, we'll be taking a break from our regular newsletter format to have some drawing fun, which by the way, is an excellent way to...
You may wonder what I mean by
visual vocabulary. Think of visual vocabulary as the
building blocks for visual thinking. A great
visual vocabulary contains simple icons representing:
A working knowledge of the different types:
Pair these with:
and you'll be well on your way to expressing
your ideas visually.
Step 1) Draw a carrot - Not the kind Bugs Bunny is so fond of; a tapered triangular shape is all you need.
Step 2)
Add a dot
- Keep it small. Typical humans are around 7 heads tall. If you stacked a bunch of heads, the
average human would be about 6 heads high from shoulders to feet.
Step 3) Put them on the ground - Add a horizon line and a quick squiggle for a shadow.
That's it, you can now very quickly draw people!
Drawing people can be fun, fast, and easy. Try drawing the carrot figures from the handout, then make up some of your own. After you've drawn several different carrot figures pick out your favorite two and fill a page with them!
Think about the people you often encounter in your work or personal life. Depending on how you spend most of your time,
they could be:
Next to your favorite carrot figures, jot down a list of people you see in a typical day, and then tape it up where you can see it. For the next week, practice drawing your favorite carrot figures every time you're taking notes. Soon it will become second nature to draw people when you're taking notes or trying to communicate an idea.
Building your visual vocabulary can start you on your journey to becoming a great visual thinker. Want to learn more about the building blocks of visual thinking? Check out our FOUNDATIONS course.
Till next time have fun drawing and practice, practice, practice! Take a picture of your work and share on social media.
Tag us with #appliedviz.