Module One
How to Draw a Croissant
/ˈkrwasɒ̃/
Reflection
As the first module of FoDR, we were tasked with purchasing a croissant, photographing said croissant, and reproducing it in orthographic and axonometric drawings. While I used to be somewhat content with my drawing and shading abilities, this module forced me to reconsider my stance, and helped me build upon my previously lackluster techniques.
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Personally, this was the most challenging module of the subject, as I quickly realised I was not comfortable with working in an analogue medium, and much prefered digital counterparts in comparison. Having said this, I also feel as though I have gained the most through this module, as it prepared me for the challenges that were to come.
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Not only did this module teach me the importance of planning ahead while shading, in particular with pen, it has also introduced me to the limbo that is axonometric drawing, dancing on the edge of reality and fantasy, where three-dimensional drawings have the absolute accuracy that perspective space cannot provide.
Photographs
After purchasing the croissant from a local Starbucks Coffee, I brought it along with me to work the next morning. Privileged to have been working at a company that was casual and lenient enough to let me use company resources for my own purposes, I set up the lightbox normally used for product photos and set my croissant inside.
Nervous that I would mess up these photographs, I was conscious of the importance of the pictures, as I knew high quality pictures would go a long way in helping to depict every detail in the drawings later on.
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I also kept in mind the lighting used in the photos, and tried to set up a soft lighting environment in order to show the croissant in a more forgiving light.
Long Elevation
Short Elevation
Section C
Long Elevation
Original Photographs
Page 1 of Submission/Photographs
Most important, however, was that the camera also had to be positioned at a straight, parallel angle to the croissant for the photographs, in hopes of illustrating accurate orthographic drawings and for the purposes of reconstructing in an axonometric drawing. If not parallel, the long and short elevations, in particular, would result in very noticeably inaccurate photographs as well as drawings.
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Furthermore, if the sections are cut at an offset angle, it would make the process of constructing the axonometric very hard, and in some cases inaccurate, as the angle of the cuts would also need to be taken into account.
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The photos were then touched up in Photoshop and combined with the annotations and dimensions initially done on tracing paper.
Orthographic Drawings
Moving onto the orthographic drawings, I first outlined the shape on tracing paper, before putting down the more prominent features the long and short elevations. A light layer of pencil was also laid using the side of the pencil as a foundation for the darker areas of the croissant, which was smudged to create an even texture. The finer details were then added using multiple pencils with tonal shading, varying from HB to 6B depending on the darkness.
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In the plan drawing, hatching and cross-hatching were the main techniques used, where cross-hatching showed darker areas and hatching showed lighter areas. One of the main challenges of using pen was also keeping the areas of reflection and highlights white while sketching in pen, serving as a good learning experience.
Orthographic Drawings in Progress
Page 3 of Submission/Axonometric Drawings
Axonometric Drawings
The process of plotting the outline of the croissant sections was relatively straightforward, as was transposing these onto a 45-degree angle.
The real challenge came with interpreting the detail on the three dimensional axonometric, where even with the original croissant for reference, it was quite challenging to fill in the areas in between the sections. Honing in the practice from shading in the elevations of the croissant, it was once again vital to provide as much contrast between light and dark areas in order to convey the most detail. Areas such as the cut of the croissant saw the most drastic differences in tone, further showcasing the depth and three-dimensionality of the croissant within the axonometric.
Having said this, it has been quite rewarding to see the reproduction of the croissant in an axonometric projection, as it starts to come to life with the help of shaded shadows in the pockets and creases of the flakey pastry front.
Final Submission
