Getting Back To The “Drawing Board”

Getting back to the drawing board is a common slang. It means reworking on your idea. If we see the history of drawing board itself, you will see it has undergone many changes before the present form evolved.

The History Of Drawing Board
In pre-industrial revolution period, drawing board also known as drawing table, drafting table or architects table was an integral part of a gentlemans study or library. It was used for reading large format books, drawing, impromptu sketching or drawing technical illustrations. They were made up of fine wood like oak and were very heavy and could not be easily transported.

With the coming of the Industrial Age, the drawing board moved from gentlemans library to the offices. They became cheaper as now they began to be made of steel and subsequently plastic instead of brass and wood.

The Modern Reincarnation

Some may argue that with the coming of computer and software like AUTOCAD that drawing board is becoming obsolete in professional area. But still drawing boards are preferred by many like graphic designers, artists, architects and some structural designers too. They prefer doing their work with paper and pencil because that cannot be easily manipulated like computer generated work. They offer a degree of copyright protection.

Modern drawing boards are typically made of steel. They give the strength of the wood along with flexibility. The surface is made up of thick sheets of fiberboard with laminated Formica. For easy transportation of the drawing board, the surface is held on to the frame by easy to remove screws. The steel frame has mechanism that allows both the height and angle of the boarding surface. A foot pedal for controlling the clutch clams the board in its desired position. Preventive methods are also there to stop the accidental release of the board and subsequent injury to the user.

To save the wooden board surface from scratches from compasses and dividers a vinyl sheet cover is used which is called board cover. It should be cleaned regularly to prevent build up of graphite. If there is too much graphite on the drawing board, it can make further drawings dirty. To rest the drafting pencils, a strip of aluminum or steel is used at the bottom edge of the table.

To help the draftsman or the artist, various types of drafting machines are attached to the board surface. Parallel rulers running parallel to the board surface is one of them as is pre-calibrated scales and built in protractors. There are some electric motor run drawing boards in which you can adjust the angle of the table with a push of a button, but they are as heavy as their wooden counterpart and not transportable.
So if you are serious about your drawing career, it is must that you invest in a good drawing board.

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