The ruler’s width is 4 centimetres, and it reaches 43 centimetres long. At one end of the ruler, a 2 centimetre wide round hole is made. In the rest of the ruler there’s a 2 centimetre wide groove.
The groove has two bridges; one at 10 centimetres, the next at 20 centimetres. Indents in the groove indicate the 5 centimetre distance in between. The ruler has a measurement indication on both sides, for a length of 35 centimeters. One side has small indents along the edge at every centimetre, the other side is slik.
Especially for the ruler the knobs in the frame of the drawing board come in handy. They can be placed at any position in the grooves. With just the hole on a knob, the ruler can still rotate. In case the ruler’s groove is placed over a second knob, the ruler is fixated. For an exact horizontal or vertical alignment knobs have to be in equal positions in opposing grooves. When the ruler is horizontally or vertically placed, with the hole over a knob, the zero position of the ruler is on the edge of the drawing area.
Diagonal lines
Photo: The ruler is positioned to draw a diagonal line on the drawing board.
The ruler can span diagonally over the entire drawing area when the ruler is left or right of the diagonal line. One of the two knobs in two grooves are placed at the very far end of the groove. For drawing a line at a precise position, take in account that the rulers edge is 1 centimeter wide.
The hole that fits around the knob is two centimetres wide and sits in the middle of the ruler. In other words positioning the ruler on a desired position is two centimetres higher or lower or left/right respectively, seen from the centre of the knob. Another method is to have the knobs partly unscrewed so they can move. Place the ruler on two knobs and slide the edge of the ruler to the desired position, using the measurement indications of the frame.
Draw a (long) straight line
For many purposes it makes sense to have a horizontal and or vertical line as a start for a drawing. Whether it is the bottom line, the horizon or an axis. Find the horizontal and or vertical positions for knobs, draw the lines and remove the ruler from the knobs. For shorter lines you can use also the sides of the triangles as a ruler.
Aligning tools with the ruler
Photo: The 45Ttriangle aligned with the ruler, creating a bar chart.
Leaving the ruler sitting on two knobs while placing other tools against the ruler’s edge, helps to add more lines /elements to the drawing. Aligning the tools of the TactiForma or the triangles that come with the TactiPad can be useful.
X and Y axis / coordinate system example
It is assumed, the drawing board is in landscape orientation. Place the knobs in the vertical grooves at positions 9 and 11 centimetres respectively. Place the ruler over the lowest two knobs. Draw a line horizontally at 10 centimetres (the X axis) Everything above the ruler has a positive Y value.
Reposition the ruler on the two higher knobs and everything below the ruler has a negative value. Place the knobs at 14 and 16 centimetres in the horizontal grooves. Place the ruler on the knobs at 14 centimetres and draw a vertical line at 15 centimetres, the Y axis. Having the knobs in these positions and switching the ruler enable to align and measure for positive and negative values along both axes.
The 10 pushpins are stored in a cushion in the carrying bag. The length is about 2 centimetres. The head of the pushpin is ball-shaped. The pin is made out of metal.
Consideration
Generally speaking, the use of pushpins will increase the overall accuracy of the drawing operations. On the other hand it takes time to handle the pushpins safely and efficiently Throughout the various manual sections the use of pushpins is explained. The usage of pushpins is based on your experience and preference and also on the accuracy you can get with or without the pushpins. Overtime your drawing skills will increase.
The pushpins are stored horizontally in their cushion. Take the head between thumb and pointing finger and stick it through the drawing paper into the rubber mat. Due to the flexibility of the rubber, the pushpins can waggle, but they won’t fall out. Don’t be afraid, they do not damage the rubber.
Markings and pushpins as reference points
By pressing with the pen on the drawing paper a raised dot will appear. In many cases this is sufficient as a reference point. In addition you can place a pushpin as reference point on the desired position or in the pre-made marking. Tools can lean against the pushpins. While drawing, they serve also as pen blocker; the tip will bump into the pushpin. During measuring a distance certain points can be marked with the pen and/or equipped with a pushpin.
Pushpin markers
Many of the tools that come with the TactiPad or come as extensions, have so called pushpin markers. These are indented circles with a tiny hole in the middle at the top surface of the tools.
Photo Detail pushpin marker in tool with pushpin
When one or two pushpins are stuck into the pushpin markers, the tools are fixated on the drawing board. For this approach the drawing process requires extra time, but the tools will for sure stay on their position.
Organising pushpins
You can take them one by one from the cushion. You could also use a magnet to organise them. A spare magnet can be stored in the small pocket in the carrying bag. The base of the compass is magnetic, so you can use this part to organise the pushpins.When holding the drawing board in landscape, in the middle of the left and right side and in the middle of the rear side cavities can be found. In here magnets are located that can also hold the pushpins.
Create a triangle with markings and pushpins exercise
To experience the difference: Mark three positions somewhere on the drawing area with the pen. Use the slik side of the 45 triangle to connect the positions. An irregular triangle will appear. Measure the longest side of the triangle and mark the halfway position. Place a pushpin here. Place a pushpin in the opposing corner and provide the line between the two pushpins.
After having created your first raised lines, there are a few more things we would like to bring to your attention. Some are just good to keep in mind. Others will help to develop a variety of drawing strategies.
Orientation of the drawing board and horizontal/vertical lines
The word ‘orientation’ is used throughout the product descriptions and manual texts. When the drawing board lays flat on the table and the longest side goes from left to right, the drawing board is in landscape orientation. Make sure the hinge is pointing backwards.
When the shortest side is horizontal, the drawing board is in portrait orientation. The hinge should point to the left. Knowing about the subject you want to draw, will lead to the orientation of the drawing board you choose. Apart from the orientation, lines drawn on the drawing board can be in the horizontal or vertical direction. Also moving tools up/down and left/right within the drawing area are used, independent of orientation. Knowing about distances; measuring and estimation
Photo: The distance covered with four fingers measured with the ruler
The dimensions of the TactiPad and related products are based on measures that are commonly used. The reasoning behind is that it becomes easier to get distances ‘in your fingers’, which will make your drawing actions more efficient. It is very helpful knowing about the distance you can bridge based on the width of two, three or four of your fingers or the length of your pointing finger.
Play around with the ruler to find out how far you need to spraid your thumb and pointing finger for particular distances. Exactly measuring is best with a dedicated tool, but a good estimation is good enough in many cases.
Measuring and aligning a tool
The measurement indications along the frame of the drawing board serve as the main reference for measuring positions across the drawing area. All tools have tactile properties that match these indications. Either with the semi-circular centimetre marks along the top surface, or with small indents along the edges of the tools.
Touching the surface with the fingers and/or listening to the tick sounds that occur when tracing the pen along the indented sides, are two methods to ‘read’ distances. Where this is useful, the bodies of the tools have a width of one centimeter. So placing one tool adjacent to the other will maintain the regularly measuring system. See the detailed descriptions and manuals of the ruler and TactiForma tools.
Knob position and measuring along the drawing board frame
The unscrewed knob can be placed in an exact position by moving it against a finger that is crossing the groove while touching the measurement indication at the desired position. Keep in mind that the knob has a radius of one centimetre and the bodies of the tool have also their width. So you may have to add or deduct one centimetre to end up as where you want.
Mark a dot with pen or use pushpins
A drawing is never only one line from begin to end. Curved lines, straight lines under various angles are connected. To mark the start and end position of a line you can press with the pen on the paper. A small tactile marking will appear. This marking can serve as a point of reference. You can use a tool to create a line between.
Two markings, you want the line exactly starting and ending at these markings. That means that the ruler may not cover the markings. Initially it takes some sensivety to find them. Otherwise, you can place pushpins in the markings first. Than place the tool against the pushpins and draw the line between the two pushpins.
Tracing a pen along a tool
Photo: Close up of the pen tip against a tool.
The tools are made of plastic and have a thicknes of aprox 3,5 milimetres. The tip of the pen has a width of 1,5 milimetres and sticks out from the body only for a short distance. At close look, the edges of the tools are rising up from the drawing area like a steap ramp. Even when the pen is in a fully upright position, the tip might not be exactly against the tool; the body of the pen prevents this.
Instead of a balpen you can use any other pointy device with a longer tip, but as we have seen before, fully upright is not the best position to hold the pen to perform the pull and push movements. When the pen is tilted off from the tool the tip can go straight along the tool. This approach works well when using pushpins. When the pen is tilted toward the tool the tip moves away from the tool, because the body ‘roles’ off of the ramp.
Photo: Pen is tilted towards the toolPhoto: Pen is in right up position against the toolPhoto: Pen is tilted off from the tool.
You can use this effect to your benefit when working with marks on the paper. Place the tool just a short distance away from the marks so you still can find them with your fingers. You will get a feel for the tilting angle of the pen.
Drawing a straight line
Although we haven’t described the ruler or any other tool in detail up so far, here is an approach for drawing a straight line. Starting in one of the (end) points and just draw onwards to the other, may cause the pen to pass by this position. To avoid this, find one of the two positions. Draw the line from here only partly in the direction of the other end point. Now start drawing in the other point into the direction of the first. You may draw a section of the line twice, but this doesn’t matter. Pushpins in both end points will serve as pen blockers; the pen will run against the pushpin that tells you to stop drawing any further.
Lines covered by a tool
Using a tool to draw lines and shapes bring in more accuracy and speed into the drawing proces. The side effect is that the tool could cover part of the already existing lines, which makes it more difficult to find the exact begin/end positions. Therefore, it is worthwhile to look on which side of the foreseen line the tool is placed; left or right from the line.
Rotation and angles
In various manual sections you find instructions where tools are rotated over a number of degrees. The lowest / nearest side of the frame to you is the zero degrees reference. So from any position to the right, parallel to the frame is an angle of 0 degrees. Rotating counter clockwise over an angle of 90 degrees results in a vertical line. Rotating 90 degrees clockwise as well. It is indicated what the rotation point of the tool is; either the centre of the tool or a corner. In some cases you can use a pushpin as a fixed point for the rotation.
Your both hands and fingers are the core of the tool set to create raised line drawings. For the TactiPad, they need to be extended with additional tools such as a pen, a ruler, compass and many others. Probably they will execute new gestures and movements. So, it might well be that you / your hands and fingers can benefit from some training in order to perform the drawing tasks as best as possible. The definition of ‘best’ is open for discussion, but aspects like speed, fluency and accuracy are certainly part of this.
In this text you find instructions and exercises to become ‘better’ in free hand drawing. In the section ’measuring and drawing with a tool’ you find additional information to develop various drawing strategies. With these two sections we would like you to get to the point where you just grasp the pen and draw the subject of interest, without having to think on the ‘how to’ part.
Photo: Pen in hand, resting against the pointing finger
Pen position
It is not easy to describe the ideal position on how to hold the pen in your hand. Here is an attempt, where it is assumed the pen is in your right hand. Take the pen in your right hand with the tip away from the hand. Bring the thumb, pointing finger and middle finger of your left hand loosely together so they form a triangle. Stich the pentip into this triangle for about 1,5 to 2 centimetres. Your fingers will move away from each other.
Now place your thumb and pointing finger of your right hand against the tips of the left hand fingers. As by nature , the middle finger will also go to the pen. Now the tip of the pointing finger and the area near the first joint of the thumb hold the pen whereas the middle finger presses from the side against the pen. The pen is inside the three fingers of the right hand with the pen tip pointing left. The middle finger supports the body of the pen. In fact the thumb presses the pen against the finger. This resting position can vary due to personal preference, but near to the nucle seems like a good position.
Alternatively you can hold the pen in your fist, but it is harder to control the precision in your drawing because the movements come from your wrist and / or elbow.
Exercise: Drop the pen on the table and pick it up as fast as possible. Follow the above instructions to position the pen in your hand. Place the pen tip on the drawing area. Repeat the steps 50 times.
Positioning your hand on the drawing board
When the pen is in your hand you can role the hand off to the right. The right part of your wrist is now on the drawing board surface. The bone that is present here is a perfect support and turning point; the hand can swing and the fingers can move in and out. The combination of these two movements offer space for detailed drawing actions. See also basic shapes. Larger movements origin from the elbow and/or shoulder.
Exercise: Put your wrist on the drawing board and investigate which area you can cover with your hand and fingers while keeping the wrist at the same position. Use your left hand to get a feel for the distances.
Pressing on the paper; how much force
When holding the pen as described above, you can start drawing. Start somewhere near the top left corner so there is enough paper for the first exercises. Place the pen on the paper. The pen is in fact leaning over in the direction of your hand. Place your pointing finger of your left hand against the pen tip. Press down and drag the pen towards you. Your left hand pointing finger should now discover a raised line! This pulling operation is the most easiest one.
Exercise: At this point you may test a few times how much force you need to apply to get the effect.
Also, a different force results in different heights.
Please note, the lines that you get are not really soft. The paper has a miniature weaver pattern that creates the raised line effect. When looking into the details, the line is not fully smooth. At first touch however it is a solid line.
Your name in large characters
When you know the shape of the characters of your name, it is funny and good exercise to write it a few times down. Make sure the characters are at least two centimetres (approx 1 inch) high or more. Writing your name forces moving the pen in different directions and simultaneously keeping an equal force to maintain the height of the lines. Now pull and push operations are alternated.
Basic shapes
Time to move on to the next exercise; creating basic shapes that you need quite often. Exercise: Lean with the side of the wrist on the drawing board and draw the shapes with a size of 2,5 centimetres (approx 1 inch). Do not move with your arm while drawing one of the following shapes:
Short line
(equilateral) Triangle
Square
Circle
Ellipse
You will experience an increased difficulty in this list. The images may be positioned next to each other or even partly overlap.
Drawing straight lines
The definition for a line is the shortest way between two points, but how to get this right?
For short lines up to 5 centimetres (approx 2 inch) this can be done while keeping the hand in the same position.
Photo: the left hand pointing finger used as a ruler while drawing short lines with your right hand.
Using your finger as ruler. For a little longer line you could drag the pen alongside your finger. Just try this and you will be amazed how well this goes. Generally speaking it is recommended to keep the hand that is not holding the pen on the drawing board as well. At least when you are not using a tool.
Draw a line with a length of 10 centimetres (approx. 4 inch) between two finger tips is now possible. Find the begin and end position and place your thumb and pointing finger respectively. Determine based on your previous experience the direction on where to start the line (pulling or pushing the pen). For this distance the hand has to rotate together with the fingers that hold the pen. Use the, for you, highest speed to move the pen to keep the line straight. Lines of higher length require a tool like a ruler. However, in case they don’t need high accuracy, you can draw them with high speed, also moving your elbow.
The TactiPad drawing board consists of a top frame that surrounds the A4 (21,0 x 29,7 centimetres) drawing area of the bottom layer. The two parts are connected with a hinge, so the frame can open as a book. The drawing board and tools are made of plastic. The corners are rounded. The total size is 28,0 by 36,7 centimetres. The use of the colours black and yellow for the TactiPad and the related products and tools provide a good contrast between different parts.
The frame has grooves in each of the four edges. Two knobs can slide in each groove. Measurement indications in centimetres are provided along the grooves. The drawing paper, which is a rather thin plastic sheet is placed on the rubber mat, the actual drawing area. Underneath this mat a metal plate is mounted.
When the frame is fully opened it can stand on its own so the drawing paper can be provided. Magnets pull the top frame and drawing layer together to keep the drawing paper in place. At the front side of the TactiPad, with the hinge pointing backward, the bottom layer is shaped inwards compared to the frame.
Detailed description
Natural dimensions and tactility
The dimensions of the drawing board and the tools have commonly used values. Knowing about these dimensions will help to get the distances ‘in your fingers’. The drawing area is A4. The width of the frame sides is 3,5 centimetres. The knobs in the grooves are two centimetres in diameter with a height of eight millimetres. They are placed one centimetre away from the outer edge of the frame. Indents next to the drawing area indicate five centimetre distances.
Photo: Detail of TactiPad drawing board. Knobs in the grooves, one centimetre semi-circular hollows and 5 centimetre indents
Origin of the frame / 0 centimetre position
Depending on the subject to draw, the drawing board may be used in landscape or portrait orientation. In both cases, the measurement indications start at the upper left corner of the drawing area. In landscape orientation, the centimetre indication goes from 0 to 29,7 centimetres horizontally. Vertically, downwards from 0 to 21,0 centimetres. When the drawing board is in portrait orientation, the counting differs, due to the non-symmetrical size of the A4 paper size. From the upper left corner to the right goes from 0 to 21,0 centimetres. Going down, the first indent is at 0,7 centimetre. Beyond, the regular centimetre pattern is present.
Grooves in the frame
The semi-circle hollows along the grooves indicate centimetre distances. The hollows on the inner side and those on the outer side of the groove have the same width but are shifted 0,5 centimetre. This allows to measure rather precise 0,5 centimetre distances.
Knobs in the grooves
In every groove two moveable knobs are mounted. Some of the TactiPad drawing tools, especially the ruler, can be attached to the knobs. While positioning the knobs, the tools can be positioned precisely.
Photo: The ruler placed on two knobs of the drawing board
Bottom layer / drawing area
The bottom layer has the similar size as the top frame. On top of the bottom layer sits the drawing area, existing of a 4 millimetre thick rubber layer. Underneath the rubber is, invisible, a thin metal plate that pulls the magnets inside the compass base on to the drawing area.
Drawing paper / drawing foil
The drawing paper is actually a plastic sheet. It is also referred to as drawing foil or German film. It measures 34 * 27 centimetres, and is tightened under the frame since it’s larger than the drawing surface itself. The magnets placed on the corners of the drawing board, pull the frame and drawing layer together.
Note: Once the lines are raised, they cannot be erased. Also, the paper is sensitive for wrinkling so be careful by taking the sheets from their pocket.
Cavities with magnets for the TactileView digital pen
In the middle of three edges of the frame cavities can be found provided with two magnets. These magnets are used to position the frame for the receiver of the TactileView digital pen on the drawing surface. In combination with the TactileView Graphics editor. The TactileView digital pen product is abandoned since October 2022.
Place the drawing board in landscape orientation with the hinge backwards. Slide your thumb under the top frame and place your fingers on the drawing area. Press on the drawing surface with your fingers. The magnets will loosen. The frame can be lifted. If you open the frame and let it lean a bit back, it stays in its open position. When closed, the frame exactly surrounds the drawing surface, and is just as high as the drawing surface.
Placing the drawing foil
In the frame open position you can place a drawing sheet on the rubber mat. The sheet is larger than
the rubber mat. Make sure that the margins are roughly the same size on all sides. Close the frame and let it rest on the other hand. Smooth out the surface of the sheet by moving both hands out from the middle to the sides while pressing the sheet. Remove your hands and let the frame drop back in place. For best drawing results the sheet should be placed on the drawing surface as smooth as possible. You may have to practise this a couple of times to get a feel for it.
Photo: removing hands from TactiPad after placing the drawing foil
Drawing with the pen
The plastic sheet that is used as drawing paper creates the raised line upon applying some force with a ball pen or other pointy device. To acquire good skills for this, perform some practising. Read the anual section ‘Practising drawing raised lines’.
Positioning the knobs
The black ribbed knobs can be moved along the grooves by (un)screwing them. They can be removed by totally unscrewing them. To place a knob back in the groove, place it on a random place in the groove, and slide it all the way to the outer corner, dragging the nut along. Here the knob can be screwed back again.
Determining distances
As measurement indications in centimetres, 9 millimetre wide semi-circular hollows have been made on a short distance from the edge. They create points between them, each with a distance of 1 centimetre to the next. With those points, it becomes easy to read the exact distance per centimetre. Because the hollows are semi-circular, the distance per 5 millimetres can be read in the deepest point of the hollow. After some experience it is possible to measure even smaller distances in the matter of millimetres.
Photo: Detail of TactiPad drawing board, showing the semi-circular hollows and 5 centimetre indents
Aligning the tools and frames
The drawing tools have holes and wide grooves, to fit around the knobs. By fixing the knob and putting the tool over it, the tools can be tightened. With partially unscrewed knobs, the tools can move smoothly across the drawing surface.
An important aspect to keep in mind is the diameter of the knobs in reference to the centimetre indication. When aligning a tool on a knob one centimetre has to be added or deducted to compensate for the knob. The CircleFrame and GraphGrid extensions have holes that fit around the knobs as well. The position for the knobs is about five centimetres away from the corner. Drawing board picture frame Two grooves have been made at the backside, to make it possible to hang the TactiPad like a picture frame.
Photo: The carrying bag opened, showing all the parts
Carrying bag
The TactiPad with all its tools and parts comes in a carrying bag with a handle and a shoulder strap. The total weight of the carrying bag with content is about three kilograms. When opening the bag, all tools and parts can be found on one half of the bag. The other half of the bag is an open pocket that holds the drawing board. A Velcro strip holds the bag closed.
The ruler, the 30- and 45triangles and protractor are attached using elastic bands. Two small elastic bands keep the compass base in place. Two broader once hold the compass arm and a pen. A pushpin cushion holds 10 pushpins in horizontal orientation. A pocket with a zipper can hold the TactiForma magnetic foot. The compass arm should be placed with its point and spike flat on the case.
Paper compartment
A compartment underneath the tools side is available for storing the plastic sheets. This compartment is closed by a Velcro strip which prevents the sheets from moving during transport. This compartment can also hold the tools that come with the GraphGrid and CircleFrame.
Photo: TactiPad provided with CircleFrame, partly in pocket.
Congratulations with the TactiPad drawing board! We wish you an inspiring drawing experience.
Photo: The closed TactiPad carrying bag with the shoulder strap
Of course you want to see as soon as possible the TactiPad and all its tools and parts that are stored in the carrying bag. When opening the bag you find all the parts at their own position; TactiPad, ruler, compass, 30Triangle, 45triangle, protractor, 10 pushpins, pen and 50 Sheets of drawing foil.
Take the drawing board from its pocket and check out all its properties. Take a sheet of drawing paper from the paper pocket and follow the instructions on how to place it on the drawing board. See for a description of the drawing board the section
Drawing board
Probably you can’t wait to experience your first raised lines. Take the ball pen from its elastic tube.
See the section: Practising the first raised lines
Going over all the steps involved in the free hand drawing process combined with aspects on using a tool will lead to efficient drawing strategies.
You are fully ready to start using the tools and bring your creations to life. Read the global and detailed descriptions of the tools and the respective manuals for applications and exercises.
Photo: Rubber bands running across the circle frame
Rubber bands spanning the diameter
Indentations are placed around the outside of the circle frame in which rubber bands can be attached. These indentations are positioned at every 10 degrees seen from the centre of the circle. Slightly wider indents make the positions for 0, 30, 45, 60, 90 degrees, etc. easily recognizable. When spanning to opposing indentations with a rubber band, they meet the centre, forming also the diameter of the circle.
It also exactly coincides with the degree indications along the circle’s edge.
Compass; circles in a circle
Photo: The compass foot on the edge of the circle frame. Repetitive arcs are drawn.
You can also combine the compass with the edge of the circle. The indents per five degrees are semi-circular and have the same diameter as the needle of the compass. Place the compass foot partly on the edge so the needle of the compass fits in an indentation of the CircleFrame. Set the desired radius for the circle to be drawn. The set radius for the circle determines the length of the curve that can be created. The centre of the arcs are now exactly on the edge of the frame. By drawing multiple arcs along the edge of the circle, you can create intriguing repetitive geometric patterns.
Fantasy
As an example set the radius at 10 centimetres. Place the compass base at 12 o’clock and draw the maximum possible curve. Place the base at , 3, 6 and 9 o’clock respectively and create the curves as well. Trace the circle’s contour and remove the circle frame. The curves will cross in the middle of the circle.
The wedge-shaped drawing tool has a rounded edge that matches the curve of the circle in the CircleFrame. This rounded side covers an arc of 45 degrees. Near the rounded edge grooves per six degrees (one minute) are located. A little further away from the edge a hole is present. Two sides of this tool end in a flattened point. One of these sides is straight and ends in a very small point that serves as a pen blocker. This pen blocker also exactly coincides with the centre of the circle. The straight side forms the radius for the circle. The other side of the wedge is slightly curved inward. This side has small indents at every centimetre. The small block between the indents at 2 and 3 centimetre is used to position the compass base.
Make sure the CircleFrame is placed properly on the TactiPad.
Drawing pie charts
The wedge tool can be used to draw pie charts, which are often used to present statistic information in fields such as mathematics, economics and geography. The quantity that each sector represents corresponds with an arc of a certain number of degrees. By determining the angle between two radii on the inside of the circle, you can draw the pie chart very accurately. Keep the tool in place with one or two fingers in the hole in the tool and press it against the edge of the circle.
Photo: Measure the required angles along the circle and use the straight side of the wedge tool to create a pie chart.
Many other mathematical concepts in which degrees and angles play a key role, such as vectors or polar and trigonometric functions, can be explained and drawn as well using the CircleFrame. Centring the compasses in the CircleFrame. Another function of the wedge tool is to position the compass in the centre of the CircleFrame. You can achieve this by placing the wedge tool anywhere against the edge of the circle with the compass base against the flattened tip of the wedge. The centre of the compass base now hooks around the pen blocker at the tip of the wedge tool.
By slightly turning the base counter clockwise, it will catch the small protruding block on the curved side of the wedge. This way, the compass base is exactly in the middle of the circle. By removing the wedge tool and placing the compass arm into the base, you can draw a circle precisely in the centre of the CircleFrame.
Figure 2. Position the wedge tool along the edge of the circle (step 1), position the compass base and turn it so it rests against the wedge tool (steps 2 and 3) and remove the wedge tool (step 4). The compass is now perfectly positioned in the centre.
Drawing the hands of a clock
Around the circle of the CircleFrame, multiples of 30 degrees are indicated by drop-shaped indentations. These make up for the twelve hours of the clock. To draw a clock hand, you can use the wedge tool. Along the rounded side you will find grooves at an angle corresponding to 1 minute, or 6 degrees. The longer groove of 2 centimetre indicates the position of 5 minutes or 1 hour later. After placing the wedge tool with the rounded side against the edge of the circle and aligning the straight side with one of the hour indications, you can set the minute and draw the hands of the clock as radii and have it set at any desired time.
The 468triangle is an open triangular shaped frame with a width of one centimetre. The number 468 refers to the steps required for the triangle to return on the exact same position in the circle; four, six or eight steps respectively. Beyond this it serves as a template for ‘home made’ templates.
Detailed description
The corners of the triangle are pointy so they fit in the indents at the edge of the circle of the framework. The length of the sides are designed so they exactly span an arc of 45, 60 or 90 degrees, seen from the centre of the circle. Pushpin markers are located at the top surface.
The 468triangle can have its starting position anywhere in the circle. Tracing along the longest inner side of the triangle results in a square. Tracing the shortest side gives an octagon. The third one an Hexagon.
Home made templates
The 468triangle can serve as an example to create your own drawing templates out of cardboard or an other sturdy material. By giving one side of the template a length similar to one of the triangle sides, it will fit by rotating eight, six or four times in the full 360 degrees of the CircleFrame.
Your template
Cut out an irregular shape from the centre of your template. Place the template against the edge of the circle and trace the inner contour. Depending on the chosen length, rotate the template 45, 60 or 90 degrees to obtain a symmetrical pattern. Recurrence and/or partial overlap will give your drawing an unexpected appeal.
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