Level: Beginner

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.7

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 67.6
Drawspace Curriculum 4.1.A1 2 Pages and 2 Illustrations

Make a
Viewfinder Frame
Construct a viewfinder frame to help you choose
ideal compositions for your drawings

Resource: 4.1.R1 How to Use a Viewfinder Frame

Supplies: acid-free matboard or cardboard of any size, utility knife, ruler, two large
paper clips

1. Use a ruler and a utility knife to cut two identical L-shaped

pieces of matboard (or cardboard).
Each L-shaped piece of matboard needs to be cut perfectly
square (Figure 1).
Keep in mind that the wider your frame, the easier it will be to
block unwanted objects from your view.

Tip!
When buying
matboard or
cardboard,
choose a neutral
color rather than
a bright one. A
brightly-colored
frame will distract
from the view
inside.

Figure 1

ISBN 978-0-9878229-2-5
Copyright 2015 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.

Drawspace Curriculum 4.1.A1:Make a Viewfinder Frame

2. Use two large

paper clips to join
the two pieces
together to form a
frame (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Simply loosen the

paper clips and
adjust the L-shaped
pieces to the shape
and size you want.
You can turn your
viewfinder to either
a vertical (portrait)
drawing format as
shown in Figure
2, or a horizontal
(landscape) drawing
format

Tip!
Consider making three or four viewfinders in different sizes:
Small ones are great for planning compositions from
photos.
Large ones are ideal for planning compositions from
your studio or in the great outdoors.

ISBN 978-0-9878229-2-5
Copyright 2015 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.