When marking measurements with a scale or dividers, always draw a light construction line first, and mark along it. That ensures that your marks and measurements are true.
This orthographic projection worksheet is from my book, Architectural Drafting for Interior Designers.
Tape down all paper before drafting on it. You cannot draft on paper that moves! Line up the top or bottom paper edge with the parallel bar first. If there are pre-printed lines (such as on a worksheet), line up a horizontal line with the parallel bar, and then tape down. When re-taping a partially-completed worksheet, line up a horizontal line again. Otherwise, the new lines won’t be parallel to the old lines. Tape the paper at all four corners so that loose corners don’t get caught under the bar.
One of my assignments is to ask students to carry a pocket-size notebook and tape measure, and measure/record two things a day. This exercise helps them learn, and consequently internalize, sizes. Another assignment is to orthographically sketch everyday items. This helps them understand the relationship between 2D and 3D.
This image is from a student notebook, one of several in my upcoming book, Drafting and Visual Presentation for Interior Designers.
Technical pens have to be cleaned after each use or they’ll clog up. To clean, disassemble and rinse the tip under cool water. Blot on a paper towel and repeat until no more ink is left. Every few weeks they should be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner, which resembles a jewelry cleaner.
This photo is from my upcoming book, Drafting and Visual Presentation for Interior Designers.
The JCCC faculty inservice was held yesterday in Yardley Hall and I got my 20-year pin. 20 years of teaching interior design students how to draft. 
Lettering well takes a lot of practice. But a trick to getting your lettering up to snuff fast is to use a straightedge to draw the vertical strokes. It will make them perfectly straight and give a polished appearance to your lettering. Use a small triangle or the Ames lettering guide, and make sure it rests squarely on the parallel bar.
Freehand the horizontal strokes; slanting them a little makes them look good.
This photo is from my book Architectural Drafting for Interior Designers.
You need a board to draft, and that board needs a substrate, or appropriate cover. Vinyl works well; it provides a hard, yet resilient, work surface. Don’t draft directly on a wood board, and don’t use a kitchen table! This photo, from my upcoming book, Drafting and Visual Presentation for Interior Designers, shows a vinyl substrate available from www.utrecht.com.
The proportional scale doesn’t get much mention in drafting classes, but it’s a handy tool. With it, you can enlarge or reduce a picture by a specific percentage. Examples of uses: to copy/reduce a photo to fit in a mat, or copy/enlarge a drawing to use in a floor plan or other architectural drawing.
The scale has a small wheel on top of a large wheel. To enlarge a 10” tall drawing to 14” tall, spin the small wheel until its 10” (the “before” size) mark lines up with the outer wheel’s 14” mark (the “after” size). The center window then shows the percentage needed to enlarge (in this case, 140%). Set the copy machine’s zoom feature to that percentage.
The drawing you’re enlarging/reducing doesn’t have to have a known scale. Just draw a line across its length, and measure that line in inches. That’s the “before” size.
Read about the proportional scale in my book, Architectural Drafting for Interior Designers
Beginning drafters, this is how to draw a straight line. Use a parallel bar! To draw a straight vertical line, rest a triangle directly on the parallel bar. DON’T do this:
This “eyeballing” will not result in a straight line, much less parallel straight lines.
Photos from my book, Architectural Drafting for Interior Designers.
