To document a revision, say what changed, what that does to where the viewer looks, and what it does to how the drawing holds together. Both parts need evidence you can point to on the page.
This lesson is part of SPM subjects and learning resources. It follows comparing proportion and relationships.
What changes when you revise?
Revision changes either emphasis or structure, and often both. Emphasis is where the eye lands first. Structure is how the shapes are arranged to support that point.
Name which one you changed before you describe the change. This keeps the note focused.
Worked example: an invented pair of drawings
Imagine a drawing of a fisherman sitting on a jetty. In version one, the fisherman is small and central, the same tone as the jetty, and the horizon line cuts behind his head. Every area has similar detail.
In version two, the learner enlarges the fisherman, darkens his shirt against a pale sky, removes detail from the water, and drops the horizon below his shoulders.
| Area | Version one | Version two | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisherman | Small, mid-tone | Larger, dark shirt on pale sky | Eye lands on him first |
| Water | Fully detailed | Simple, few marks | Water no longer competes |
| Horizon | Behind his head | Below shoulders | Head no longer cut by a line |
The first two rows change emphasis, the third changes structure. Each has an effect stated in terms of where the eye goes or what competes.
A note that says what it does
Compare two records of the same change.
What only: “I made the fisherman bigger and darker.”
What and effect: “I enlarged the fisherman and put his dark shirt against the pale sky. He is now the first thing the eye sees, and the simpler water no longer pulls attention away.”
The second tells the reader what the change achieves. It also connects two edits, size and tone, into one decision.
Test your claim
Squint at both drawings, or view them small. Whatever stands out with blurred detail is what holds the emphasis.
If version two does not show the effect you claimed, revise the claim or the drawing. Testing is part of the record, not an extra.
Check yourself
In version one of a street sketch, a lamp post divides the paper exactly in half, and both halves have equal detail. Version two moves the post to one third and adds detail only to the larger side. Write a two-sentence note.
Answer
“I moved the lamp post from the centre to one third across and kept detail on the larger side. The split is now uneven and the eye settles on the detailed side, so the drawing no longer feels divided in two.”
The note names the change, states where the eye goes, and explains the structure effect.
What to study next
Use the structured-answer self-review tool to check each note has a change and an effect. For a teacher to go through your revisions, see online one-to-one Drawing tuition.