Drafting is also known as technical drawing, it is the method of creating drawing for architectures and engineering. A person who is skilled in this field is more popularly known as a draftsman.

Unfortunately most people lose this power as they grow older, or rather it is overlaid by more complicated mental processes. It needs only the desire to reawaken it and the courage to proceed and rapidly the power to express what one sees, in drawing and in paint, comes back again.

So take courage and go ahead.

The first thing to get is a sketchbook: not too big a one but a handy pocket size that you can carry about at all times. You can of course buy a children’s drawing book for a few cents, but this has a flimsy cover and has to be folded or rolled to carry, and that spoils the page, so a sketchbook with thinnish cartridge paper and a good stout cover is the best investment in the end. See that the paper is not too thick or too rough in surface. Nothing harder than a 3B pencil is much use. Get a black Conte crayon or black chalk pencil with the wood round it, for this is the kind of pencil that will give you most satisfaction in sketching. Of course you will need a razor blade or sharp penknife because the breaking of points is a very frequent occurrence. Do not sharpen the pencil to a fine point – just a blunted point.

Now you have your sketchbook and your pencil, what are you going to look for? What are you going to start on? Don’t start straightaway on a landscape. Just focus your attention on a few simple things that are before you in the room you are in. Something the shape of which attracts your interest, say a decanter, or a wine glass, or a vase of flowers. Draw a definite shape on the blank page of the sketchbook with a firm, thick line – say a rough oblong. Count this as your picture space: into this defined shape you are going to put your drawing.

Then begin with the part of the selected object that interests you most. Perhaps it is the bulge of the decanter – boldly draw the curve of the right-hand side and then look across and draw the corresponding curve of the other side; then go upward to the lip and the stopper, drawing first one side and then the other; then look at the base, the dark curve where the decanter rests upon the sideboard. You now have the shape of the object – then relate this to the glass that is near it; notice the size of the glass in relation to the decanter and repeat the process, taking into account where the two objects are placed in your oblong space.

Continuing to practice these techniques will help you get a grasp for the way drawing should feel and ultimately look.

Here are 7 quick tips for removing body paint from the skin, and also for staying clean and neat while you are working.

1. Check your paints and packaging.

Always use safe paints that have been made specifically for face painting and body painting. They should explicitly say that is what they are for. Read what they say, either on the label, or on the website, about how to clean them up. Some body paints are made to be cleaned with water; others may use a special kind of remover that you will have to buy. Be sure you are cleaning them off skin using the methods the packaging says to use.

2. Use warm water, sponges, and cloths.

If your body painting or face painting supplies say to use only water, or mild soap and water, then follow those instructions. Use warm water if possible to make cleanup nicer for your clients, and easier paint removal. Sponges (the same kind you use to apply body paints) and soft cloths are the best tools; you can use paper towels, but why not save the environment a bit and use something re-useable? And using the same types of sponges you use to put paint on will give you the best kinds of shapes for removing it as well.

3. Use non-allergenic, natural, safe skin soaps.

If you’ve chosen your face and body paints correctly, you have made sure they are meant for face painting and body painted and are almost guaranteed not to cause an allergic reaction. Be sure your clean up soaps follow the same standards. Natural bases like glycerin and castille are good; try to avoid perfumes, artificial colors, and chemicals. If it says ‘natural’ or ‘hypo-allergenic’ on the label, you may still want to check the ingredients, they may still include scents or high amounts of alcohol-stearates, which can cause sensitive skin to react.

4. Be careful around the eyes.

Watch cleaning around the eyes especially – of course ask your client to close their eyes, and go slowly. Some makeup suppliers (Mehron, for example) carry special cleaners especially made for cleaning around eyes; you may want to try one of those. You could also look at makeup suppliers for smaller tools meant for cleaning around eyes. The skin around the eyes (and of course the eye itself) is more sensitive than the rest of the skin, so what works on the rest of the skin may not equally well around the eyes.

5. Baby Wipes are great, but use the right ones.

Baby wipes are great to have on hand, but remember they were formulated for wiping a very different area of the body than the face. This means they have probably not been tested for facial safety and irritation. I would recommend getting baby wipes that are ‘natural,’ but again, check the ingredients on the back. You want no fragrances if possible, and no dyes. Sometimes you can get them especially for ‘sensitive skin,’ again, read the labels. Then try them on your face to see how they work before using them on others.

6. Protect clothing while painting – and washing up.

Paints made for face painting and body painting should never stain the face, but the same can’t be said for clothing. Even water based body paints can still stain clothing. Keep clothing away from the paint as it is being applied, of course – but you will want to watch it when you are cleaning up as well. Soaking paints with water and washing them off can be a drippy process, and colors are even more likely to get on clothes then than when painting. Consider using covering cloths while you are cleaning, even if you didn’t when painting.

7. And Last But Not Least: Don’t Scrub!

Don’t scrub the skin, even if the paints are not coming off properly. Scrubbing can cause bad reactions even if everything else is safe for skin. If your paint is not coming off quickly, be patient, let it soak a bit and try again, gently. Try using something else to clean such as baby wipes or a cloth with a little soap squirted directly on it. You may also want to take a look at the paint’s instructions on cleaning up again – maybe you missed something on cleaning up. In any case, don’t get frustrated and scrub! Your client will appreciate it.