vari scaler

I am contemplating buying a vari scaler to help me in my drawings but i would like to know first if anyone uses them and what they think of them, and what alternatives there are if any.
dave.

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Permalink Reply by samlove on May 18, 2008 at 3:56pm: Hi nightjar
I have seen them used on a art demo when I was on the internet and I have often thought of getting one myself but have not been able to get one here so I will have to do a search on google.
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Permalink Reply by cora on May 18, 2008 at 6:09pm: I cant find out what they are by google search. Im assuming it helps you draw with angles of lines and size. Did you ever try your pencil or a ruler. Hold either item in front of you and against the line that you want to draw. Put your finger at the place where the line ends and that is the measurement and angle on your paper. Just hold it at the same length away from you each time or youll get different sizes.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by samlove on May 18, 2008 at 6:25pm: HI cora
I have found one at www.blackmouse.co.uk and I have printed the details out but at the moment they are ot of stock because of the big demand for them,

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Permalink Reply by frodron on May 19, 2008 at 9:27pm: Check out www.variscaler.com
They are used by draughsmen & architects.
They have been in existence since 1852 so they are taking a little while to get established with artists !; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by nightjar on May 21, 2008 at 9:07am: thank you all for replying but i think i will carry on using the grid system and refrain from buying a vari scaler.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Debisty on May 24, 2008 at 9:46pm: Hi nightjar,

If you have plenty of room wherever it is you do your drawings and if you're drawing from a photograph or something similar, you might find a pantograph more useful than a vari scaler. It takes a bit of getting used to, but works very well indeed.

If you're doing life or still life drawings, then you might find the proportional divider as used in the Carder Method helpful. In both instances though they can be quite expensive tools to purchase so I would suggest making you're own.; ▶ Reply to This