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8:59 PM, Saturday May 16th 2020

Honestly, go for it. Whenever it comes to determining whether or not something is going to end up being a harmful crutch, I ask myself whether or not a student would be able to do something like this in any circumstance. Given that you're just using a pen and holding it as a straight edge to check how a line is going to behave, that's something you'd be able to do regardless of the circumstances. So, I don't see it as something harmful.

3:43 PM, Tuesday May 19th 2020

Where can I learn about "harmful crutches"?" How is holding a pen up to estimate an angle different than putting on my reading glasses before I pick up my pen?

5:24 PM, Tuesday May 19th 2020

I feel like you may have misread my initial answer, where I was stating that using the pen to estimate angles was not harmful.

Whether or not something is a "harmful crutch" depends on whether or not it is something we'll be able to use in the various circumstances in which we'll be expected to use it. It's very contextual. For example, if you're deciding to use digital tools to do Drawabox for whatever reason, and end up using the various straight-line tools to do your super imposed lines exercise, that's going to be a crutch because you're not going to be able to reach for that kind of tool whenever you're drawing.

If you're using the pen you're already holding to estimate an angle, you're always going to have such a pen/pencil/whatever with which to do that, no matter what you're doing. Painting something? You've got a paint brush. Airbrushing? You can make it work.

There are however contexts where something could be classified as a 'harmful crutch', but it is still acceptable within its given context. For example, how in Lesson 1 I stress the importance of rotating your page to find a comfortable angle of approach for every line you draw throughout this entire course. Will you be able to rotate the page in every possible context? No. If you're working on a big mural, or some other large-scale piece or something that is really pinned down, you won't be able to rotate it. Eventually you'll have to learn how to draw lines in more than just one repeatable angle - but that isn't a high priority immediately, so that "crutch" is okay because it allows us to move forwards onto far more important concepts without having to sit there and grind out lines for weeks.

To that point, you'll learn how to identify crutches that are and are not acceptable as you go. It comes down to understanding the entirety of the context in which the crutch is being applied. It's a sort of understanding that comes from experience, so don't worry if you're confused right now. That's essentially why it's important to follow the instructions as they're written, and to ask questions.

5:30 PM, Tuesday May 19th 2020

very helpful explanation, thanks so much for taking the time.

5:32 PM, Thursday May 21st 2020

That is relieving to hear, boss! I hope I can overcome the need for it after practice, as my errors in estimations tend to follow a pattern (usually the front corner, by 3-5o overestimation, and 1o-2o underestimation in 4th horizontal of top plane).

Thank you for your answer!

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