Drawing Lithic Artefacts

Stone Age researchers spend a lot of time studying and documenting lithic artifacts. Since it is impossible to study all these artifacts physically, they often rely on images. Drawings are often the most informative because the lines and symbols in these drawings contain technological information that tells the audience how the depicted artifact was made. Conversely, making these drawings is an excellent way of learning to recognize and understand this technological information.
In a distant past Yannick aspired a career as an artist and while the art world is probably better off without him, he managed to find a new purpose for his artistic bend in his career as an archaeologist in the form of making lithic illustrations.
Both professional and amateur archaeologists ask him questions about the drawings regularly with “It’s probably very difficult, I’m sure?” the most prominent. Drawing lithic illustrations is bound to rules and conventions anybody can learn. Of course it helps if you have a deft hand at drawing but this style of drawing is a craft, not an art form. A craft anybody can learn with a little perseverance.
Starting from there, Yannick gives courses in drawing artifacts. While preparing these courses he noticed that almost no books or papers suitable as course material are available, a realization eventually resulting in this book.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction
1.1 Art or craft
1.2 Why draw in the digital age
1.3 Reading guide

2 Conventions
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Terminology
2.3 Angle of incidence
2.4 Projections
2.5 French or American projection
2.6 Lines
2.7 Ripples
2.8 The ventral surface
2.9 Burins
2.10 Polished artefacts
2.11 Natural phenomena and damage
2.12 Burnt flint
2.13 Other symbols
2.14 Microliths

3 Preperations
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Residue and use-wear analysis
3.3 Digital illustration
3.4 Supply list
3.5 Function of the assorted supplies
3.6 The work station
3.7 The artefact

4 The pencil drawing
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Preparing the graph paper
4.3 The outline
4.4 The dorsal ridges
4.5 The dorsal negatives
4.6 The ventral surface and the bulb of percussion
4.7 The lateral sides
4.8 The cross-section
4.9 The striking platform and additional details
4.10 Refits
4.11 Finishing touches

5 The pen drawing
5.1 Preparations
5.2 The lay-out
5.3 Tracing the illustration
5.4 Finishing touches

6 Scanning and digitally editing your illustrations for publication
6.1 Scanning
6.2 Editing your illustration
6.3 Step one: paint it black
6.4 Step two: Increasing the contrast
6.5 Step three: making the illustration binary
6.6 Cosmetic alterations

7 Conclusion