Antique Centrolinead or Linead tool
Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 1:47PM I recently purchased an antique drawing tool from 1890 known as a Cenrtolinead, or Linead from an estate sale. These tools are a tremendous aid in drawing perspective. I have known about these tools for years, and could really have used one for all my perspective work at Disney for the 10 years or so of work I have done for them.
This tool did not come with any instructions, so all I had to go on were catalogs from the early 1900's showing these for sale. They operate using 2 pins and are set to a "Y" shape and equal angles. the photos explain:;)
120 year old Centrolineaid and other tools used;)
Angle of "Y" set by drawing (2) 30 degree lines with a triangle.;)
The 2 pins are each placed on a line at 90 degrees to the Horizon, and 3" above and below.
;)
I also set the blades at 10 degrees, and this moves the VP out further than 30 degrees. This seems to restrict the space you can draw in though as seen in the photo. Draw small!;)
An original catalog page from 1910 listing this tool.My conclusion is that this tool is far easier to use than even a ruler with the VP on your board. it is very steady and quick to use. The only drawback is that the tool must be flipped around , one blade moved and new pins inserted to draw the second VP if they are both off the board. This is a somewhat unlikely situation, but it did happen on the larger building facade sketch. the best setup would be to have 2 of these or even 3 for a 3 point perspective drawing. they would make quick work of a complicated drawing like that.
I had a talk with Jim Gurney of Dinotopia fame yesterday to see what he knew about these. He said he had heard of them, and thought of making one someday. Jim will post some of this info on his popular blog to see if we can find someone with the old instruction booklet from one of the original manufacturers. We'll see what happens!
Jim brought up an interesting question in an email to me today- what do you do if you don't want holes in your drawing board? I always used a paper clip with one end bent up or an upside down flat-headed thumbtack taped to the board or paper. this is good for balancing a ruler on for perspective points on the board or for this operation. You could also use a sheet of metal to draw on, even with a Borco cover, and Neodymium magnets about 1/2 cube size for the pins. they are so strong they won't shift...
Craig Elliott
;)
Jim Gurney has posted my photos of the antique drawing tool I foud at an estate sale a few months ago. Some folks on his blog requested a measured drawing, so I have scanned the parts and put measurements on them for those of you who want to make their own!
Reader Comments (8)
Difficult to find some info about this perspective drawing decvice on the internet...
I found this:
link 1
page 43:
The Y shaped tool was an invention of John Farey Junior, in 1807. For his invention he received a silver medal from the Society of Arts. (In 1813 he received a gold medal fot his invention of an ellipsograph).
I doubt Farey called it a centrolinead.
link 2
page 42:
Peter Nicholson invented a different type of perspective tool, called centrolinead:
link 3
Therefore the information shown here:
link 4
is not correct. It shows a Y-shaped tool and states Peter Nicholson as inventor. John Farey Junior was the inventor.
Geometirics for Y tool:
link 5
Erwin B
Excellent post. It makes me realize the energy of words and pictures. I learn a lot, thank you! Wish you make a further progress in the future. vhecjl vhecjl - Belstaff Jacken Outlets.
A centrolinead is a useful device for perspective drawing, as a matter of fact I don't know how you can get by without one. I have a homemade one I built in the 60:ies after an oral description. It has to be pointed out though that the three lines have to have a common point of intersection or the device is only approximate. This is not very difficult to build and I can't understand who invented the silly two-intersection one shown here. All this belongs to a passed age though as perspectives are computer made to day. Kind of sad. The two roof edges are by the way NOT parallel as K&E seems to think in their ad.