"Drawing relies on a clear vision. It also requires thought which, in, turn, builds understanding. Drawing cannot be detached from seeing and thinking about the fundamental nature of the subject matter being represented. The knowledge and understanding gained through drawing from life directly enhances our ability to draw from the imagination. Just as thought can be put into words, ideas can be made visible in a drawing to promote visual thinking and further stimulate the imagination. Once what is seen or imagined is made visible in a drawing, the image takes on a life of its own and communicates graphically. However eloquently or crudely, all drawings, speak to the eye." From the Preface . Francis D.K. Ching

FRANCIS D.K. CHING is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Washington. He is the author or coauthor of numerous architecture and design books, including Design Drawing; Architectural Graphics; Architecture: Form, Space, and Order; A Global History of Architecture; Building Construction Illustrated; and Building Codes Illustrated, all from Wiley.