DIY Camera Lucida Project

[@speedon68SS]

You're a lifesaver. My girlfriend wants a camera Lucinda for Christmas but the only one I can afford is so small and cheesy it's not worth a dime. After watching this video I'm totally confident that I can make one ten times better then the cheesy one she wants and it'll be made with love. Thanks for the inspiration. I'm off to go make a mess. Lol

[@dan69p]

Did you make it ? And was it a success ? 🤔😉

[@comkver]

Update?

[@TerribleShmeltingAccident]

How’d it turn out my friend?😊

[@bballduuuude6993]

omg we're dying to know! what happened

[@dummatube]

“Lucinda”?

[@medit8108]

This gentleman is a real teacher, a real teacher. Thanks for sharing what you know.

[@MichelleRichee]

I know. Like a school teacher.

[@philipbyrnes7501]

Just a quick tip for filing the sharp edges of the glass. If you put some fine sandpaper down on a flat plate and then drag the edge at a 45 degree angle over the sand paper it will give it a nice even chamfer along the edge and when done carefully is a very quick and safe way of knocking the sharp edges off of glass to make it safer to handle. An old cabinetmakers trick we use prior to fitting custom glass panes in fine cabinets. Thanks for the interesting and very helpful video, take care and thanks again 😎👍

[@KitKatToeBeans]

Nice info 👍🏼

[@scottmasson3336]

A sharpening stone or emery/wet and dry abrasive as well.

[@juliasteinweh-adler5288]

I am very impressed by the care and depth you go into in this video, like when you mentioned that tip about oiling the metal file. I really appreciate it!

[@ladeene06]

I just KNEW it had to be simple technology if it was hundreds of years old! I know this video is a couple/ few yrs old, and maybe there's dozens of similar videos, idk, but your calm and thorough attention to detail really make this an excellent tutorial. Just my opinion. Thank you for creating this! P.S. To those calling this tool "cheating"....if you give a student a paper with all the multiplication tables, 1 through 9 on it and tell them to practice writing them...is that cheating? No. It's a tool to aid in the practice of learning them. A tried and true way of committing to memory for immediate retrieval in the future. That's all. Just saying. This device is simply just an aid in the PRACTICE. A dishonest person will be dishonest with or without this tool. 😉

[@williamokrasinski9840]

Thanks for the tutorial Joe. Recently challenged grandson shows interest in drawing and I remembered like you from childhood this device. Sadly not Any DIY Camera Lucida except for yours. This is a fantastic demonstration of build it yourself with stuff from around the house. I have all except foam core board. We will be experimenting.

[@MySpartan87]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾I wish you was my shop teacher🎓🎓💪🏾your instructions, your voice, your passion is real, appreciate the content

[@danieladietel-wright8054]

Wow! I came here to find a diy for a camera lucida- instead I immediately checked on ebay, when you mentioned the "see and draw" device and found ( and bought!) one!!!😂❤ I thank you so much for the tip- I would probably not have built my own camera lucida anyway and I am so grateful to have found one like the one you mentioned❤

[@tammyfrancis7856]

Thank you for all of your tips. You’ve definitely saved me from making so many mistakes. It’s a pretty good duck! Better than I can draw.✍️

[@roberthouston9657]

Many of the great master painters used this very object to get their proportions correct before painting some of the famous pieces you have seen in art galleries. Kudos to you for the research and simplicity. 👍

[@annandadesilva6983]

Joe, this video was so thorough and clear! I really appreciate your work on this, watched the whole thing last night and this morning I rustled up the makeshift materials and made it! I'm so excited to use it (once i figure out how to mount it with things I have). It doesn't look as nice as yours but it works! Thanks again, I feel accomplished, which is a first during this quarantine!

[@woggie001]

If history is to be believed, the camera lucida was both a tool for greater detail as well as a training tool. On day 1 you won't be an artist, but on day 1,000 you will be. The key to becoming an artist is practice.

[@1977ajax]

Have to disagree completely; this is not a tool for beginners, but an aid to experience artists for obtaining proportion _rapidly._ If a beginner relies on this tool he or she will not progress as quickly compared to free-hand practise. As with virtually all templates, guides and drawing tools, this is an AID for a specific purpose, not a substitute for skill.

[@woggie001]

@@1977ajax Have to agree to disagree on this. Even if one leans heavily on this tool, one is still drawing and learning proportion. Practicing. One cannot NOT learn through practice.

[@1977ajax]

@@woggie001 Of course the fatal flaw in your argument is that with this aid you are _not_ practising estimation of proportion etc. but merely tracing proportion. My post stands.

[@woggie001]

@@1977ajax Your fatal flaw is in assuming that tracing does not teach you anything.

[@1977ajax]

@@woggie001 I never said that, of course, and I never assumed that, of course. You're straw-men are very weak.

[@mize_yir_bizz]

Thanks for the upload, you did a great job building it and the duck turned out really good!

[@nrich5127]

A profession Lucida starts at $55 US funds plus shipping/tarrifs and an improved model sells for $85 US and they can reach $300. The tools are very well made but out of range for many hobby artists. Your video shows what a hobbyist can achieve for much less. My only obstacle is trying to find a 2" square mirror which is not that easy. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@Malsum]

Good solid description without over complicating things! I'm thinking about doing one of these for work and probably have all the scrap I need already. The only major add-on I would do is to fix the arm to a board functioning as a drawing surface to minimize the risk of movement while drawing.

[@antoniomelendez3919]

Thank you so much I appreciate your help I am someone who can not afford a real lucida and you have helped me to go to a whole new level god bless you 🙏🏻👍and thank you again

[@FreeSpokenOne]

I liked the insight from this video into how these are made, thanks for sharing. Those who think this is in any way cheating aren't artists, but talentless laymen looking for something they don't understand to critique. As an artist all my life, I loathe critics who feel self-righteous and judgemental. We do this for ourselves, not you so get over it and know we don't need your opinions. We'll use whatever tool is at our disposal to create art and nobody will know the difference, that I can promise. Don't like it then don't use one but no one has a right to tell someone else how to do their work.

[@johnbrooks345]

... as David Hockney said " "drawing devices can't make marks, only a human can do that." make Art, ignore the critics.

[@738polarbear]

Angry little chap aren't you ? Nobody cares except you having a bloody rant ha ha ha.

[@brockalbert5111]

@@738polarbear There are quite a few critics who refuse to admit the old masters used a camera lucida/obscura. Fewer after Hockney's "Secret Knowledge" and the documentary "Tim's Vermeer". But some critics still don't want to admit it.

[@LeoLioness9601]

These type of comments crack me up. The irony is for real in this one. 😅

[@roberthouston9657]

I too am an artist and I agree. Artists are doers and doers...do. critics are assholes and they do nothing but clutter everything up with crap. But anyway, getting a quick and precise likeness and/or light, shading and posing for composition is infinitely valuable. People already don't want to pay for what the artist often goes through. All tools that can help the bottom line are very useful.

[@tmgetts]

Thank you for doing this video..I am an artist and I’m making me one of these. I like the idea I can use this to get quick defined details and shading of a subject in less time. Great video!

[@TheBigmongrel]

Well done Joe for making this aid. I made something similar but for steadiness, I used a removable vertical round post (20mm) and slotted it into a 20mm hole drilled into a small block of wood which is permanently fixed to a 60cm square x 20mm thick chip board. The block of wood is 75mm x 50mm x 30mm deep. The camera is fixed to the post by putting a recess in the post and gluing/screwing it in place. This makes it non adjustable but more easy to transport and store away.

[@seanarthur8392]

HI Joe. Always wondered, now I know. Thank you for doing this DIY. I've been painting for years and have constantly been drawn to realism. I was given a projector device as a young boy by a relative (my parents were clueless) and used that for years but it required a photograph and careful set up, and still only helped with proportion. I tried a pin hole device but that was too much for too little re. setup and lighting controls. This is an interesting and simple tool as well. I can imagine it would be useful for doing the initial setup drawing of a complex subject. However, nothing substitutes for lots and lots of drawing practice!!

[@warenmann1042]

My granddaughter is interested in drawing and art . I will have to build one of these to help her along. Also, it seems like the old overhead projector we used in school was just a reverse Camera Lucida. Anyway, Your video and instructions were excellent and greatly appreciated, I will build one. Thank You...

[@paolotonolo1140]

Fantastic Joe , thanks for the vedeo, you've shown us all how to savexa couple hundred bucks !! All the best.

[@ronnewton606]

after watching several videos on this subject, ive finely found one that is clear enought to repeat.. great job..

[@DebraVandeusen]

Thanks!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Thank you!

[@dawncheriewoodworth3449]

Aahhhh! Constructive criticism alert...Never drag your file backwards across whatever material it is you are filing. You will ruin the file. What happens is you knock down the tooth of the file making it either useless or making gouges in the material you are trying to smooth out. Also, never put a metal file in water. Again, it will ruin your file by rusting and you'll have no tooth to file with. Use a light penetrating oil if you need to lubricate. BUT! After having said that, I am anxious to make my own camera lucida now. I'm a watercolorist but can't draw in the least bit! Very good video! I had no idea a person could make their own. And the ones they sell online are very expensive. Thanks for sharing! Keep up the good work! Going to subscribe so I can learn more things from you.

[@ganchome1]

I am a scientific glass blower. Water weakens glass so much that you can cut glass under water with a pair of scissors. Oil makes glass stronger. If you wet glass it files easily. If you oil the glass and file it will strengthen the glass and will be much more difficult to file. It files easily with water. Use a diamond file. It doesn't rust. It is coated with a metal that is impregnated with diamond powder. It doesn't rust.

[@jilliancrawford7577]

You're a life-saver with this tutorial! I like to make my own sketches on my drawing tablet in an art program where I can get the anatomy or proportionsor whatever as perfect as I want it and trace them onto whatever traditional analog substrate I want and some surfaces like illustration boards or canvas panels are obviously way too thick to use a light box with. Graphite paper can be too messy for me and this just seems way more environmentally friendly in the long run too! As long as I can get an approximation and erase mistakes, then I don't consider possible visual imperfections as a real flaw with the device or method, so this just seems perfect. I also like the feature of having it on a microphone stand that can be moved around instead of having it clip to the table. It makes me wonder if a image can be transferred via moving around this Camera Lucida, substrate and reference accordingly, maybe keeping it organized with grid guidelines and just going grid section by grid section. Eve if not, the comfort flexibility of a stand is better than a clip that can only clip onto tables of a certain thickness.

[@robertsadler9903]

Just the way you work is very inspiring. I want to go out and make something after watching !

[@cookt13]

Hi would it be better if you hinge the glass so that you can adjust the angle and be able to access the glass and the mirror to clean them

[@marcosfunky]

To naprawdę pomocny film, nie tylko dowiesz się jak zrobić, ale co zrobić po drodze jak urzywać narzędzi. Wspaniale!

[@peterclancy3653]

The ray lines to show how the device works unlocked the secret for me, thanks

[@MaddConnekRecordz]

I love the way he explains it. Very informative. Kuddos.

[@carmendavalos7609]

Thank you very much for this tutorial, I will try it, but I was thinking about the stand for the camera, we could use one of those desk lamps, an old one that we can adapt it to our camera lucida, what do you think? again thanks

[@lisasternenkind6467]

,you can also use sandpaper to file down the edges. I used to do this with the glass sheers I used as openings for the terrariums I used to build.

[@lyllydd]

Thanks for the tut. I've been wanting to make a lucida for myself, and this looks like it can be done with readily available materials. BTW, for hole punching, you could benefit from a papercrafter's tool - a cropadile. It can do a couple of hole sizes, has a long reach, and gets through very think materials.

[@nilo9456]

I would suggest obtaining a diamond scriber, a set of diamond coated files and some light oil, Sewing machine oil is inexpensive and unless you do this sort of thing for a living, will still be around after you're not.

[@marshallphotoarts8380]

Another masterpiece! I mean the video not the duck. LOL. I had one of these as a kid and it came with black paper and a white crayon pencil. That helped solve some of the problems in seeing what one is doing. Thanks Joe, Marshall

[@Joe_VanCleave]

That makes a lot of sense, white on black paper. One of us kids must have ruined them early on after grandpa got his in the mail, as I can't remember that detail.

[@Crazycoyote-we7ey]

This explains so much about certain artworks

[@paulavanrassel2479]

This is brilliant and well communicated. I am so kicking myself!!!! I bought one for a ridiculous price (and besides the arm, it's not much fancier than yours).

[@wtchtower]

this is much better than the Pantograph I am using just to get the outline of the portrait i am going to paint. Thanks for sharing

[@vastaria1830]

if you don't have a clamp to break the glass, do this instead: tap the back of the glass under the scratch line with the back of the glass cutter, then break in half

[@trilpub]

A fine aid to this project, an expert teacher.

[@emiliorodela8212]

Simple and clear. Thanks, because you solve the mystery in my head about this tool.

[@BlackCat_2]

This is cool! I want to make one for my son who has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and was still in diapers. :) He already can draw better than I ever did and seems to have a gift for it. I think he would really enjoy trying something out like this and Christmas is coming. :) Since I have been doing glass fusing for a good while I have all the tools to cut the glass as well. :D

[@fernandoariza4837]

Very interesting this video thanks for your job from Colombia 👏👏👏

[@tarasden63]

Great video! Some of us do need the details, others don't & can skim through if they like. I noticed you scratched the glass away from your body. I think I learned in past that for straight cuts you push away & for curves you pull towards you. Does that sound familiar?

[@claudiohase296]

MUUUUUITO BOMMMM !!!!! parabéns pela ideia !!! Excelente !!!

[@nilo9456]

In the length of this video, I was able to fab up a prototype. One sheet of scrap glass, about 5 and 7/16" (37mm) by 6 and 15/16" (175mm) about 3/16" (4mm) thick. For what it's worth, these measurements are immaterial, it's just what I had to hand, and to give an idea of size. To the above, I added a hand mirror. Just holding these two objects in my hand, I got a reasonable facsimile of the results shown in this video. It helps to be the sort of person who doesn't throw away stuff. (Insert Horder if you like.) I also have essential tremor, so took me longer to write this message then the entire video. Also precludes any artistic endeavor, sigh.

[@JackSmith-ud9bg]

Thanks for a good job explaining the Lucida diy.

[@michellebeck3651]

Thank you for a great and informative tutorial! I was just pricing these online and now I see I have everything I need in my studio to make one, with the exception of the glass cutting tool. Wonder if there is a Dremel bit for that?

[@joshwhite9954]

Just submerge in water and use a scissors. Check out glass experiments be amazed on KZbin

[@paulblake8664]

Joe, about any movement between the device and the drawing paper? Start the drawing with 3 or more reference points! Then it is easy to reset the device by just going back to those first points on your drawing, matched against the superimposed ghost image! My favorite comment, "This might actually work!" And the answer is, "yes, thank you Joe; it does work very well!" And actually, your drawing of the decoy duck is for a first time up excellent, and I noted that the depth perception is also excellent proving the value of your Camera Lucida!

[@atolliver91]

This answers some of my questions on how to use it…thanks.

[@johneverett2713]

Great explanation on how it works ,could use a carborundum stone to take edges off the glass and mirror

[@alext8828]

Damn good job on that duck. I like it.

[@ferenclucas2842]

Good job on this video very interesting and inventive

[@richardlee9685]

Joe, you're the Bob Ross of glass cutting. Also, I've never seen an oil filled glass cutter before. That's an interesting tool.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Does this mean I need to talk real softly (perhaps aided by muscle relaxers) and grow a 'fro?

[@julioluna3366]

Beautiful video! I would make one too

[@JohnnyEffitawl]

I tend to work with portraits. Anywhere from 20 to 30 inch range. I would try this but how is the size of the reflection adjusted onto a canvas?

[@pjjns7918]

Thnx so much for your ingenuity, question any thoughts on how to magnify?

[@omarhadjarab8049]

Thank you, Sir, for sharing the video, it's very good and well explained. Just a healthy advice when making the glass, not only you need eye protection but do wear a breathing mask too, because when glass dust enter the lungs it will never come out and will cause fatal health problems. As for filing the sharp edges of the cut glass, it would be better using a small very fine indian grinding stone and wet it with water. I'm about to build one as I have all the necessary parts, but I would like to make a larger version of this, like 10cm x 10cm prism(mirror) then measure the length of the glass according to the angle of incidence. This is my first attempt and I would love to hear from someone if a larger version is better or is limited.

[@frederickbowdler8169]

Super demonstration thanks I feel like I could attempt this now.

[@dsmith9572]

I'm making mine with cardboard & tape. 1.414, 45 angle, fixed eye position, fixed lucida position, fixed drawing position. Got it. Thanks.

[@mattyjohnsson257]

There's a little Jeff Bridges going on here.

[@donkiddick3562]

Joe, do you think it was better having the smaller hole?

[@mississippisteve7026]

My only suggestion to the construction, would be to get a "back saw" and cut a slot in the dowel. I think it would add structural integrity to the lens apparitus. Other than THAT - most excellent video - going to make one for myself (instead of buying on for $80+) all I need is to come up with a decent mic stand... hello eBay. Mucho grasioso, Joe.

[@fatherdirt2866]

Cool project if you had some money and the tools to build it ....Ireally appreciate your video but with all this cool stuff i can just go out and buy on and start drawing right away....maybe in the near future when i can go out and buy all the stuff i need i will cause it would be cool to explain the way i drew a MASTER PIECE.,.. And say yea and i even built my own Camera lucida....so Thanks joe great video....have it saved...😊

[@nafordebi]

i have wanted a lucida for so long this is a great and $ friendly alternative, i am going to try it , do u think a piece of acrylic would work instead of glass? and i wonder if a selfie stick would work , i just want one for quick proportion checking thank u this video was very helpful, although if i can find a kit where i don't have to cut anything that might be just as rewarding

[@paulrodberg]

Any thoughts on how big an image you can trace? Thank you for your teaching.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

It’s limited by the angle of view of the optics and the length of your arms: you have to simultaneously look through the unit while being able to draw with your arm. Or, I suppose you could use a really long pencil attached to a rod and stand on a step-stool high above the drawing surface. But without such abnormal gymnastics the drawing size is limited to about a letter-sized sheet of paper.

[@paulrodberg]

@@Joe_VanCleave thank you for your teaching. May I ask you the dimensions of a letter sized paper please. I ask because I just bought, before seeing your very fine lesson, the brand “NEO LUCIDA XL”. We are still in our testing fase. The images are at best 3 inches by 2 inches, not very satisfying for about 85€.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

@@paulrodberg The image size depends on how high above the paper the Lucida is. The higher it is, the larger the image, but if it’s too high then you won’t be able to reach the paper to draw, while still looking through the device. To make the image larger you need to raise it higher above the paper.

[@tuvoca825]

He has a bob-ross like quality. Cool!

[@Itried20takennames]

Great idea and job. And agree that this helps hugely with checking proportions, etc by tracing, but takes a bit more practice to be a nice portrait of something.

[@ezekieljensen774]

This man is captain Barbossa in a life where he became an artist instead of a pirate

[@AmGal11]

Thank you so much for this very helpful tutorial

[@Joe_VanCleave]

You're very welcome!

[@4355dcox]

Thanks Joe very nice DIY video! I highly recommend a movie called "Tim's Vermeer" you will love this movie! Tim is a big DIY guy too. Best regards, Diane

[@user-qs1xz2mx6f]

Thanks a lot for saving me so much money!

[@dbaider9467]

A very neat, altruistic and interesting half hour.

[@macrograms]

I have a question: could you glue a mirror to a prism [reflective side toward prism] and stick it in the end of a piece of bamboo with a cut-out for subject and paper? I'm not saying cutting glass is a bad way to go - just curious if that would work also?

[@tlyoung247]

Thank you for making this video it was exactly what I was looking for !!

[@Richard0503]

thanks so much - i will try this!

[@jeanniellewellyn198]

This is apropos as I was just about to spend over $80 for a kickstarter camera lucida. It just seemed too simple to buy one however, and I'm glad I found your youtube! I'm familiar with glass cutting (also did stained glass). Question: Does the view hole need to be that small or can it be bigger - like 1"x1" square?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

The hole helps to keep your eye centered at the same spot.

[@mukdog15]

Thanks, Joe. Great video. Does it matter if the enclosure is made out of black foam board or white foam board? Is the projected image clearer to see if the surrounding enclosure is dark?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Shouldn't matter much unless you have lots of direct sunlight.

[@yorgle]

What geometry of prism would be needed to make this using a prism instead?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

A 45-45-90 prism might work, but you’d have to work on getting the illumination balanced between the subject and the drawing paper.

[@henrysscrollsawworks6917]

I didn't put My question mark so can you make it a little bit bigger say 3 to 4 inches ❓❓❓I'm just curious thanks for any help ❗❗❗

[@izysly5109]

Cool trick with the water ,file, glass thingy.

[@rodneysmart9774]

13:15 mount the mirror to the back piece with double sided tape so it's perfectly flat and square.

[@misterbonzoid5623]

Where is the liddl shot of what your eye sees?

[@blonski]

Thanks for the project tips! It is not oil used to cut glass. It's kerosene. With a felt brush, together with a wooden ruler, to clean and 'lubricate' the cut location. pull to your side with little pressure. support the other end under the risk of being cut, and press with both thumbs on the side, and the glass will break on the line, without pliers. Use a table lined with felt. Use sandpaper with water.😉 Ps: If you like, you can use kerosene on your files too. Cutting the glass must be done in a single hand movement, following the angle of the tool. If you pass it more than once, where it already has a line, it will damage the cutting tool.

[@cvcoco]

For glass, I use wet-dry sandpaper to smooth the edges and the cut surface. Fast and no problems. Whatever you have, around 320 grit and no water needed. The sanding also levels the surface and you do it by putting the sandpaper on like that piece of marble or another piece of glass and rub your work over it.

[@theresaromero2855]

You are a very good teacher.

[@brierobb9879]

Really enjoyed the video! Thank you.

[@erikhunsinger4937]

Thanks for demonstrating and inspiring. Well done. Extremely thorough. This is refreshing in the day of twitterpated sounds bites.

[@dianasaur2131]

Ball and socket with tightening screw from satnav/cell holders are great for mounting the box to height adjustment armature.

[@soonersciencenerd383]

how about emery paper or an emery board?

[@t2000kw]

when you put water on the file and started to round the glass edges... Why wouldn't you just do it with oil in the first place? Then there'd be no rust worries. Wouldn't oil work?

[@kennethmcconkey711]

Will this enlarge the subject you are drawing.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

It depends on the distance from subject to mirror and mirror to drawing paper.

[@petergale6594]

why not glue the box to the flat end of the dowel?

[@ellonysman]

Hi Joe, Im still amazed by the Lucy so one more question if I may...Is there anyway to make the viewing hole larger or like a front door eye viewer that might be magnified? Another lucy video showed it quite large. It was a foreign language so unable to discern further. Thanks.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I’ve never tried it, but a door viewer might work.

[@allencampbell1058]

So is this basically tracing?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Yes, or otherwise using the overlayed image as a reference for your pencil marks.

[@allencampbell1058]

@@Joe_VanCleave isnt it cheating tho

[@Joe_VanCleave]

@@allencampbell1058 Any drawing aid could be considered cheating, in a broad sense.

[@annepeters4331]

Would it work with plexiglass?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

If it serves as a partial mirror (i.e. makes a reflection but you can also see through it), then it should work.

[@ashleywalsh4090]

I use a knife sharpening stone to bevel the glass edge. Sandpaper can work ok as well. 😊

[@irasemapanizzo]

Joe, muchisimas gracias.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

De nada.

[@brians3987]

I have the Magic Art see and draw since I was a kid In 1986. It was advertised in the back of the Star and National Enquirer magazines that my Grandmother used to always buy! It does work with the proper lighting adjustment. I've always felt that the stand was too small though. I have propped it with different things to make it work better. This was a cheap invention back in the day but I see today products being sold for over one hundred dollars just because they gave it a professional arm or stand. I remember I paid $8.00 for mine through mail in order! 😂 LOL