Magical Visualization Frame

[Jeff Taylor]

Dear Fellow Artists,

I am still an amateur who does this just for fun. I have no formal art schooling and know I yet have much to learn.

Now that I have that out of the way...Is there some size-adjustable rectangular viewing tool used by artists to help them view an area as they're putting together a peice while checking into possibilities of placement and proportion and visualizing it within a certain small space? I was thinking such a thing would not only be ultra-handy for creating collages, but for drawing as well. I have several different ruler-triangular-doohikies, and they don't quite do the trick.

For now, I'm stuck cutting out strips of cardboard and taping them together in the size and shape needed for a given piece, and it's getting old.

Thanks!

Jeff Taylor

[Aine Scannell]

I have a colleague who uses this "viewing frame" type of thing.  He uses it often in relation to creating his work.  His is just a 'window mount' cut from mount board (as would be used for placing over a work on paper, before putting it into a glass frame).  I would just make one as opposed to buying one......although your local framing shop may have some 'seconds' with stains or slight defects, that they might let you have for free or for a very low cost.