LODEPoints
Find the tallest edge, then follow its neighbors.
THE SHAPE OF SMALL THINGS
A closer look.
Another world.
Notice the edges. Follow the layers. Keep a record of what catches your eye.
Start with a silhouette.
Every outline offers a way in. You don’t need a name before you begin looking.
Planes
Turn the shape in your mind. Where do flat surfaces meet?
Layers
Trace a line across the surface. See where it starts again.
Look first.
Name later.
Begin at the edge.
An angular outline might feel sharp, quiet, or surprisingly irregular. Draw what you see before choosing a word.
Follow one plane.
Notice how a broad face meets a thin edge. Use short lines to describe the change in direction.
Leave room for uncertainty.
A sketch can hold an observation without naming the mineral. These drawings are shape studies, not identification tools.
The small cabinet.
Three drawn forms. Two ways to look at them.
The rising cluster
Three uneven points meet at a broad base.
The quiet stack
Flat surfaces sit like pages in a closed book.
The single tip
One tall outline makes the smaller edges easier to see.
3 shapes
Small marks.
Useful words.
RoughBroken, uneven edges
SmoothOne uninterrupted face
BandedA line that returns
Make a record, not a verdict.
A useful note says what was visible, where you were looking, and what you still wonder.
- 1
Draw the outline
Leave out color first. Keep the shape simple.
- 2
Add one detail
A broken edge, a tiny line, or an unexpectedly flat face.
- 3
Write one question
Use a question to guide your next look.
Keep a gentle cabinet.
Observe without scratching, tasting, or breaking an unknown specimen.
Do I need to collect anything?
No. Work from these drawings, a photograph you own, or an object you already have permission to handle.
Is this a mineral identification guide?
No. The cabinet is a set of original shape studies. It does not identify specimens or establish that an object is safe to handle.
A page for your next look.
Keep an outline, three surface words, and one question together.