Back again from inking.
Today, 1 hour of experiencing how bright you can make a small area of your picture look, just by going mad with the black in other places.
Just Drawing
First Attempts at Waterscapes
Again, … back from a Tuesday evening class, where our teacher gave us a 45 minute introduction to how he paints a very specific landscape, which we could use as a reference, or just do what we liked.
So, of course, I went for the do-as-you-like option. And here we are.
(This is all on really flimsy, calligraphy paper, my wife is going to kill me if she reads this. Using up all her paper …)
1st pic [CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGES], got some input during the course and adapted it here and there (got some pretty good advice, it’s this stuff you really need to memorize, so you can be objective about your pics during the making):
2nd pic (this was actually, what we may have been expected to be doing, as the paper is too thin, I couldn’t use any washes, or at least I didn’t dare use any):
3rd pic (Then back to the river bank scene with a stone and a butterfly now) (got some good advice here too):
4th (back to the waterscape, just a 2 minute sketch):
5th (trying something out you see all the time):
And the last one, 6th, basically had an idea, but I also needed to use up my ink:
Contrast … and Trees
Just back from my Tuesday inking course. Today, we were to learn how the darkness of a surrounding area, when contrasting with lighter elements, can bring the lighter objects (here trees) towards the viewer.
The first few drawings (chinese paint brush, India ink in differing states of dilution, on extremely thin calligraphy paper) are exemplary for this, but the others were drawn by me in the last 30 minutes, obviously just because I was having fun or I just needed to use up my ink. (The first drawing has a bit of Van Gogh and Bill Watterson.)
There Be Faces
Tricking myself into drawing anytime, by using the cheapest materials I can get my hands on. Obviously trying to convince myself that the sketch is just a sketch and can be thrown away. No pressure. No need to be perfect, don’t even attempt it. Just draw.
So here goes for faces on used envelopes.
Bridgman … and I
This is terrible, I know … returning to Bridgman again and again. And letting those awfully long breaks get in my way. Making me believe I’ll never get the hang of perspective, mass and form, not to mention gesture and fluidness.
Anyhow, this morning I had the courage to sit down for 30 minutes again and analyse the ad I have had open on my desk for the last 5 months (full of faces reminiscent of Italians). My analysis concentrates on what I believe could be the perspective of the head when viewed as a box. Everything that follows from there is based on what I still believe to know thanks to George Bridgman. I’m still missing or have forgotten or have never really understood lots of what he’s tried to teach me (or at least what I’ve tried to learn from his book(s)).
But if I can teach myself this perspective mystery with diligent work, I’m sure once I begin approaching the next Bridgman lessons they will promise a much greater success in my learning process.
Here’s what I got out of those 30 minutes.
Back to Business
Returning to the pencil after over a month of nothing.
I left my path after spending a few days with George Bridgman’s “Drawing from Life”, which more or less gives you tools and expert insight, but basically expects you to experiment with the provided options. It is a great eye opener and what probably pushed me off my high pedistal was the obvious ease with which Mr Bridgman finds his planes, light sources, masses, forms and perspective, rendering these with the seamingly simplest of lines.
My last drawing before the afore mentioned self-inflicted break is the above portrait on the left, the portrait on the right is from today. The was basicall no drawing during th ebreak. Both are about 5 minutes work. The last month I had been realising once more how important the perspecitve question is and also the story each line carries for the observer. If a line has the slightest curl to it, then it will influence the observer. I need to learn to understand and predict these subconcious and pre-programmed reactions of the audience.
Also, before leaving the drawing board for the prolonged break, I made a few attempts at tracing the Classical Masters. I’m not sure if I am infringing on any copyright licenses here. This is a trace of a Carracci and a Michelangelo. These are probably excellent exercises (but expensive, due to the cost of tracing paper nowadays). Here you can learn the different “stories” lines can have. It is also an eye opener which allows me to see the real value of these old sketches, cementing there classification as Masterpieces, at least for me.
To put everything back into perspective, here the G.Bridgman sketching attempts I made before the break:
More lines …
Continued working on my lines.
I’m flabbergasted to see what importance the smallest of lines can have. Allowing the brain to understand the precedence of plains or mass in sketches. Having fun with my Copic Multiliner and Copic Ciao markers.
Moebius and A. Dürer wept
Ok, I probably need to get over myself, but I spent the weekend with my Copic Multiliner and a new Copic Ciao Black and Grey marker pen. I’m looking into creating the impression of space, perspective, form and surface structure by concentrating on each line making decision. The first results are pictures of hands, so I considered mentioning Dürer and as many of the lines remind me of what I enjoy about Moebius comics, I mentioned him too. Can’t get enough of them two.
So all of these are from references out of a chemist’s magazine, so there are a few ladies with a cold. I’m only working with the Copic pen (0.3) and not doing much active measuring, so some sketches look wonky put also funny.
An Evening with George B. Bridgman
Well, actually it starts with a morning on my own.
Attempting to sketch/draw a figure without reference and from the top of my head. This has been spooking around my head for a few days and before I left for the office, I wanted to give it a try:
… and a few more tries, even reducing the figure to a simple gesture drawing. This exercise is good for me (not falling back on references). It is very honest and displays my current lack of skill. It can be depressing and I believe this is what stops me from drawing most of time. But honestly, I mustn’t forget I wasn’t doing anything like this a year back.
So, perspective is still quite an issue and drawing believable 3 dimensional objects. Gesture isn’t quite right either. But what can I expect from not practicing. Anyhow, got back from the day job and tried a few more off the top of my head. Until I decided on retrieving my George B. Bridgman “Head” book from my ever growing tower of drawing instructions.
Now this is where I want to be one of the days, without looking at the book. It looks so simple just a few lines and it’s there. Ha! So simple … perhaps one of the days. Practice, practice, practice.
2 hours and a Pencil
Had fun with this tonight. The instructor brought a real life doll with her. The light was bad, but I had fun with my 4B and 6B pencils. It’s wearing a straw hat and the doll had an awful patina of light and dark colours, which made the detection of light and dark, highlights and shade, extremely difficult. But it was really fun and time (2 hours) just simply flew past in a blink of an eye.
Stuartdraws 