I have been playing with doing blind contour drawings and then filling in with cross hatching, as if I was happy with the proportions. I'm finding this very fun, the distortions I get with contour drawing are often interesting. Above is an example. This one was done on my iPad with Procreate.
I am working on my website this afternoon but I keep thinking I'd like to stop and draw some. (I try to work on the website when I feel fresh, and draw in the evening when I'm getting tired.) Why is drawing so distracting right now? I found a new book - Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson. It's reviewed by Teoh Yi Chie on youtube. The examples are very loose, Bert Dodson's approach is clear and easy to follow. There isn't much emphasis on perfection. In fact early on he says restating lines (when you make a mistake) can give the drawing more life. I find his approach very inspiring.
My other all time favorite drawing book is Sketch Book for the Artist by Sarah Simblet. She has written other books that are very good, but this is the best. The examples are very nice drawings, her descriptions are clear and inspiring. The link goes to Amazon, where there is a "look inside.
4 comments:
I love your blind contour drawing, - very nice! It's a bit like there is pleasure in naive drawings, but they can be really hard to do once you learned to draw in perspective.
I always struggle with drawing and sketching. I was told from an early age that I just wasn't good at it. When I produced something that looked good, it was dismissed as a fluke. When we covered perspective and printmaking in the school's art classes I was really good. But that was put down to a mathematical/science talent... And with the lack of encouragement, I never thought that this was a skill that could be learned and maybe needs practise.
Of course since then I have worked on my sketching, and while I think I am getting much better (learning to draw shadow does so much to an image), I still don't think I am any good, and still don't give it enough space and time, I suppose. - I might try one of the books you mentioned, though. They sound good :-)
Hilke if you want to try one of the books, I would suggest Keys to Drawing. His approach is very loose. Meaning it’s okay in his book to not be perfect. Who on earth was this person who said you couldn’t draw? It is definitely a learnable skill. Like most skills it takes time to practice. And there are good days and bad. I want to yell at people who take the attitude that talent is inborn. I’ve probably said this before but that won’t stop me from repeating myself. When I was in high school I wanted to study art in college. My aptitude tests said I had math skills but not art. So they suggested I study “office machines.” I guess that meant typewriters and those old adding machines. Remember this was around 1960. I was crushed, I loved art. I studied math for two years in college, taking as many art electives as I could. When I decided to get married, the second semester of my sophomore year I took extra art classes. Part of the reason I left school was because my smart sister was about to start and my parents couldn’t afford to have us both in college. But the other part was that I didn’t really love math like I did art. I went back to school in my early 30’s and lucky for me the teacher I admired the most really liked my drawings and paintings. This is a long way to say “Ignore all opinions.” They are just that. Of course all I say is just my opinion.
That’s a great drawing, Judy. You get more accomplished all the time.
Wow! Thank you coolsnags! Glad you like it.
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