A dream about a drawing class.

Quick sketch of me in the dream, done right after writing the dream down in the dark. I was lying down in bed.

 

I sign up for a drawing class. The first day I'm a minute late. The instructor has locked the back door to the room so I have to go in the front one. He makes a comment because I'm late. I am embarrassed.  The second class I'm in the bathroom when the bell rings. I have already gone in and left my purse on a desk. But when I go back there is a woman - middle aged, white hair - writing formulas on the blackboard. The teacher is working on some papers and doesn't look up. So I sneak in and go to stand in the back, in the doorway of a closet, trying to not be seen. I'm hoping to get to my seat during a break. A few other people come to stand in the back too. A guy with sandy short hair starts talking to me. He says something about my dog Toby. Part of the time I can't understand him.  I ask him to repeat but still can't make sense of what he is saying. Toby is his dog, a rescue who took a liking to me at another time. I wonder if the woman at the blackboard is writing fire extinguisher formulas. Over time she covers a blackboard that has 3 big panels and extends all the way across the front of the room. The class is silent and taking notes. When will we draw? I don't have a drawing pad. Can I find Jim and get some money to buy a pad? I can't find my glasses so I have to wear the red weak ones. They look like red goggles. I feel very self conscious. I wake. 

 

How many unfinished projects do you have?

Unfinished artist's books. Titled "Heaven, Hell My Sketchbook" and "Egypt" by Judith Hoffman

A friend is doing some kind of finishing projects challenge. She has talked about it several times and we decided to each bring an unfinished project to our next zoom meeting. I have been cleaning so I put the ones I could easily find on my work table, side by side. There are at least these 6, and possibly many more, depending on how you count. Some must be at least 15 years old. I have one somewhere that goes back to the late 80's, luckily I'm not sure where it is. I started taking photos of some, thinking maybe a different view would help me decide. Or I might even decide to toss it. It can be healthy to let go of that old stuff, right?

The two above are still interesting to me. They pose painting problems. I'm not really a painter so I have doubts and tend to fumble around as I work, but I am happy with most of my progress so far. 

"Heaven, Hell, my Sketchbook" A favorite pair of pages.

Just after I wrote the last paragraph I listened to a Learning to Paint podcast with Jane Davies as the interviewee. She says she never forces herself to finish something. She feels it will look forced. I am thinking about that - is it worth the anguish? Using the word "anguish" doesn't make it seem desirable. Maybe I have gotten enough out of those projects already. I did learn stuff,  it was probably a step forward in some way. By the way, I highly recommend that podcast. The one with Jane Davies is very good. Many of the others are interesting.

Egypt an unfinished artist's book by Judith Hoffman. I like the folding lawn chair. I just might be seeing a red theme here.

A group of handmade journals I haven't worked in.

This group is journals, intended to be for fooling around, not finished art. Two are made from scrap papers, some pages were the paper on my table that I wiped brushes on, or scribbled on to get things going. One has small amounts of paint or collage to break up the white. One is blank. So they do present a different aspect. I don't have to finish every page, I can skip around and just play. They are intended for fun and experimentation. But I made them around three years ago and haven't worked in them since. Should I push myself a little?

These mostly white pages would be easy to draw in.

Some interiors are old scrap papers used for testing paint or to cover my work area. They will be harder to work with. This is the only page I have done anything with. 

I also have at least 10 stacks of prepared pages, intended to be books. Some have been eco-dyed, some are painted, some have a little collage on them. Or all of the above. I have some cut out collage material and one finished page for a book. And several models for a pop-up book that isn't right. I'm sure there is more, but I don't want to look deeper. I did end up throwing one project away - it's so old and different from how I work now I can't possibly start it up again. And it did feel good.

Do you have many unfinished projects? What is your relationship with them? Do you still love them and want to get back to them? Or are you hiding them in the closet, hoping they will fall through a hole in the floor?

It's spring here and very beautiful. As always, stay as well as you can, be as happy as you can. 

 I have been drawing most days for Inktober. I am also taking the Preservation Enclosures class I mentioned in my last post. Next week I will start a Clamshell box class, also with Andrew Huot. Below is a little photo essay of some of my Inktober drawings. They are all on the architect's tracing paper that I use in collage. You can see I don't keep a perfect, beautiful sketchbook. I try out ideas and experiment with things that pop into my head. I decided I needed a hard cover, that's the first photo. Because I am going to take the sketchbook apart when it's full (and use the drawings for collage)  I quickly made a temporary cover that holds the sheaf of tracing paper in place with a piece of elastic. Then I can slip another sheaf of papers in there.

Hard cover for tracing paper sketchbook made with binder's board and book tape. Judith Hoffman

Sketchbook, tests, textures. Judith Hoffman

Inktober sketchbook, patterns and doodles. Judith Hoffman

Inktober sketchbook, doodles, tests, patterns. Judith Hoffman

Inktober sketchbook, various faces and patterns. Judith Hoffman

Center spread - testing various transparent acrylics. 

Inktober sketchbook, faces and patterns.

Inktober sketchbook. I like the layered shadows.

Inktober sketchbook and cat. Everyone's a critic. 

A New Plan for Inktober

 

Two Inktober sketchbooks made with 7 pound canary tracing paper.

In early August I planned to do my Inktober drawings in a sketchbook I made with old envelopes. (That post is here) Recently I have been drawing on a pamphlet stitched pad of yellow 7 pound tracing paper so I could use the drawings in collages. Tonight I made a sketchbook with the tracing paper to use instead of the envelope sketch books. The new one is about 7 x 9 inches, a size I usually prefer for sketching. It's also just a stack of papers pamphlet stitched together. When I am done I will cut the thread and coat all the drawings I like with matte medium.

Interesting layers of images may lead to a new idea.

There is an additional benefit to this paper. There are times when I get composition ideas from the layers of sketches. I am using d'Atramentis document inks in grey, dark red and a mixture of turquoise and brown that is very close to black. They are a little slow to dry but these colors are waterproof once they are dry.

Preparing for Inktober I made two small sketchbooks from envelopes

 

I have been saving envelopes for a couple of years, ever since I bought a few sketchbooks made with mail from Helen Coldwell at badbooks on etsy. I used one of Helen's books for Inktober in 2018 and enjoyed it very much. She isn't making the mailed format any more, but does have mixed paper books in several sizes. I just recently bought a couple of those, they are equally fun, and I didn't have to make them.

This year I thought I should take out the big pile of envelopes and make them into something. I did add in some graph paper, some gridded paper, a few other things. But it's 90% envelopes. The cover is an old cardboard box, covered with an envelope a dear friend sent me stuff in. (Thank you Wendy!) I lined the spine with some super to make it stronger. 

This year I plan to do a very low pressure Inktober. No pressure at all actually. I will draw with ink every day, but it may just be a 5 minute doodle and I won't feel bad about that.

Blind Contour Drawing Challenge

Blind contour drawing on paper, scanned
and completed in Procreate.

After looking at these art prompts, my friend Eileen and I decided to try a quick drawing exercise. The parameters we choose were to make six by six inch drawings using blind contour or non-dominant hands for 20 minutes a day for five days. The drawing above conveys Eileen's spirit better than a more detailed drawing could.

Blind contour drawing scanned into Procreate
where hatching was added.

We exchanged around seven selfies (I got photos of Eileen, she got mine.) I was concerned I didn't have enough time because I had just signed up for a Sktchy class that would probably take six hours a week.

The original blind contour drawing which was the
foundation of the two drawings above.

I started doing a few non-dominant hand drawings, but I love the unpredictable nature of blind contour, so that's what I focused on. On the first day I was hooked. I stopped watching the Sktchy videos (they are on YouTube, so I can watch later.) I spent my 20 minutes doing four or five blind contour drawings, then another hour amplifying one of the drawings. After a few days I started using Procreate, a drawing app I favor on my iPad. After another day or so I was struggling with keeping to the "blind" part. The photo and the canvas in Procreate are right next to each other so it wasn't hard to see what was going on in my peripheral vision.

Screen shot of Procreate canvas. Layers show the solid black layer
with a drawing layer above. When the black layer is turned off,
the blind contour drawing is revealed.

Then I realized I could create a solid color layer, then make another layer above that and draw with the same solid color. (see screen shot above) That way I couldn't possibly see what I was drawing. When I was done with the blind contour part, I turned off the solid layer to reveal the drawing. The best part of this is that I don't remember what I have drawn, so there are two right eyes and two left earrings. I also raised my pencil at times, which adds a lot more randomness. More layers could be added for things such as background textures as in the drawing below.

The developed screen shot blind contour above.

The background on this one is a scan of a copy machine error that Eileen gave me last year. I tend to over-do these, in a way I don't think they need a lot of detail. But I'm just going with what I enjoy. I love black and white and contrast, so filling in some areas adds to the interest for me. There are more drawings in this Flickr album.

Favorite Drawing Books

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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.

Crow on black

I have been trying to keep my focus on a book I'm working on. No distractions allowed. No playing with paste papers or gelli plates. No starting another book that I have in mind. If I start on another project the current one will probably be put aside and then forgotten. At least I know that about myself. I envy people who can work on multiple projects at one time. However, to finish this book, I need some drawings. So I can sketch. I have been mostly drawing on the iPad with Procreate. Here are a couple of crows. One will probably be in the book. I am really enjoying Procreate, the ability to draw, erase, draw, erase is very fun.

The crow above was started on a solid black background. There is a lot more erasing than drawing going on here.

this one started with a very loose sketch, I liked his crowtitude so much I kept working on it. The one on black was done after this one. Looking at them now I like the one on black much better. That will probably be the one that goes into my book but I will have to cut out the black background.

Using dreams as content

I wrote this post years ago - before doing a workshop on using dreams to inspire imagery. For some reason it doesn't seem to have been posted, or I can't find it. I have been thinking a lot about dreams lately, in part because it's harder for me to remember them now. It's a sad fact, as I have gotten older I more often wake up with some kind of ache. Nothing serious, but enough to make me roll over before I am completely awake. Moving before remembering dreams makes them harder to remember. So I am revisiting all my tips for remembering dreams.

Remembering dreams:
*Keep a dream journal and pen by the bed. Keep the journal open to a blank page. I prefer a ball point pen and those cheap Mead 9.5 x 6 notebooks. They are not too big when the used pages are folded back. I sometimes keep mine on the bed next to my pillow.
*When you go to bed, as you fall asleep, say to yourself "I want to remember my dreams" and "I want to write down my dreams." It helps to repeat this several times.
*It also helps to read thru your old dream journals.
*When you wake up, don't move. Or go back to the position you were dreaming in. See if you can remember a dream. If nothing comes right away, make your mind blank, an image may arise. If that doesn't help, make a mental picture of people in your life, one at a time. Visualize a person and say their name. Think of it as a question to your dream self.
*It may be hard at first to remember dreams. Try to think in terms of valuing whatever comes up. All images that come into your mind could be regarded as a gift from your subconscious. You want to send a message to your subconscious that you are listening and value whatever comes up. Jot down even the smallest fragments of dreams.

Writing the dream down:
*Go over the whole dream in your mind before starting to write it down.
*Also write down those odd words and phrases that pop into your head as you wake.
*Don't turn on lights and move as little as possible to write down the dream.
*To write in the dark: write large, and leave a fairly big space between the lines of text. You can use your hand to sense where you are on the page and keep your place. Try to complete each letter before going on to the next. Dot your i's and cross your t's before going on.
*Later when you are awake you can go back and read the dream. In the spaces between the lines clarify words that may be nearly illegible.
*Write it all down, whether it seems important or not. Your dream self may tell you it's not interesting, but an hour later your waking self may be amazed.
*Try to not judge the content of the dream.
*Sometimes writing the dream will remind you of more dreams.
*It's very hard to put dream imagery into words at times. Those elusive moments when things shift from one state to another, when a car becomes a bicycle, are hard to describe. Do your best. You will probably improve with practice.
*Make a quick sketch or two. This is not fine art - just get the gesture, size relationships, whatever strikes you as interesting/odd.

Above: Dinosaur Wave, 2010. This copper and brass book more or less illustrates a dream.

How to use your dreams:
*You might want to keep your dream notebooks private, that makes it easier to write whatever happens in your dreams. Sometimes dreams are too weird for public consumption. I take a "middle way." Occasional dreams go into books word for word. Mostly I use parts of dreams. But my real goal is to be more in touch with my dreaming mind.
*When working on a significant project, around birthdays or other anniversaries that are meaningful, be sure to note dreams.
*It may help to keep lists of images that seem important or repeat, or to list what you have been or have done in dreams. These are clues that lead you to the more "important" dreams.
*You may find it's useful to have your most interesting dreams typed into the computer. It's time consuming but useful to be able to search for words.

Should you use a dream dictionary?
I would say "No." Images have meanings, but they are very personal. As you write your dream, you may think you know what the dream means. That's okay, it may be an important insight. But don't lock in any one definition. Dreams can have many meanings, all at once. For example: According to online dream dictionaries going up stairs can mean being ready for success or change. Going down is supposed to be always bad. I can't agree. I have dreamed multiple times of going down stairs, into the earth. I read that as a dream about going deeper into myself - exploring a level that is not easily accessible. Which is a very good thing. And I have dreamed of going up stairs to an all white room where I see important things. I wake from those dreams feeling very good.

The meaning of the image can change and grow over time. Many artists have the experience of thinking they know what a particular piece of their art means, but a year later, or 10 years later, they come back and find a whole new meaning. I don't think they were wrong in the first place, they just didn't see all the meanings. Images and dreams have a life of their own.

If it seems important to find the meaning of your dream, free association is better. What does this dream person or object mean to you? What images or thoughts arise? Be gentle with your dreams. Have a conversation with them, as you would with a friend. Listen to what they say. You don't have to interpret them at all, they can just exist.

Summing up Inktober

My earlier post says most of it. I would add the selfie ring light was handy, it was a little quicker to get the photos into my computer. I suppose if I blogged from my phone I could be even faster. The blog is a good record for me. Next year I may remember to read it and see how things went. The biggest problem was my internal resistance to any outside pressure. While I draw almost every day I just don’t like to have a schedule or expectations. Toward the end of October I took an online class for drawing on the iPad which was a distraction. Since the second lesson on hatching I have been drawing some in Procreate, a drawing app.

I do feel burned out right now. And it wasn't horrible, just a little bit of pressure. Still, it's supposed to be fun, right? Next year I may do a drawing a week, working on it a little every day. Some people make drawings that span the month on one page. The second drawing by Jake Parker on this page may be an example. I can't find a lot of information.

Since I always like to have at least one image to illustrate blog posts, I'll leave with this digital drawing, done in Procreate with a tweaked 6B pencil tool. The proportions are not right, but I liked the effect.

The End of Inktober!

I have lost track of how many I did, some days there were two or three drawings in my hand, others not so many. But I feel pretty confident it's at least 30. Every time I say I want more interesting content in my drawings, it doesn't happen. Inktober is the wrong environment for that - the emphasis is on speed and production. And I can't produce and also explore content. It sounds easy, but it's not for me.

A quick selfie. After I finished I realized the ceiling fan looks like a giant bow. Not my style.

From a photo taken in the Zymoglyphic museum.

And so I’m done. I may add to the evaluation in a few days. I can say I did it, but the question is, would I do it again?

Inktober

I'm nearing the end - a few more days.

My friend Karen on Sktchy. Black Pitt pen, Caput Mortem brush pen.

One of those days when I was unfocused and just doodling. Pitt pen.

Scribbling while watching a movie. Pitt pen. Can you tell I'm loosing steam? I hate to quit this close to the end.

From a photo on Sktchy. Pitt pen, white Posca.

Another from Sktchy, quick and easy.

This was an interesting photo - a collage of several images.

Another interesting photo. This particular security pattern is very hard to draw on. It has a strong diagonal that seems to accentuate the ink lines and make them hard to control.

A figure, a frog and a face

I realized haven't been posting in the same order on sktchy as I have here. I guess that doesn't matter - they are drawings in pen and ink.

October 18. This guy's face is long, but not quite that long. I had to scribble on the background with a white posca pen to cover the dark grey on the envelope. In the end I rather like this one. It's a little weird. I took his head into Procreate (drawing/painting app for iOS) and attached it to another body. I liked the size mis-match so left it that way. I also like the background doodles.

October 19. An awesome toad or frog from Sktchy. Pitt pen. My biggest complaint about Sktchy is that most people post the most boring selfies - looking straight forward, frontal lighting, grinning. But now and then there is some awesome interesting photo.

October 20. Another Sktchy drawing.

A doodled page, something I haven't really counted as a drawing. This was a dream, I woke feeling very frustrated about this. Done with a sepia Pitt pen. I like doing these pages of text now and then. I do figure it's still keeping the pen moving, and I am drawing shapes, as opposed to writing. I am still loving the torn envelopes, they have a nice irregularity. Getting tired of the smaller size. Getting tired of worrying about having a finished drawing every day. I had thought I would evaluate at the end of the month, but thing I'll take stock tonight, and again at the end.

This one was done with a black Pitt pen. I just thought I'd include these as part of the record. I do like doing this in my journals now and then. I don't record much about most days, am always trying to remember to add more.

Catching up - more Inktober

I have been drawing every day, just not keeping up with posting here. I'm trying to make drawing the top priority, instead of getting lost looking at other people's drawings.

October 7. This one was from a photo on Sktchy which was a mirrored image. Interesting challenge because I find exact symmetry hard. Most of the images are from photos on Sktchy. Not that there aren't a lot of interesting photos on the internet, but it is a nice place to go where you know people want you to draw from their photos.

October 8. I like the evil look in his eye, and the label seems to add a lot.

October 9. If you are looking at the dates you can see I am working ahead some days, falling behind on others.

October 10. Another where the stamps seem to add a lot to the image. This was a photo of a man with a plastic bird head. Other people interpreted him in a more realistic way, which is very effective. However this was a really quick solution. I am really enjoying this envelope sketch book and plan to make more.

October 11. I thought this profile would be an easy one, instead I spent a lot of time with the pencil sketch, trying to get all the relationships sort of accurate. Then I drew the basic shapes with a sepia Pitt pen in my left hand (I am left-handed) and a sanguine Pitt pen in my right. I finished the details with the sepia pen. I would like to get more sanguine in there.

October 12. I had brushed some hi-flow acrylic across this page, and used the mouth atomizer to add the spots. Then I drew on it. Maybe the grey acrylic is too strong. Or the image needs more contrast. Oddly enough this one inspired someone on Sktchy to make an envelope journal, so I was very pleased.

October 13. Looking thru my sktchy inspiration photos I noticed this guy's mouth was very much like the chicken's so I tried blending the two images. Not too successful in the beak area, but I like this one better than the next.

There are two for October 13 - they were done one after the other. I'm not showing you all my fails, but this one has something I like, something I don't like. This seems too polished to me, or maybe too cartoony? Something is wrong. I did the last two in the same evening, pretty quickly once I had the basic idea.

October 14. A friend sent me a link to Christophe Brunnquell on Instagram. I drew this inspired by his collage, especially the mouth.

I'm almost halfway thru the month. Pretty impressed with myself. I have regained my enthusiasm, am enjoying the quick sketches. After two weeks of doodling around I want to look more at content. Just reproducing an image isn't that interesting long term for me. Of course content is much harder to do. It's time to start on it! If you have any remarks about the drawings, or life in general, I'd love to hear them. I am always trying to improve in some areas - hatching, content, composition, finding inspiration. I am always open to thoughts.

I hope you are getting some drawings in this month, or writing or whatever creative thing you want in your life. For me it's always hard to find time, motivation and to break away from the pull of every day life. And, for me at least - I am so hooked by the news. One terrible thing after another. I am trying to not look at the news so often. It's probably better for my mental health.