scribbling away…
October 10th, 2005
…trying to feel more comfortable with my pen and sketchbook.
To help I’ve been rereading some old favourite inspiration books and looking at some drawings I love. Everyday Matters is once again on my bedside table and I’ve dug out a pile of Dan Price’s Moonlight Chronicles.
A long time ago I remember watching a short film about Dan and how he draws. He explained that when he drew he tended to work on the outline first (a sort of non-blind contour drawing I suppose) he would then work on filling in the drawing afterwards. Looking at some of Danny Gregory’s early drawings I imagine he did the same at times. This isn’t something I’ve done a lot of. I tend to pick a point on what I draw and sort of let the drawing grow out from there. My eyes tend to move around the object and my perspective changes, which is probably why my drawing look a little odd (or if I’m being kind to myself “quirky”). I’ve no idea why I started to draw like this, it just seemed to happen.
Over the last couple of days though I have been trying to start with a contour first. I’m not sure if I’m going to stick with it, but I do think I’m starting to see more clearly again. I know some artists start each day with some contour drawings, maybe that’s something I should consider…
October 10th, 2005 at 3:55 pm
What a circuitous route life takes us on sometimes!
You’ve had a bit of a roller coaster of late but finally I sense you coming back to yourself and reining in the ambition —more content to be in the moment.
Good on yer !
October 10th, 2005 at 4:06 pm
oh draw away… I love it when I’ve drawn in myjournal instead of moaning on about my life!
It makes for a much more interesting experince when flicking back through the book.
October 11th, 2005 at 1:32 am
Quirky or not. I love your drawings, in my book they’re charming.
d
October 11th, 2005 at 7:45 am
I love your drawings. It was these very same drawings that attracted me to read through the whole of your blog when I discovered it back in February this year, it’s the drawings that I keep coming back for - like having a guided tour of your life, through your eyes. Keep up the good work Mikey.
October 11th, 2005 at 7:56 am
I can’t remember where I got this link from but I think you’ll love these drawings as much as I do
http://www.rachelannlindsay.com/
Also M - you really ought to try the Blind Contour Friday experience over at Inkfinger (there’s a list of folks who do it on the left under the calendar thingie)
http://inkfinger.typepad.com/
E
October 11th, 2005 at 9:21 am
what’s blind contour drawing? Is this with your eyes closed or with your eyes on the object but not the page?
curious m
ps previous job artist model
October 11th, 2005 at 9:32 am
Yes, blind contour drawing is done by keeping the eye on what you’re drawing rather than on the page. It really does help with starting to see the shapes of things, and the spaces between things.
I used to do a fun exercise in classes where people were blindfolded and given an object they didn’t know to draw. The idea here wasn’t to try and make a drawing that looked like the object, but rather explore the object and to find ways of expressing what was being felt with different mark. It produced some lovely drawings (sometimes!).