Smack!
Swissssh!
Smack! Swisssh!
Smack!
Oh, that awesome sound! That feel! There is nothing like a well hit golf
ball. It is effortless. When. It. Is.
Done. Correctly.
So much like drawing . . . .
You take your pencil, set it to paper, Swissssh your arm and watch. A perfect line appears. One that accurately
describes your subject. It feels wonderful.
But life is not always like that . . . .
 |
| Wendy with the Indian Pipe Mushroom Family - Charcoal & Conte |
They say you need to do your 10,000 hours in
order to do something really well. I hate
to agree with Them but I think they may be on to something. I had a bit of an experiment going on
with two of my students last week. They are both very talented and do lots of
drawing and painting, but always working small, sitting at a desk/table. I felt they needed the experience of working
in a larger space and really getting their body involved with their work. I also knew that future Art Classes for them
would be working on easels and they needed to feel/have that experience.
So we tried a little experiment . . .
First off we did a normal session working with
some Indian Pipe Mushrooms as our subject.
(I know, I seem to be totally on a mushroom trip right now. It must be
our fall weather. And the best mushroom
growing conditions in years).
 |
| Session 1: Small Graphite Drawing using Derwent 2B, 5B, 8B pencils |
Session two was the same subject, but now on 18
x 24 inch paper. Again using graphite
but much larger pencils.
 |
| Session 2: Large Graphite Drawing with 2B and 6B Sticks |
Session three, same mushroom cluster, same large paper but now using charcoal and
with sepia conte. All sessions were
1.5hr.
 |
| Session 3: The Indian Pipe Mushroom Family, Charcoal and Conte |
Results were interesting . . .
1.
With each session we got more done. You would think the smaller pictures would be
finished the fastest but in fact that was when the least amount of work was
completed. For both of the other sessions we had to spend a bit of time to
learn how to use the materials before starting.
So in fact the last 2 sessions had less drawing time.
2.
Values got bolder, more
varied. The Mushrooms became more alive
and interesting
3.
Less erasing. When I explained in the third session that
with Charcoal you really wouldn’t be doing any erasing there were a few worried
comments. However, once they got into the
drawing, those disappeared. In fact, the
only erasing was at the end to bring back a bit of the light. This was more a result of inexperience with
the material than anything else.
Takeaways . . .
1.
More confidence - definitely a big win
here. Working with the same subject,
learning about its characteristics meant lines and strokes were more confident
and purposeful.
2.
Using the full body for the big
swoops - this may be related to the confidence but it was great to see the big
swoops happening rather than the short stroke, stroke, stroke, to do a long
sloping line
3.
More standing back to evaluate
- Standing is a bit tiring, OK, I admit
it. It is one of the downsides of
working big. I did find I was tired of
standing by the end of a 1.5 hr session.
But on the upside, because you are standing you are more apt to move
around. Step back from your work and evaluate what is happening. This is a big one. You see the drawing as a whole, rather than
your little working spot and this puts you in a better space to see what is
happening in terms of patterns forming, composition, and values.
Does this mean I can’t work smaller? ? ?
No, I still plan to work at my drawing table and
enjoy myself immensely. But it does mean
I will explore a subject more, spend more time drawing and working with
it. It is also a good reminder to keep
lifting my drawing and putting it on an easel and sitting back and studying
it. See what is happening as I work
away.
Do you work big and small? Any observations/takeaways you have from
that experience?
More thoughts on focusing longer on a subject
see here.
Opportunities Coming Up:
1. Nov 1, 7:30-9 pm,The Secrets of Graphite - Thursday Night Art Talks with Wendy Mould AFCA, CDM. Surrey Art Center, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey.
Learn how to make magic with pencil - Artists have been doing this since 1564.
2. Thursday, Nov 22-Saturday, Nov 24
Paints'n Bloom Workshops & Art Show & Sale in Support of the Alzheimer's Society of BC
Gardenworks at Mandeville Gardens, 4746 Marine Dr, Burnaby
Workshop Day: Tuesday, Nov 20
10-12pm - Beginner Watercolour Class
1-3pm Christmas Card Making Class
$40 ea. All supplies incl. Beginner to Advanced Welcome
Registration Happening Now Contact Wendy
Is Your Sketchbook Ready for You? - here
Have You Felt the Freedom of the Line? - here
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Have a great Artful Day,
Wendy
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