Sketchiness

I see I don't have a sketch/ doodle corral. Hence this new thread that will get populated with this and that - some old, some new. Even the most reticent and reclusive artists want to share their work. Being a bit of a meat-space recluse I count myself amongst folk like that.

A visual artist's basic visual language is strengthened through observation and practice. It is nice to have innate talent and imagination. Creativity helps too. But if I plan to elevate my game I'll need to spend time filling pages in my sketchbooks. If I don't develop a basic skill set in putting marks on paper then I'm doing a poor job of being an artist.

These sketches and drawings are from many sources. It is both a pleasure and an exercise to draw a tree, sketch the family dog on the front porch or clarify my inner vision through a process of laying pen and pencil down on paper. Marks on paper convey information – continuous drawing eventually moves beyond simple information and begins the process of inquiry. That process is what I am engaged in with this work. On a less serious note, it's fun to play around. Whimsy, don't you know.

Let's get on with it.

Deep Dancers
Pencil
8.5" x 11" black hardcover sketchbook


The Tree Dancer
Pencil, pen, graphite powder
8.5" x 11" black hardcover sketchbook

 

I always enjoy seeing your artwork, kramus.

 

Plus one.

I can't even draw a semi-decent stick figure.

 

Add myself to the list of those who enjoy your work very much but can't draw worth a darn.

 

me too

 

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment, folks We have our knacks. I couldn't begin to find my way around a transmission @ralphie250 !

I draw trees rather regularly. Anyone who has seen much of my posted work here at TFP could figure that out from looking at my Tree Dancers. Here are a few sketches I've done of trees in the last few years - different sizes, different methods, one done in the comfort of my parents old cottage while looking through a window, another sitting in a courtyard in a lovely home in Bordeaux, yet another couple while at different campsites here in Ontario.

 

ha! So, I saw the first sketch before I read the description, and I spent a good minute trying to find the Tree Dancer. Then I read, and felt silly.


Third one is my favorite. Love, love.

 

Concept drawing has a very important place in a sketchbook. Blocking out ideas and playing with layout is part of the concept. So is learning how to represent things (for instance water, depth, clouds, sky) in a well executed or interesting way to support the drawing.
A lot of my work is mental. A concept drawing that carries me along tells me a sustained drawing of possibly a couple of hundred hours can support my thinking about it for that long. It's a bad thing if you are going along and you lose focus. I wind up with inferior work, or I simply abandon it - possibly forever.

8.5" x 11" and 10" x 10" sketches of a concept I may try to really follow for a while.

 

Some thought being put into a Whale Dance piece(s). My current 8.5" X 11" black hardcover sketchbook.

 

In part thinking of Whale Dance. In part pure pleasure in drawing from a lovely reference. In part "clearing my palate" after too much time in proximity w an aesthetic challenge of a PSW who is part of the team helping out w my parents.

 

Many a time there are sketches that seem like they have some hidden potency. By that I mean there is a sense that if I look around just the right corner, or pick up the proper piece, something special will say "Check this out!" I have that impression when it comes to this trio of sketches. And, I haven't gotten back to them. Funny how that happens.

 

A Whale Dance concept sketch from today - 8" x 10" black sketchbook

 

Variation on a theme. Being a sketch, I can work on what I want or ignore it.

 

I'll bet you can draw a stick figure. If you give it a shot just sketch one really fast and then take a look at it. It will have the basic building blocks the bones of a body. Then think about shoulder and hip placement and draw a horizontal line where each of those should be. The next bit I would recommend, is over the same drawing draw circles at shoulder and hip, those are ball joints. The drawing may look a lil' funny but you will end with a pretty basic humanoid understructure. At that point two ovals from each shoulder form the ribcage (or one oval will do the trick), then add some lines to the outside of your skeleton for flesh, everything else comes from observation and practice. When you were little and given crayons or pen you probably felt that you could draw societal conditioning and separation of most likely had a hand in making you feel that you can't now. That innate sense for line, shape, and composition are still inside, just maybe dormant, but can be easily revived.

 

So true Wildermaid. I often recommend
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards on iBooks to people. It's like giving "nonartist" types a magic potion She (Betty Edwards) also has a website ( Home ) I haven't explored but probably has lots of practical possibilities.

 

Oh neat never thought to look up her website! Will look it up once home! Such a terrific book and so happy it is one of your favorites! I also recommend Cartooning the Head & Figure by Jack Hamm. Covers a lot of basics like flowlines, line of action, and how to develop personality in drawings. Love your style everything from those gorgeous whales to your clean beautiful nature sketches!!!

Sent from my LG-K540 using Tapatalk

 

I have never read the book, nor even held it I took an evening interest course with that title back sometime in the mid-80's, and have been aware of her book as a thing ever since. Seeing the changes it made in the work of "stick-figure artists" I'm always happy to make the recommendation. I looked up the website just to add some meat to my thread response It had to exist. It does.

Thanks Wildmermaid I always appreciate getting skritched behind the ears

It's time to add a bit more work to the thread, I think. I occassionally sketch an "emotion", if that is what to call it. Here are a few examples sitting in my art folder on the old desktop computer. I'll stop at 5 - enough's enough, eh?

"A Sad Time"



"Anxious Guy"



"Dragging Along"



"In the Grip"



"Pensive Fellow"

 

The book is just under 5 dollars used with shipping on Amazon. It is an interesting one because the exercises don't really feel like they will be that impactful, but oftentimes really are! All you need to do it in addition to the book, is a sketchbook, a few drawing supplies, and about a half hour per lesson. I honestly may just start doing it again to break this malaise i guess. Another FAVORITE book is called 'Painting as a Language" i have a floppy softcover version of the textbook. That thing just breaks into my damn brain and makes me think about every element of the picture plane and what i want say, and then question why the hell i'm not there yet.

*skritch skritch* We can all use that from time to time. *hugs*

There is something very powerful in your emotion drawings! I keep scrolling back up to check 'em out! Really dig your sketch style and sooooo much personality comes through in these. Bravo! Eager to see more, when you feel like sharing of course.

 

A few more "Emotion" type sketches . . .

"Hug"


"Rapt"


"Reflective"


"The Face of Peace"




"Not Proud of Pride"

 

A Tree Dancer in the 8-1/2”x11” sketchbook. This is a pretty clear example of why sketches are important. They’re not just practice in laying down marks on paper. I now see where I would edit the drawing, refine it and clarify it if/when the Tree Dancer gets sustained treatment.
Any thoughts and comments are appreciated