Ways of Seeing

IMG_0275, a photo by moody_e on Flickr.

In thinking more about art and long being inspired by sites like Urban Sketchers, I've wanted to read more about seeing and observation in drawing. In Bert Dodson's popular book Keys to Drawing, one of the first subjects he tackles is seeing vs. knowing. While knowledge of what an object looks like is helpful in general, sometimes we end up relying too much on our preconceived notions rather than capturing what we actually see. The key here is to enlist more curiosity, less assumption.

The above sketch is one of the first exercises in the book. Looking at your hand in an unusual position is supposed to force you to draw something in a way that comes out unexpectedly. I'm not sure how successful I was, but at least it's practice.

Down time at work means an opportunity for a quick sketch of some markers on my desk. I'm getting a handle of the job but some things a bit slow in starting up. I guess that's just how things go. C'est la vie.

Fields

 

At the Last Minute

I'm finding myself doing things at the last minute in the same way that my husband did on occasion during his 365 photography project last year. When you're trying to do something on a daily basis, midnight's imminent approach becomes a big motivator on days when you're uninspired or simply lacking time. I randomly chose a reference photo and quickly got down to business.

Boots and All

  

 Quick sketch of my boots. Knowing that I'm actually putting this out there, I would have afforded myself with multiple opportunities to get it just right. One of the things about having a daily project is  you don't always have the luxury to fret about the final product. Just get it done.