You know, I’ve always had some desire to draw. Being able to draw is actually there on my wishlist. Well this blogging thing has bought me into a little bit of contact with a few artists, and some sketching blogs. It got me thinking, why can’t I draw? Even though I believe I don’t have any artistic talent, surely a lot of drawing is based on a foundation of techniques and skills that can be taught and learned? I haven’t done any engineering drawing for many many years, but I was reasonably OK at that. So I could visualise shapes and objects, see and draw perspective, and so on. Surely mastering some basic ‘technical’ skills and techniques would be within my grasp and mean I could at least learn to draw at a level of ‘technical’ competence, even without artistic talent? So there I was in the shopping mall, and the bookstore had a “Learn to Draw” book on special.
So I drew about 10 circles and cubes from the exercise lessons in the book and then started in on Still Life. These are my first two drawings, a couple of cups from the cupboard, took about 30 minutes each. I know they’re not much, but I’m bizarrely happy with them for my first ever attempts. The other thing is, when it comes to drawing and the equation, ‘Me + Art = ?’ the answer is Staedtler Mars Lumograph wooden pencils. Mechanical pencils don’t really enter my thinking when it comes to art. Strange.
So I drew about 10 circles and cubes from the exercise lessons in the book and then started in on Still Life. These are my first two drawings, a couple of cups from the cupboard, took about 30 minutes each. I know they’re not much, but I’m bizarrely happy with them for my first ever attempts. The other thing is, when it comes to drawing and the equation, ‘Me + Art = ?’ the answer is Staedtler Mars Lumograph wooden pencils. Mechanical pencils don’t really enter my thinking when it comes to art. Strange.
Bravo! The shadows in and on the upright cup are phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteWow, those drawings are amazing!
ReplyDeleteI've found mechanical pencils are OK for line work - but sketching? No way. There just isn't the same amount of control - as you get with a wooden pencil.
ReplyDeleteWhen sketching you don't necessarily use the point of the pencil at all. An artist once showed me how to shade using the side of a pencil - another reason real artist don't use pencil sharpeners - but use a knife instead.
Keep up the drawing Dave. It's a rewarding past time.
Good work. Drawing is a lot of fun. I never thought I was much good until I started drawing with my "Little Brother". We did a lot of drawing together with coloured pencils. Consider a Panasonic KP-4A battery operated pencil sharpener; it is a nice piece of inexpensive engineering that points pencils well.
ReplyDelete