Blog 13
This year, I will write a
book report from time to time. Being an artist does not mean that you
just have a given talent which lets you create beautiful art just by
itself. Every artist wants to see progress. As with any other
profession or ability you have to practice frequently and learn how
to apply new techniques or materials to keep things interesting.
Last year, I decided that
I wanted to draw more. I love painting but always taking your paints
and boards along is not very practical. A camera is great but due to
the lens distortion your photos do not necessarily give you an exact
image of what you see. If you look at your photos you will also
notice some colour differences between real object and photographed
object.
As I am someone who is
hardly ever sitting around not moving my hands, I was also looking
for something to do while sitting on a bus or waiting for an
appointment.
I usually take my camera
when I am on a trip, or even for a walk with my dog. However, there
are situations, when I would like to capture my interpretation of the
people and things around me. For the longest time, I felt intimidated
by the drawings of other artists who seemed so accomplished and able
to draw so beautifully. Being a rather slow painter, I was afraid to
just go out and try to capture the fast moving world around me.
Then I came across the
book “sketch your world - essential techniques for drawing on
location” by James Hobbs.
I was immediately hooked
when I read in his introduction that the purpose of drawing is to
“express yourself” and to “record your experiences” with “the
simplest materials”. I always tell my students that even if they
will never become a famous painter just by really observing the world
around them, they will see things most people just overlook. Many
people do not take the time to appreciate how the change in light
changes the appearance of the elements of nature and creates certain
moods. You can go to the same spot for many times and will produce a
different painting every time. Monet and his water lilies are a great
example for this experiment.
If you have ever gone on a
plein air painting trip, you know that packing lightly is one of the
most important rules if you want to be able to reach even areas which
are off the main road. This was the big draw for me. I wanted to be
able to take something with me which was light and easily
transportable.
A sketch pad, pencil,
eraser and sharpener are ideal. They fit in every little purse.
Hobbs’ advice that
“there is no right way or wrong way to do things” and that you
should find your own expression of what you see, gave me the
confidence to get started. Sketching is not about what others see in
your drawings but a way to express yourself in your own way, like
creating your own shorthand. It is not about drawing what your camera
can capture but your interpretation of what you see.
Hobbs gives a good
overview of drawing tools, even mentioning digital tools before he
takes the reader through the first section of “Getting Started”,
discussing everything from dealing with on-lookers to locations for
drawing. He talks about using what you see to put pieces together to
create something new. As an artist you can always make changes to
your composition, add or omit objects, join different views. Your
options are endless.
Hobbs’ examples of
sketches from other artists confirm that everyone has a unique style.
Sketching is not like painting by numbers. It is like writing a
journal: It is for keeping your very personal memories. Your
sketching style will reflect your personality.
Hobbs gives lots of tips
on how to draw in general as well as concentrating on certain
subjects, like buildings, parks, people, and night time. I also like
the information Hobbs gives with regard to social media, and joining
drawing groups like the sketchcrawl.
So whether you think about
getting into sketching, or want more information about ways to
document the world around this is an excellent book.
Here is the information
for the book again:
Sketch Your World -
Essential Techniques For Drawing on Location
Author: James Hobbs
ISBN-13:
978-1-4403-3141-3.
Have you used this book as
a resource? If so, what do you think? Do you have any other sketching
resources you can recommend? It would be great if you would share
them in a comment.
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