"...use your sketchbook for more independent observational drawing in order to further develop your knowledge and skill level. There is a sense, looking over your work as a whole, that you are on your way to honing your particular style, however there is evidence of the accuracy of your observational drawing detracting from the overall finish of your illustrations. I would recommend that you set yourself regular tasks to challenge your abilities, such as conducting a drawing a day."
I have been doing a drawing a day for many years and use the activity in the way other people use mindfulness. I wonder if the discipline of daily drawing is in some ways counterproductive because it encourages me to stay in my comfort zone to complete the task. I don't intend to stop daily drawing but I need to push myself to make the activity more experimental and investigative and less relaxing (or maybe I need to do 2 drawings a day one of which must be uncomfortable)
"there is evidence of the accuracy of your observational drawing detracting from the overall finish of your illustrations". is an interesting comment and I can see that it is true. The need for accuracy is deeply ingrained in me, partly probably because I work in a scientific institution. I agree that when I drop the accuracy I sometimes get a more lively drawing which can be more representative even if it is less accurate. I think that the way to deal with this is to draw more so that I become less focused on each individual drawing. I plan to make some mixed media sketchbooks where there is different coloured papers, marks and collage already in the book to force me to be less precious about the individual drawings. It will also be nice to have a couple of months when I fill sketchbooks with work that won't be assessed or viewed by anyone unless I choose to, there's nothing like the thought of someone judging your sketchbook to stifle experimentation.
I want to use these next couple of months to experiment with collage and printmaking so that I have some other tools a bit established when I start the next part of the course. I need to set myself some challenges within this time to make sure that I keep up the focus on developing new skills and ideas and don't revert to drawing my dog sleeping.
My tutor suggested that I look at the sketchbooks of Erik Winkowski so I've followed him on Instagram He employs some quite simple ideas, a sort of photographic version of Christoph Niemann. The discipline of a daily post does encourage the artist to keep it simple, but Winkowski makes some seemingly complex videos. I guess that you get quicker with practice.
Maybe I should be aiming for a daily photograph of something that interests me? I'm not a photographer, the process irritates me because it's so one dimensional and items are fixed in space, but it might heighten my observation. I've recently read Conscious Creativity by Phillipa Stanton, she uses photography in a different way to highlight things of abstract interest such as colour or texture. I know that many people use their cameraphone as a digital sketchbook.
Maybe I aim for an alternative piece of artwork such as a collage or simple print. I'm not sure how to show my sketchbook work outside of the assessment process when it is physically with the assessors to see. A daily post on Facebook or Instagram of a random image could be a bit irritating to my non art friends, maybe I need a second profile or a blog where I can assemble some random work that isn't neat, planned or finished. I need to think about this.
I'm really excited to be moving forward with lots of ideas to work on. This hasn't happened at the end of previous modules, I don't know if it is because I am excited by illustration or that I am developing as an artist, probably a combination of the 2. I'm also a bit worried that I'm not good or creative enough to go to the next level but I really enjoy the way that the course is making me try new things and develop as an artist.
I have been doing a drawing a day for many years and use the activity in the way other people use mindfulness. I wonder if the discipline of daily drawing is in some ways counterproductive because it encourages me to stay in my comfort zone to complete the task. I don't intend to stop daily drawing but I need to push myself to make the activity more experimental and investigative and less relaxing (or maybe I need to do 2 drawings a day one of which must be uncomfortable)
"there is evidence of the accuracy of your observational drawing detracting from the overall finish of your illustrations". is an interesting comment and I can see that it is true. The need for accuracy is deeply ingrained in me, partly probably because I work in a scientific institution. I agree that when I drop the accuracy I sometimes get a more lively drawing which can be more representative even if it is less accurate. I think that the way to deal with this is to draw more so that I become less focused on each individual drawing. I plan to make some mixed media sketchbooks where there is different coloured papers, marks and collage already in the book to force me to be less precious about the individual drawings. It will also be nice to have a couple of months when I fill sketchbooks with work that won't be assessed or viewed by anyone unless I choose to, there's nothing like the thought of someone judging your sketchbook to stifle experimentation.
I want to use these next couple of months to experiment with collage and printmaking so that I have some other tools a bit established when I start the next part of the course. I need to set myself some challenges within this time to make sure that I keep up the focus on developing new skills and ideas and don't revert to drawing my dog sleeping.
My tutor suggested that I look at the sketchbooks of Erik Winkowski so I've followed him on Instagram He employs some quite simple ideas, a sort of photographic version of Christoph Niemann. The discipline of a daily post does encourage the artist to keep it simple, but Winkowski makes some seemingly complex videos. I guess that you get quicker with practice.
Maybe I should be aiming for a daily photograph of something that interests me? I'm not a photographer, the process irritates me because it's so one dimensional and items are fixed in space, but it might heighten my observation. I've recently read Conscious Creativity by Phillipa Stanton, she uses photography in a different way to highlight things of abstract interest such as colour or texture. I know that many people use their cameraphone as a digital sketchbook.
Maybe I aim for an alternative piece of artwork such as a collage or simple print. I'm not sure how to show my sketchbook work outside of the assessment process when it is physically with the assessors to see. A daily post on Facebook or Instagram of a random image could be a bit irritating to my non art friends, maybe I need a second profile or a blog where I can assemble some random work that isn't neat, planned or finished. I need to think about this.
I'm really excited to be moving forward with lots of ideas to work on. This hasn't happened at the end of previous modules, I don't know if it is because I am excited by illustration or that I am developing as an artist, probably a combination of the 2. I'm also a bit worried that I'm not good or creative enough to go to the next level but I really enjoy the way that the course is making me try new things and develop as an artist.
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