Contemplating how to draw. This is the biggest question I am asking myself right now (other than have I finished all my Christmas shopping)! LOL It's not a question of learning how to draw because I have proven to myself on numerous occasions that I am capable of actually drawing/sketching. This was a sketch that I had done while taking an on-line drawing class with Misty Mawn back a few years ago.
So the question I am asking myself is how do I want to draw? How do I want the look and feel of my drawings to appear? It's not a question of drawing everyday and eventually getting better and possibly developing a drawing style. It is thinking way too much ahead of the process to draw with intention a specific style that I want to portray. I guess it's like forcing myself into a style that I want to adopt before I even practice that style to see if it works for me. It's crazy, I know. I have a bad habit of trying to anticipate the end result so I can eliminate anything that doesn't apply in the build process. This is because of my database building experience. LOL
So I frequently find myself in the bookstore looking at the art and drawing books trying to find an example of how I want to intentionally draw. This week, I finally found a book that I could reference with various styles of drawing. I love fashion but I will never be a fashion designer. In this book I purchased, Illustration Now Fashion by Julius Weidemann, there are a number of examples of illustration styles that really intrigued me.
One technique is illustrating with black ink and adding watercolor in areas but not all over. Obviously, this is my first pass at this but I can see the potential from it. The style that I am not trying to replicate is realism. Sometimes I begin to draw realistically like in the swans above, but that is not my aim. I want to achieve more of a mysterious look. A style that shows you lines and color without completely defining the image itself but providing enough of an inference that it is clear what that image is or what it portrays. Something more minimalist.
Hand-drawn images are trending right now but I find that some look like they were drawn by 5-year-olds. That is definitely not my goal. This week I will continue going through my new book and experimenting with different styles hoping to find a comfortable place that I can continue to develop. In the meantime, I'm loving the texture created from my designs cut as stencils and applied with Tim Holtz Distress Stains and the rough-around-the-edges look.
This last image is my attempt to draw a horse that I could use in a collection I am thinking about. Of course, the image looks to realistic for me LOL and I'm going back to the drawing board on that one! I give myself a B for effort but that one is going in the drawings box under the desk.
I hope you are all enjoying your weekend and you are taking extra time to relax between all the holiday stuff! 11 days left! Ugh :)
Margaret
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