So, yesterday I started my journey through The Natural Way to Draw. I’d forgotten how wonderful this book is and how much potential it proves of the artist reading it. The book is broken down into exercises with schedules to follow. I am breaking the schedule down a bit so that I can ease the habit into my life, so instead of 3 hours of drawing yesterday, I opted for 1.
I may seem like I am being lazy, but I have have self imposed limits placed on my creating art lately which I cannot figure out. 3 hours seems too daunting right now and I know that if I held myself to that everyday, I would kick myself if I did not do it. So, I’m starting with one a day.
It’s so interesting, the first exercise, because it reminds me so much of Zen. The author says that you should not start drawing until you feel as if you are touching the object(s) in front of you with your pencil, so you really have to concentrate. I found myself becoming very impatient at times and it shows in my drawings. I looked at those spots with intrigue and continued on my journey (the author says this exercise is meant basically for the journey, not the destination. and the drawing is not to be looked at except for when the pencil is lifted off the page and must be placed down again.) I did find that Nicolaides was right in saying how tempting it would be to want to peek at the drawing while it’s being created.
I admit that a few times I found myself doing this! However, usually I chose not to correct the drawing, but to find a point to continue. The second drawing was harder than the first. Imagine drawing for an hour not looking at your paper! Not to mention you’re only drawing 2 items! He says to use a regularly sized sheet of manilla paper, but all I had was drawing paper. Even at that, I found my hand to be drawing an object that was only about 3 inches across! Every time I tried to make it bigger, it seemed not to help – my hand would go back to drawing small again. Interesting.
My eyes started aching after a while, but I felt a sense of immense accomplishment then for at least starting to draw something. I took much time off the computer (I stopped at 1.5 hrs, and usually I am on this thing most of the day.)
I’m so excited to finish with the blind contours (I think I have something like 6 left – about 2 hrs and 45 minutes.) Then we move on to gesture! I love gesture and I know I need to get better at it. However, I am finding it difficult to slow down my drawing process. With the thought of knowing I will only improve, I stick through it, even through the agony. What I need to do is buy a timer and not look at the clock – only stopping when the timer goes off.
Honestly, I can’t believe I drew an hours worth of work on two 3 inch drawings. I found myself searching for other things on the object to draw – inner contours and outer. Then I began to slow myself down because I noticed when I was impatient, the time seemed to be longer than when I just stared at the object to draw it.
Anyway, today is supposed to be portrait group at the Art Center, but since I am trying to save money, I stayed home, napped, and (I bought books last night) so I may read. I also am going to finish painting some dancing wooden figures for a dance group and I will continue the agony with the contour drawing – getting into that Zen-like state – and just do it.
I have found that pretending I cannot use the computer past 12PM really makes me want to do other things, rather than thinking everything else is a chore. The day feels so much longer. If you can’t tell, I am an internet junkie who needs to quit.
Woohoo! Life is wonderful!
