Taking a line for a walk
I’m in Oxford all day today, so I am trying out the delayed publishing feature on Wordpress…hmm - let’s see if it works. Anyway, it means I won’t be moderating and replying to comments until evening (British time), but you lot just get on with it - you don’t need me. Don’t be afraid to comment on each other’s work, either.
Today’s task is to try out a simple technique that teachers often use to start a class. It’s supposed to help you ‘loosen up’, ie, not be worried about what you are drawing, but enjoy the process instead.
If you have any unhelpful tics, like making small timid marks when a bold one would serve you better, or you find that your pen always somehow takes the same path, making shapes you didn’t want, this one is really useful.
The technique is simply this - you draw without taking your pen off the paper. Your subject might be a view, a face, a still life - this one actually works best when it’s quite a complex subject-matter. There’s a hardcore version where you try not to look at the paper at all - look at what you are drawing instead. Try both - it’s only a throwaway exercise and it can be very funny when you lose it altogether.
Don’t worry at all about how it comes out; the task is in the doing, not the finished product. But you might find you are surprised by how much you like your drawing.
It doesn’t look much like I enjoyed it, does it?!
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Posted: June 1st, 2007 under Technique, Loosening up.
Comments: 24
24 Comments
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I rather enjoyed this - possibly because I felt that it was obviously not going to come out great, & thus felt rather more free.
(The above are all things that were around my desk. The squoggly thing on the right (one drawing with looking at it, one without) is a Dust Puppy soft toy :) The thing on the top left is supposed to be an apple…)
It’s definitely a good technique - if you can truly convince yourself that you are going to set no value on what you draw, somehow it always comes out better. Your pot plant is really adept and I like the cup and spoon. OK, I thought the apple was a clock, but I like it either way!
i like that you can see where you stop to think doing this! i guess the idea is to get to the point where you don’t stop to think, but still… :)
Maybe, if there is a point. Or glory in the stopping to think, and make a feature of the big blotty pen marks. I love the rabbit’s cross face.
sorry! that’s 454px but it’s scrolling?! feel free to delete if required! :)
OK, my camera is not taking photos at all now. I put in fresh batteries straight out of a new packet and plugged it in to the mains as well and didn’t ask it to flash and didn’t put the viewscreen on and it still claimed not to have enough power to take a single photo.
But I did my drawing. I drew my foot, from two angles, without looking at the paper and without taking my pencil off the paper, and I actually quite like it :)
Heh, interesting choice of subject, as you’ll see tomorrow!
And here’s the photo:
This is killing me, because the one on the left reminds me of a certain cartoonist’s style, and I can’t think who.
Hm, it seems not to be possible to subscribe to comments without posting a comment…
A antique style camper van my dad gave me for my birthday, I think toys and faces lend themselves so well to this style!
This is BRILL!
haha I loved doing this one.
I really like the other drawings posted on this topic too.
It’s fun, isn’t it! Love your toes. This can go next to your picture of the sandals now.
More fun than working anyway :-)
I’m going to see if my children want to have a go, I think it’d be great fun for them to try this.
That VW drawing is fantastic.
Oh yeah, I’d love that - do post any results!
Also, yes, it was a lovely drawing. Hear that, Beth?
I didn’t really capture the cat. He had a great stare on though. Sorry about the first post, I’m having photobuckety fun while I figure out how best to use it …
An elephant thing. It really does look as though its head is on upside-down.
you might have some sisterly rivalry going on shortly here myf :)
I’m loving jeremy’s cheeky contributions! lovely stuff.
i need help working out how to draw something else without taking the pen off the paper…. i cant really explain it but its like a box with a cross joining the corners… and its got like a box around that but i cant really explain it but i need help for school and i really want to learn how to do it! its getting me stressed and annoyed so please try to help me as soon as possible