As my relationship with my sketchbooks has evolved during my OCA studies, I have learnt to be less precious about them. Especially my main A4 sketchbook, where I did a lot of my exercise work. There was a job to do and my sketchbook was a tool to help me think and solve the problem. My creative sketchbook, however, has been less adventurous.
The questionnaire question was "Do you allow yourself to make mistakes in your sketchbook?" In my case, most definitely, the thing I need to get better is my inner dialogue when it happens. I have been trying to work more on telling myself more positive messages, to reinforce a greater growth mindset. I have even taken to writing little notes to myself to encourage a more positive attitude towards mistakes. To look for opportunities for change, growth and learning.
For this activity I was to create four images on A4, each dealing with the everyday setting I found myself in. Taken in four directions it was cool to be making a snapshot of 'now'. The exercise encouraged me to use media, implements and approaches I might not use normally.
Drawing 1 - In front of me
For this drawing I decided to really try and do something weird! I saw a 'magic pencil' in front of me that I had recently purchased. "Cool", I thought, "but conventional." How could I mix it up? The next thing I saw was masking tape. Ok - so what can I tape the pencil to? A telescopic pole. Obviously.
So I put all the pieces together, which you can see in the picture.
My plan was to take something I was used to controlling, and try and make it as unwieldy as possible, to force me to make mistakes and let different parts of my brain contribute to the work.
To make the experiment work, I needed to put the paper in a different place, as working up high on a desk was just not going to work. So I placed the paper on a drawing board on the floor. I took a few practice marks and the paper kept on moving, so I taped down the corners with more masking tape.
The cool thing about the each drawing was that I had to do all of them with five minutes each. This was really freeing for me, as it made me just concentrate on cracking on. I still tried to capture what was in front of me, as I still thought this would be a good exercise in observational drawing.
I find the image cool, and I love how the magic pencil changes between red and blue. I know what it represents and depicts, but I am not sure other people would! I quite like that though, it's almost like it's a secret I have to tell.
Drawing 2 - behind me
For the second drawing I chose to use ink, but I decided to try and use a cotton bud to do so.
I am trying to get better at using ink, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to explore effects I could achieve. I sat with my back to the wall behind me, turning around occasionally to observe, and then face the desk to remember and render.
I like the outcome, it was a lot of fun to use the cotton bud, and I learned how I could get different effects depending on how wet or dry the cotton was. Given the thick lines I was limited to meant I had to think about how could get a sense of perspective and depth, and the drawing meant more about what I was leaving out, than what I was trying to get in.
Drawing 3 - To the left of me
For this drawing I grabbed some of my son's poster paints (proving to myself that you don't need expensive materials to make fun art) and then challenged myself to find another random implement to work with. I first had a thought about using a comb, so went to the bathroom. I then saw an old shaving brush I had forgotten to throw out. Bingo!
I started by laying down a background colour, I really like how the brush made marks with soft streaks in them, it lent itself to a kind of crescent action which gave a lovely effect, I think I could use it in watercolour work. As I switched to the red, blocking in some of the darker shapes one of the brushes bristled came loose, hanging out of the brush. I decided to try and work with this, using the one bristle to lay down lines with the red paint.
It was really fun and was kind of like using a drunk rigger brush! So drunk in face that I inevitably got paint my fingers. So why fight it? I started to use my thumb and finger to move paint around. I particularly like the marks I made for the cup and keyboard.
Drawing 4 - To the right of me
For this drawing I came up a little blank, so ended up grabbing a box of graduated chalk pastels (black to white) to see what I could do with these hard sticks on such a thin and tooth-free paper. I could also see what might happen tonally.
This drawing was probably the most objective, but in working fast I also found myself becoming much more free with my marks. Some of the curtain marks in particular are really quite subjective, and work really well.
I actually felt very daring during the drawings. I forced myself to find some unusual implements. I also felt free, the time limit meant I just moved forward. Perfect actually meant imperfect. I think I also made a deeper connection with how I felt about each image rather than it being accurate. I really enjoyed some of the unexpected rendering effects I found.
Part 2 - cutting the drawings up.
As you might get from the heading, in the second part of the exercise I was directed to cut up each drawing. Each book was cut up in a different way, and it left me with 4 tiny little books. As instructed I wrote down how I felt about each book in my sketchbook.
It was cool to see how one can make little zines. In particular I liked the idea of sketching on the red/yellow painted paper. There was something about having paper that was already 'primed' that made it far less daunting as a 'thing'.
Comments