Drawing – Page 2 – bexODESSA

Raining cats and cats

CSM MFA - Progress Blog, Drawing, Week in Review

I had great fun in the studio this week, mostly because I started drawing cats. I adore cats, and drawing them makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I also had an idea for my drawing.

At the end of the summer, when I go back to painting, I want to keep up my drawing practice by spending an hour or so of my morning studio session drawing. My idea is to draw an anthropomorphised cat each morning, and then post it to an Instagram account I have created called “If Cats Had Hands” (@ifcatshadhands). I am not sure what will become of it, but at the very least it will create some parameters within which I can improve and practice my drawing skills, plus, I’ve no doubt it will be a lot of fun.

Here are some of my first cat drawings.

I had my first ever Open Studio this weekend. I was very nervous about it, but I needn’t have been, as it was a wonderful experience. My fella hung some of my paintings, old and new, many of which he owns. He’d tell you I fleeced him, but I contend I was helping him out by setting a high value for my work. It was lovely to see so many pieces together, and they looked great in my white-walled studio. We had a steady stream of people over the two days – never too few that it was boring, and never too many that I wasn’t able to have a conversation with all who traipsed out all this way (in Isle of Man distance terms, I live on the other side of the world). Everyone was very gracious about my work, and I really enjoyed the conversations I had, and appreciated the generous feedback they gave me.

My fella was amazing throughout, and spent most of the time in the kitchen, making cups of tea and baking scones. He doesn’t do things by halves, for which a task done to excess is described has having been “Geoffed”. This proved true when he offered to buy some biscuits for our visitors. This is what was left at the end of the weekend!

Summer – week 8 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

This week was all about birds. I love hybrid animal/people, and I like using them in my paintings. So I thought I’d add bird heads to the figures I’ve been drawing. I really enjoyed drawing/painting them. Birds are wonderful creatures, and come in a vast variety. I really like the results and think they make great stand alone illustrations.

He did the deed!

CSM MFA - Progress Blog, Drawing, Holidays, Week in Review

My fella has exceptional taste. Although my brother would argue this does not include women, it is most certainly true when it comes to jewellery. So much so, that when he popped the question last week, while proffering a bedazzling spectacle in a little grey box, instead of answering the question, I replied with a wide-eyed gasp “Is that for me?!”

So it is that me and my true love are now engaged, and I am the proud wearer of an exquisite sapphire and diamond ring that is like toting around the sea and stars on my finger. To be honest, he could’ve given me a ring made out of a pewter spoon (as his will likely be if I don’t start selling my paintings to someone other than him), because he is the smartest, funniest, kindest man I ever did meet. Plus, he knows all my secrets, so I better keep him close.

The past two weeks in the studio have been very productive. I am still attending my self-imposed drawing school, and am turning out illustrations by the many 10s. My favourite thing to draw are people I know (mostly my fella and my mum and dad). I like the naturalness of the poses and capturing little moments.

They aren’t portraits as such, and don’t always look like the person I am drawing. This is especially true when I began drawing them with bird heads. I really like the results and had a lot of fun drawing them.

Next weekend I have a Open Studio here at Anam Cara as part of the Isle of Man Art Festival. I’ll be showing old work and new, including the large Ann painting. I am really looking forward to it, especially spending time with the folk that venture all this way out in the woop woops. There’ll be cups of tea and my fella’s scones for those who make the trek.

Summer – week 7 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

I feel like I went round in circles this week, and although I got a few good drawings out of it, I seem to have lost the thread of the of what I’m aiming for, especially how the drawings I am doing relate to the paintings I have in mind.

One of the things I focused on this week was drawing things in the back/foreground of my figures. Although I am not that keen on the drawings I produced when practicing this, it is still a good skill to hone.

I also drew a few contraptions. The Heath Robinson book arrived, but I didn’t find it as inspiring as I thought I would. I then tried some steampunk-type mechanics, but this too isn’t quite right for the paintings I have in mind. What I am after is water falling through different levels, rather than contraptions per se, so I’ll keep experimenting.

The drawings I really like, and enjoying doing the most, are little character studies of my friends and family. These are maybe something I can develop further down the road, as works in their own right. For now, I feel it’s important to not get too side-tracked by this type of drawing, as it’s somewhat of a departure from the figures I have in mind for the paintings. Still, all drawing is helpful, so I might keep doing these now and then.

Summer – week 6 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

I had another productive week in the studio. I primarily focused on people sitting, adding bits of furniture now and then. My favourite is drawing ladies in salon chairs – I did tons of them. I also did lots of friends and family, which was a lot of fun.

Towards the end of the week I started drawing contraptions. I love a good contraption…who doesn’t! The last image is a Heath Robinson (the king of contraptions) inspired one. I bought a Heath Robison book during the week, and when it arrives, I plan to draw one of his contraptions each day, to build up my contraption-component lexicon, with the hope that I can eventually draw fabulous one’s of my own.

Geoff Chooseday

CSM MFA - Progress Blog, Drawing, Experiments, Holidays

After going out for 4_^1/2 years, it suddenly dawned on my fella and I that in all that time we haven’t spent a day together where he’s chosen the day’s activities. This isn’t by fiat, rather a default position that goes something like this.

Me: What do you fancy doing today?

Fella: Whatever you fancy.

Me: Ok, lets go to a cemetery, stop off at a bog (as in sodden peat-rich ground, not loo), and visit a magic well.

Fella: Sure thing Kiwi Fruit (note how he separates the words).

This meant only one thing. It was high time for Geoff Chooseday. And what, with his new found power, did he choose? Not being waited on hand and foot and a Star Wars marathon (as I suspected). No, he chose making me breakfast (a nomelette to be precise, which is an extra tasty omelette), trimming the hedge (with me helping), and hosting a barbeque for our respective parents. He made a lot of people happy with his choosing, not just himself, cause that’s the kind of fella he is. Sure, it was no well visit, but our hedge looks amazing!

I had another enjoyable and productive week in the studio. This week I focused on drawing people sitting (a few examples below). I also bought some new watercolour paints (I use a Japanese brand called Kuretake), so was able to change the palette. The new paints are a range of blacks, which give the various colours a lovely muted tone, as seen the last 5 images. The paper I am using at this stage is just cartridge, hence why the paint looks a bit streaky. Still, it’s a lovely treat to add a bit of colour to the drawings, and it gives me my painting fix.

Summer – week 5 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

Sketching

I turned a corner this week with my sketching, and feel like I made real progress. The best part is, I am really enjoying drawing now. Not only is it much easier now, but I also really like the results.

The previous week I mostly drew people from behind, which is a great way to start when drawing figures. This week I started drawing people in profile and from the front, as well as people sitting. I also graduated from using other people’s sketches as a reference, to using photographs. Using sketches is a good place to start, as you can see where to put the marks. Photos are slightly harder, but the results are more original. My favourite thing is drawing friends and family.

I am aware that illustration could be a distraction at the moment, so I am being disciplined in my approach to keep moving my drawing forward, so I can use it in my figurative paintings. I’m so thrilled with my progress so far, and feel very hopeful for the paintings I have in mind.

Below are just some of the many the sketches I did this week.

Small drawings, big plans

CSM MFA - Progress Blog, Drawing, Experiments

After 3 frustrating weeks at my self-imposed drawing school, I finally turned a corner this week. Not only am I enjoying drawing, but I am starting to like the results. A few changes helped facilitate my new found enjoyment.

I switched from pencil to pen, which means no more fussing about lines, and rubbing out the ones I don’t like. Once a line is down, that’s it, I have to live with it. This alone makes drawing more relaxing and enjoyable, plus, I think errant lines add to the character of a drawing.
I switched from using other people’s sketches as a reference to using photographs. While using sketches is a great place to start (as you can see where to put individual lines), there’s no satisfaction in the result, because the drawing is not really yours.
Once I began drawing from photographs I was able to start drawing friends and family, which makes me very happy.

One of the people I love to draw the most is my mum, I think because her lovely personality comes out in the drawings.

Of all the drawings I did this week, my favourite is of my fella when he won the Isle of Man Field Archery Championship. Sure I made him 6’3″, but I think I did a pretty good job nonetheless.

Since my corner-turn, I can’t stop drawing. All my sketch pads are filling up, and when I walk down the street, I keep seeing people I’d like to draw. It’s such a relief that I actually enjoy drawing, as well as show some aptitude for it, as it would be impossible to make the paintings I have in mind without it. I have big plans for my drawing, so I still have a long way to go, but the progress I made this week makes me hopeful. Of course, the biggest win is that I enjoy it.