Mixed Media (TBC)

Started this collage in May - an arrangement of torn up prints of an old colored pencil drawing and a watercolor on an old lithograph.  I like the image so far... still in the process of tying it together and  bringing it to completion...

doodling to drawing

Lots of things we do everyday without any hesitation or a second thought.  Yet it is very hard for many of us to pick up a pencil/brush to draw/paint something everyday.  We always have other things that might be more important to do than to sit down and draw.  

The question then is why do we want to draw or paint and how badly do we want to do it?  Is it important enough for us to put "drawing exercise" on the top of our daily to-do list?  Could we make it a priority to do even just 15 minutes of drawing exercises everyday?

15 minutes of morning drawing exercises could give us a jump start to stimulate our mind to be more creative.  If we just sit down at the drawing table and start doodling something, it might spark our interest in continuing on with an in-progress work or it might lead us to a beginning of a new drawing.

Keep a few small sketchbooks available at all time.  Start doodling something early in the morning.  Even just for 5 minutes... 10 minutes.... 15 minutes....

Need a jump start?  Start with a number, an alphabet...  Put a few dots/lines on the page without any planning and go from there. 

Happy doodling!

Drawing

"Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see - to see correctly - and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eye."
Kimon Nicolaides

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover, to your surprise, that you have rendered something in its true character."
Camille Pissarro

"Drawing is not what one sees but what one can make others see."
Edgar Degas

"I love the quality of pencil.  It helps me to get to the core of a thing."
Andrew Wyeth


"A line is a dot that went for a walk"
Paul Klee 

Knowing & Mastering

Knowing others is intelligence, 
Knowing yourself is true wisdom,
Mastering others is strength,
Mastering yourself is true power.
          Tao Te Ching

Inspiration...

"Inspiration is for amateurs—the rest of us just show up and get to work....   If you hang in there, you will get somewhere." 

Chuck Close

Amaryllis seedpod - left hand drawing 2

Tried another left hand drawing of the same subject with same materials.It is getting easier but the wrist still gets tired easily.This is about 25 minutes with a couple of short breaks.

 

"Sweet"

Colored pencil on black Canson paper

 

Drawing with the non dominant hand

2 drawings (Left hand & right hand drawings) of the Amaryllis seedpod

Ebony pencil on Strathmore 11" x 14" drawing paper

A couple of days ago I challenged myself to draw with my non dominant hand - my left hand.
I started on this mini project yesterday morning - drawing of an Amaryllis seedpod.  The process was going well for about 10 minutes, then my hand was getting shaky and tired.  I finally stopped after take a few breaks and a total of 30+ minutes drawing time.  Wondering if the lateral epicondylitis (in short "Tennis elbow") on my left arm was the cause.
During the drawing process, the urge to use my dominant right hand to make corrections was strong.  I had to work hard to make my brain to coordinate with my left hand and to keep my right hand away from the drawing.
Later in the afternoon I started another drawing of the same subject and same materials but with my dominant hand this time, it took 28 minutes non-stop. 
It was quite a challenge drawing with the non dominant hand but a very good exercise.