Stuck in a groove

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done any writing about painting, or for that matter, actual painting. Partly I’ve just been swamped with stuff going on in my life. Clearing the decks has taken far, far longer than expected. Gradually, gradually, life’s rich tapestry is beginning resolve itself.

Right now, one of my biggest setbacks is having a place to work.  Some monkey made a botch job of fitting shelves for me which he said would cost £200. When asked for a reason, he simply said he’d need to build a casing to support the shelves. This was new to me and he seemed to think I’d buy into it.  ‘Nuff said. I sent him packing or he fired me so now I’m reduced to having a room which hardly resembles anything remotely like my inner sanctuary for painting etc.

Better time management

Reblogging this post to share the very useful information about the Pomodoro time management system – I found it really helpful

Learningtosketch & paint blog

I’ve spent quite a fair bit of time reflecting on my recent observation about how much or little work I’ve produced which seems to be far less than what I’ve written.

It’s certainly true that I am extremely busy and I’d really love things to be simpler than they are but as my fav crooner used to sing, “That’s Life” 😛

However just looking at the volume of sketches, drawings, paintings, colour swatches/matches etc, I see no justification for my self-criticism.  I’ve certainly produced a fair bit even if it doesnt always impress the perfectionist in me.

As importantly it helped me realise I needed a tad more structure in my day to achieve more than I feel I have been doing.  I also realised the pressure I’m placing on my self to sketch, draw and paint is counter-productive and I did precisely nothing.

I’ve come to realise that I’m…

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Measuring specimens: Dividers or rulers

I felt today that it was time to challenge myself and on my way back from the gym I saw this beautiful composite leaf – sadly half the leaves fell off between the time I picked it up until when I got back home.  Even so, it’s a far more complex leaf than those that I’ve been drawing for the last little while.  While I’ve been away I’ve been reflecting on the ruler method and decided to abandon the ruler and use the xy base line method (for want of a better name) with my dividers because I was having such difficulty in reading the exact point on the ruler – and so much quicker.   I also think my measuring up has improved.  Anyhow here’s my drawing which is alright for a first composite leaf in I have no idea how long.  I’m even more pleased that I’m able to pinpoint in less than 5 mm where to place my pencil point.  Now I have no more excuses to get on with another complex drawing tomorrow. 🙂

A Sketchy Outline: No half way houses

As can be seen, this is a far more complex and  challenging leaf specimen and as I’ve only had very limited time today and for the next couple of weeks, this is just a quick sketch.  I’ve learned quite a lot about drawing since I first launched on this aim of drawing one leaf a day. In the early days my aim was more of a hit and miss affair until I finally realised the implications of the 10,000 hour rule which has really had a major impact on me with fresh insights and a different sense of perspective on what it takes to become even a basically good botanical illustrator or indeed everything else  I want to do.  Of course, some things I just want a basic level of enjoyment out of the activity but it’s become very clear to me over the years that it is impossible to have half measures with botanical illustration.  You either get it and do it or dont get it and dont do it.  Unfortunately there are no half measures or half-way houses with this hobby.

Moving on

Today, for the first time, I felt that I’d “got it” and understood the basic principles of how to draw a simple leaf so that the process has become slightly more routine so that I’m able to do it in a more mechanistic sort of way, somewhat like learning how to drive a car – key into ignition, turn on engine, put clutch into gear, release handbrake, foot on gas and move forward without crashing into the car in front.  On to the next challenge – more complex and interesting leaves.

Work, time and effort

I’ve just spent a few days with friends and her 17-year-old son, who plays the acoustic and electronic guitars very competently, has been a source of inspiration to me.  I was astonished to learn that he is so committed that he is prepared to commit THIRTY MINUTES EVERY DAY to playing and that although he has had some lessons, he is also self-taught.

That puts me to shame.  After I got back today c. 4’ish after a pleasant rail journey up the East Coast and had chucked everything that could be washed into the washing machine, I went straight into the garden, picked the very first leaf I saw, sat down, measured up and drew it in 25 minutes.  I was pleased with the way it flowed and think it’s a reasonably accurate rendition of what my eyes could see.  I did my best to focus on was to ensure that the serrated edge was  completed at the time of drawing rather than looking as though I’d just added it on as an after-thought.  As you can see from a super-magnified scrutiny, however, there’s been quite a bit of re-working and the erasing could have been more efficient and effective.

Moral of this is that it takes work, time and effort to get to where I want to go so if I want to get the results that I want to achieve, then it’s unreasonable to expect the results without the work, time and effort 🙂

My workspace

photo of my workspace – a beautifully compact, neat and tidy work area in a room that I’ve had painted all white so that there’s nothing to distract or influence how I see the drawing I’m doing.  It’s a disused formica-top kitchen table dating back to the Fifties which I acquired via Freecycle from an elderly couple who were downsizing and moving into different accommodation. I work with a lamp on even in the day time.  My plan is to replace the curtain eventually.  Behind me and to the left is another massive bay window which is curtained so that I can have some privacy – it backs on to a main road and my plan for that is to get white voile curtains.  As the sun also pours in through that 10x 7 sq ft window almost all day long, it also blocks out the daylight/sunlight which would typically be hitting behind my desk.  In the set of drawers on the left hand side, I have some of my materials – mainly surplus stuff and in the media drawer on the floor underneath I think is my paper and brushes stored in a plastic box to protect them from the moths which have a tendency to invade my home.  I have written previously on storage methods for brushes – mine are all stored in a flat box which lies flat.  If I had a moth-free zone then I’d leave them out in a jar with the brush head up.

Drawing complex v. simple leaves – some issues and schools of thought

In doing this exercise of drawing at least one leaf a day, I want to improve the accuracy of my measuring and drawing skills and create the habit of drawing every day.

While I agree with Anne’s comments  (see last post) on the importance of choosing  subjects that I want to draw and paint, my key priority is to draw a leaf in 20 minutes.  I was finding the more interesting and – ipso facto – more complex leaves took several hours which, because of other commitments, resulted in my drawing nothing at all.

I recognise that there are several schools of thought on the benefits of drawing simple v. complex leaves and as Anne says it is  true that the former can be difficult because they are so even compared with those that have more shape also have more scope to find tone, lost and found edges etc which help to build up the 3D effect.

Another school of thought is that just do it anyway and by virtue of doing so, your drawing and painting skills will improve as a matter of course is quite certainly also true, which is side-tracking from the purpose of this exercise which is to focus on improving my measuring skills.

Something I have observed from this exercise, however, is that focusing in on the one skill of measuring and drawing a subject, it allows me to hone in on a specific skill to improve and refine the various elements of that skill. So, for example, I can now  sketch a more accurate outline of my subject and when I go to plot a specific XY co-ordinate it is invariably precisely plotted.  For sure this would come with time, but I’ve reached this level of competence far, far more quickly and having learned these skills by drawing a simple leaf, it should be quite simple to take these skills on to more complex and challenging subjects.

It is certainly also true that identifying the idiosyncracies of that subject was a little challenging, however, I had something to show for my labours within c. 30 minutes; I am also very happy with the results which has inspired me to keep going and, far more  importantly, I was keen to crack on far earlier today than I did yesterday – my ultimate aim being to spend at least 1 hour a day first thing in the morning.

The benefits of creating a habit to do something that you want to do, for me it’s botanical illustration, but could be anything, is a  major area of study that I may want to explore further through botanical illustration.

Choosing such a simple leaf

This product of my labours – at the end of the day – literally took me only about 30 minutes to draw up and probably the simplest specimen I could have found.  I usually find more complex leaves are much more interesting and enjoyable to draw because I enjoy the challenges of these intricacies.  But for a change I just wanted to draw something quick and easy to leave me feeling I had kept my word to myself to do what I said I was going to do and add this to the little steps I’m taking to create this habit of drawing something every day.  I would have been happier had I done this at the start of the day because each day we apparently only have so little willpower, and, as I’ve observed it does evaporate far too quickly so that by mid-day my small pool of energy is spent on firefighting rather than getting the things done that I want to get done.  I felt really great as if I’d achieved a major breakthrough spurred on by knowing that I have so little time over the next weeks to do anything other than commute between here and there.

This brings me back to the reason for choosing such a simple leaf because it was more important for me to draw a leaf and finish it than to spend my time drawing a leaf that I’d love to draw.

Just here for the beer

My week – or weeks’ just gone – have been rewarding, if challenging.  Home improvements have gone as far as they can go for the time being.  I’m very excited as I’ve won everything I wanted on Freegle including a small Formica top kitchen table dating back to 1950/60’s from a couple whose parents have downsized into a more suitable living space.  So the table’s just right to set up all my art materials without any space at all for anything else!  What a blessing.  And now that it’s all setup, I’ve run out of excuses 🙂  I’m feeling pleased with my efforts because I’ve spent roughly 1.5 – 2 hrs drawing two leaves today; one earlier on after lunchtime and the second which I’ve only just finished about 40 minutes ago – neither distinguish themselves as either outstandingly good or, worse still, painfully awful.  One observation is that I seem to be quite accurate with my measurements, often to the mm 🙂 which is awesome given my poor sense of spatial awareness.  Another observation is that this has only come about in the past couple of weeks after working on just being myself, accepting myself for who I am and appreciating all the brilliant botanical illustrators out there without feeling that there’s a competition going on with anyone including myself; I’m just here for the beer; – what a wonderful lesson that has been – True Freedom.