March 2nd marked the beginning to an at home journey to viewing the spectacular without leaving my doorstep. I have my eyes on the sky all day and into the twilight hours. I make quick pen and ink drawings just a few inches on a side. Usually nine to a page.
There are some difficulties on my journey in the skies overhead. Some mornings on first glance I see a flat gray sky. But looking a few minutes at the undefined fluff, I am surprised to see subtle changes between the horizon and zenith. I record them in greater contrast.I also see differences between clouds looking at them from different windows on different sides of the house.
This month the clouds move into new formations before I can fully plot the volumes of clouds and their relationships to one another. That is OK, I just strive to get as much as I can down. Often I follow a line in the sky with my eye as a I draw without looking at the paper until I have an area plotted and I go back to shade always in greater contrast.
As I draw I look at the dark lines and judge that my drawing is too defined to be clouds. The spidery lines look unreal when judgement creeps in on me prematurely. I ignore my shock. I continue being too bold because I know I am in a foreign area to my previous work. I am stretching new compositions and expressiveness.
I have a new plan to draw the ephemeral. I have always been sad that wet into wet paintings look so wonderful before they dry. Now I will begin drawing ink sketches of drying paint at its most dramatic. The drying is slower moving than clouds in March.
There are some difficulties on my journey in the skies overhead. Some mornings on first glance I see a flat gray sky. But looking a few minutes at the undefined fluff, I am surprised to see subtle changes between the horizon and zenith. I record them in greater contrast.I also see differences between clouds looking at them from different windows on different sides of the house.
This month the clouds move into new formations before I can fully plot the volumes of clouds and their relationships to one another. That is OK, I just strive to get as much as I can down. Often I follow a line in the sky with my eye as a I draw without looking at the paper until I have an area plotted and I go back to shade always in greater contrast.
As I draw I look at the dark lines and judge that my drawing is too defined to be clouds. The spidery lines look unreal when judgement creeps in on me prematurely. I ignore my shock. I continue being too bold because I know I am in a foreign area to my previous work. I am stretching new compositions and expressiveness.
I have a new plan to draw the ephemeral. I have always been sad that wet into wet paintings look so wonderful before they dry. Now I will begin drawing ink sketches of drying paint at its most dramatic. The drying is slower moving than clouds in March.
1 comment:
I love the bottom right sketch of the daffodils and mud puddle - it captures the ripples very well, I think, with multiple interesting layers.
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