Shock and Awe

As I was reading “The Creative License” today I was shocked and delighted to read the section aptly entitled, “Shock: Blasting Your Butt Out of A Rut.”

Horrifying as it sounds, I realized that shock might just be the best remedy for artistic fear.

“What I am really discussing here is creativity,” Gregory says, “We must understand that creativity is both essential to survival and anathema, too. That’s why it can be so hard to overcome the resistance we have to our own creativity, why it causes us such a deep sense of fear and dread. And why artists are so reviled in our fat, contented world.”

The creative act initiates growth and change. It challenges the established order. But this means that meek, little old me, who never anticipated challenging ANYTHING, does so by the very act of creating a new drawing. Furthermore it means that in general, artists change the world every time they create something new. Many people don’t feel comfortable with change. Artists are people. Therefore many artists feel uncomfortable with change. Even in themselves!

Gregory continues, “to be creative you must be brave and allow yourself to take risks.” Playing it safe is a big part of why I’ve been so afraid to connect the two sides of my brain.

If you allow yourself the chance to create freely, whether it’s in your daily sketch journal, on a canvas, or in any other medium, you are doing something wildly expansive. That very act of creation is a huge thing! It’s why we’re artists. Being a creative risk-taker is not encouraged in many households, and perhaps not in society in general. This is a great shame. Perhaps small acts of creativity are actually very large acts of courage. I say yes!

Speaking of acts of courage…here is my journal sketch from yesterday. I’m finding I miss color in my drawings. (I like watercolor in journals the best!) This particular journal can’t really handle wet media, but I have others under way that can. Perhaps I won’t wait as long as I’d planned to bring color back in. It does so brighten up a page. ;-)

No wonder my eyes are sore!

I've just realized that I've done nineteen contour/negative space drawings in the past three days. No wonder my eyes are red!!!

Journaling with pictures

Having practiced (or remembered) the basics of drawing, Gregory now leads his readers into sketch journaling. He has some wonderful things to say about keeping a sketch journal.

Two of my favorite quotes are :

“Your pen line becomes your mantra – non-judgmental, completely present, tying you to everything else.”

And “Journal-making is about believing in yourself, celebrating your life, having adventures, and feeling a part of (not apart from) the Universe. It’s also real fun.”

Essentially he means start playing with your drawing. Treating your drawing as play is a wonderful way to get out of the rational part of your mind and into the free-flowing, adventurous part.

 Journal Day 1

Journal Day 2 - OR  I'm so not a morning person!

I have kept sketch journals before (you've seen plenty of sketches from them in this blog) but usually to some purpose. Exploration of themes for an illustrated story, trying out specific art tools, or remembrances of SIFF 2010 for example. The latter example is the one that comes closest to what Gregory is talking about. But it wasn’t spontaneous or casual. It was serious drawing…at least to me. So I totally get the “make mistakes,” “don’t take it too seriously while joyfully exploring your world”  advice. I get that, I really do. Unfolding and allowing yourself to make mistakes (like for instance bad drawings) is really important, and I’m realizing right now that it is something that I am not used to doing.

Squandering art supplies…? Yikes! Making bad drawings! Eeeee – not me! Muddy paintings…don’t even go there! Well, today is Day Two of my new journal and I’m telling you here and now that I’m in it for the mistakes, bad drawings, poor perspective…and all. Happily for you I’m not going to post the worst of it here (I still have my pride, at least right now) but I will promise to post some of the interesting stuff. :-)

And so the journey through “The Creative License” continues…

Taking it outside...

Just a few more contour drawings before I continue on through the book's exercises.

The first is a contour drawing with minimal detailing of my white Subaru, "Belle." I don't usually draw cars so I think the contour drawing process helped me see it more correctly and get it looking pretty close to real. The squished front end comes from drawing the car on two sheets of paper and then tacking them together. Sometimes with blind contour drawings you simply lose track of your paper and need to add more or leave your drawing only partially completed.

Contour drawing of Belle 

The second drawing is of a fairly complex tree shape in my backyard. Again a contour drawing with minimal details.

Contour drawing of tree

Both of these drawings could definitely profit by the addition of some color. I left them monotone deliberately just as I also left them with only minimal contrast marks, simply because of the nature of the exercise. Simple lines, not much else.

About Shape & Form

I‘m really glad I picked up “The Creative License!” I’m also glad that I’m not too proud to get back to basics for a little while. I’d forgotten that an artist’s eyes can get a little dull and their brain's even duller! It’s been a long while since I’ve done any contour drawings and although I use negative space all the time, I’d really forgotten the feeling of combining the two. I realized a couple of things in my drawings today.

1. Objects that you don’t mentally categorize as particular objects are much easier to draw. The drawing process then becomes relatively stress-free as the shapes stay simply - shapes.
2. Complexity is a trap that can be avoided by #1.
3. Minimal detailing, if it’s correctly placed, can be used to maximum effect.

Here are a selection of drawings from today. All are drawn in ballpoint pen with no corrections. The only exception is the camel which had exactly two corrections.

Negative space drawing of a chair - partial.

Negative space drawing of a table with a horse statue on top.

Amazing how much information can be gleaned

from such little detail.

 

Negative space drawing with contour.

Cell phone wireless headset. A very complex shape drawn

without stress due to the lack of conceptual thought during the drawing process.

 

Contour drawing using negative space

with minimal detailing added.

Table grouping of eyeglass case, phone, cell phone.

 

Contour drawing using negative space, with minimal detailing

added based on relative positioning. Stuffed camel.

An amazingly stress-free drawing. In fact, quite easy to do!

I’m delighted with today’s process. Especially as the goal of this “Creative License” project is to expand my creative process and not learn how to draw. (I already know how!) It would be a good day regardless, but the reconnection with these very valuable drawing tools (contour, modified contour, negative space, minimal detailing based on relative positioning) is well worth the effort.

Creativity Tonic

For many years I have felt a disconnect or short-circuit between the two sides of my creative life. I have mastered the ability to create a professional piece of art “on demand.” I don’t think about my desires in this, I simply create a portrait, or needed illustration, poster, advertisement, or whatever. However, there is another part of my creative soul that has become the “poor stepchild.” When I need to access this pure, creative, truly FUN part I can do that too but the path to get there is very hard to access. It feels as if it is full of downed treelets and covered by weeds. It takes some finesse to find the trail, let alone follow it easily. For many years I have taken pains to put down different sorts of bread crumbs to mark this trail so that when I do want to travel upon it, I can even find it!

Recently I realized that this disconnect is causing me physical sadness. I wished to find out where the short-circuit was and heal it. I took some time to consider the right path to do this, finally coming to a book called “The Creative License,” by Danny Gregory. Gregory also wrote “Everyday Matters,” and “An Illustrated Life.” When I picked up the book at my local bookstore yesterday I saw that it had a recommendation from the author Sark on the bottom edge of the cover. When I saw that I knew I’d found the right book. I’ve always been a huge fan of Sark and her books, like “Living Juicy.”

I started reading it today. The beginning exercises are similar to Betty Edwards’ “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,” a book I have always loved and taught from for many years. But this book has more in it, that much is clear. It seems to be about giving yourself artistic permission to play. At least that’s my initial impression. It’s something that I could really use a hand with.

Already familiar with contour drawings I started moving through the book’s exercises today. Here are the series of blind and mostly-blind contour drawings. I have always found these simple drawing exercises quite beautiful to do. Peaceful in execution and they always look “right.”  Although I have more commercial projects on my table at the moment, I’m going to give myself the gift of making time to add Gregory’s exercises into my artistic routine. This feels really good to me. It’s high time to get both sides of my brain working together in harmony.

Contour Drawings from Sunday