doodling, painting, and whether to use grids or projectors
I was just taking part in a debate on the use of grids or projectors and whether using them is 'cheating'. I think it is partly to do with the way your brain is 'wired' .
Many old masters used camera obscuras which is only the equivalent of projectors etc or using the computer.
I don't like grids or tracing - so for me it doesn't work. It makes my work go stiff and and I hate it - I need the slight inconsistencies, the natural distortions that I add unconsciously, that emphasise lines and compositions.
I like my lines to be fluid and rapidly drawn and none of that is possible with tracing - for me anyway. If you draw a fluid flowing line fast and then copy it slowly, tracing or gridding, it loses the spontaneity of the original. To me that's important but it isn't in everyone's work - so it depends on the work you do whether it's better to work freehand or not.
I'm totally right brained on tests (with zero organisational skills! ) and I think those with a higher left brain element may gain from grids/tracing, unlike me.
I do think freehand sketching is important though and that not all work is done by tracing/gridding and that work is done from life not always photos if you are to develop your skills.
I use the computer regularly to work through ideas, scanning in sketches and changing them.
This is a doodle I did while the class were all occupied, no-one needed help and the coloured pencils were sitting in front of me ....
and then I played with it in Photoshop, creating a repeat pattern
Many old masters used camera obscuras which is only the equivalent of projectors etc or using the computer.
I don't like grids or tracing - so for me it doesn't work. It makes my work go stiff and and I hate it - I need the slight inconsistencies, the natural distortions that I add unconsciously, that emphasise lines and compositions.
I like my lines to be fluid and rapidly drawn and none of that is possible with tracing - for me anyway. If you draw a fluid flowing line fast and then copy it slowly, tracing or gridding, it loses the spontaneity of the original. To me that's important but it isn't in everyone's work - so it depends on the work you do whether it's better to work freehand or not.
I'm totally right brained on tests (with zero organisational skills! ) and I think those with a higher left brain element may gain from grids/tracing, unlike me.
I do think freehand sketching is important though and that not all work is done by tracing/gridding and that work is done from life not always photos if you are to develop your skills.
I use the computer regularly to work through ideas, scanning in sketches and changing them.
This is a doodle I did while the class were all occupied, no-one needed help and the coloured pencils were sitting in front of me ....
and then I played with it in Photoshop, creating a repeat pattern
and then altering the colours.
I did some more work to the trees&rocks painting today, using oil paint but it's wet and so won't photograph without shine. I'll post on the progress in a couple of days probably.
Comments
I was wandering in the forum from Et Canvas and found your blog.
I invite you to come and visite mine.
http://monde-en-peinture.blogspot.com/
To come back on your question grid or else. I have the same question myself. I am an engineer therefore I prefere the organisation and squarness of things. I would like to have the "let go" or "lacher prise" in french.
PS I will put your blog on my preferred blog.
You also make me want to take a photo shop class. I've been dreading it but you make it look fun.
if the organisation works for you - go for it :) but do try freer work from time to time - it's fun.
Hi Lindsay :)
Yes, I do that sort of comparison by eye - where is the pupil compared with the paw, how wide is the eye compared with the length of the nose kind of thoughts flitting through my head as I work. I don't draw the lines like Euan Uglow though - do you know his work? he leaves the construction lines in the finished piece.
do look at photoshop it's brilliant! that was a very simple thing I did to change the original, nothing clever at all. Some of my digital images have multiple layers and lots of work but that one was just a quick play about with the scan.