sketchbooks and old drawings



An early sketch done in 1994 when on holiday with the family - pencil in a landscape bound A4 sketchbook (computer paper size).
I've been looking to see what sketchbooks I've got for the rivers/canals project. I thought I might buy a new A3 hardbacked book - but I've found 2 new ones just waiting to be used :>)

One is the traditional portrait binding and the other is bound in a landscape format - so an incredibly lovely wide spread for long long sketches over both pages - nearly 3 feet across :>) I do like landscape bound sketchbooks.

A3 paper is double the size of the paper you use in the computer - so a double page spread is a really nice size to work on.

It made me look again at some very old sketchbooks (I've got booksheleves full of them) This sketch was done before I started the degree. Looking back it was interesting to see how the 'good' pieces of work were sprinkled through pages of dreadful stuff! - it was all a learning curve but there was a lot of backsliding between successful images!

I remember at the time reading an article where there was a question about the difference between amateur and professional - a professional the artist said, knew that he would be able to produce a decent piece of work when he started (it might be a struggle, not necessarily easy, but he was confident that he could do it and make it work) - an amateur he said couldn't be certain, sometimes they'd produce lovely work and other times disasters. My early sketchbooks certainly contain some disasters!

It was a real trip down memory lane - reminding me of lovely places, good times, sketching with friends, family holidays, degree projects .... so, not much actual painting has been done today! though I did work on a seascape.

WHYOHWHYOHWHY OH WHY DOES BLOGGER THROW A WOBBLY TANTRUM OVER PARAGRAPHS SOMETIMES?????

Comments

Lindsay said…
This post made me smile. I really struggle with landscapes and what I need to remember is to just do more and more after that and then some more. THanks for sharing your early work.
1:28 am
Robyn Sinclair said…
Beautiful sketches - wonderful cliffs! It gives me hope, Vivien, if your early sketchbooks had a few pages that fell short of the mark. I know I'll get depressed if I ask how long ago that was ;)
10:07 am
vivien said…
When you first go out plein air - when you are already pretty good in the studio - you do find that you have to learn all over again. The sheer scale of the landscape, the changing light (in England anyway, it can't stay the same for 2 minutes!). It's all very intimidating at first and my first plein air's were terrible. It is a case of keep at it and you'll improve fast - truly!
5:35 pm
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