Saturday, February 6, 2010

The Poor Stepchild

In my poor stepchild of a Moleskine - the one that doesn't take watercolor - I sketch, I experiment, and I play. The exploding mandala, of a couple posts back, was in there, and much crazier stuff too that won't see the light of day. On some pages I literally just scribble (with style). On one page, I create faces from imagination to find out what comes to me without actually looking at a person - to check what I know automatically. Raena was doing this on her blog the other day.

It is necessary for growth to do the rough and ready that no one will ever see, I think. But here's a peek inside. You can pretend that the rest of the stuff in there is just like these.

I'd like that.

I usually don't carry this other moleskine with me, but one day I found myself sitting in a waiting room for some time and drew the bamboo plant on the right.

One thing that I've been doing, and plan to do more of, is to copy sketches of other artists. This is in the hope that I might divine what they are doing, and learn something for myself. I was delighted to find out that Nancy has been doing the same thing, though much more methodically. Great minds think alike, eh, Nancy? Anyway, I didn't spend any real time doing these, I tried to sketch quickly but follow the lines of the artists themselves - to get a feel how they would do it. I wasn't worried about being exactly correct, and that is good because they are not.

My copy of a the sketch of a little girl by Jean-Antoine Watteau is on the right. He drew his version in the 1700's. Amazing how we must learn again what people already knew so well, so long ago, before we can progress.


I've been quite impressed with everything about Andrew Wyeth's Helga drawings and paintings. I copied some of his sketches too.

These are copies of his sketches that are in the book Andrew Wyeth, The Helga Pictures (1987), by John Wilmerding, which is a picture book, mostly. His sketches, his watercolors, and his drybrush are phenomenal.

On the left I drew the arm twice, because I hadn't captured the subtle turns in the line the first time. I can do anything in this book!


This other Moleskine is almost full, and there was a time that I wondered whether I would ever buy another, with its thick yellow pages, useless for watercolors. But I will, because in it I can be free! And there is no end to what you can do with such a book (just plug the words Moleskine Detour in the search at Youtube and you will see what I mean.)

So adopt a poor stepchild. The reward will be yours.

23 comments:

  1. Great post! I copy other artists often, sometimes they are not famous but something about their style appeals to me. One thing I have learned though, when copying the works of others, sometimes the direction of their hatch lines isn't comfortable for me since I am left-handed. Where I tend to hatch on the diagonal with the left-side being highest, righties tend to hatch with the right-side being highest. I still try it though, by turning my paper this way and that. I love these, especially the one of the girl. Your bamboo plant is excellent too! I'll have to go check out that link on the moleskines...I haven't fallen in love with mine yet and I'm more than half way through it. (Sad...I started it over a year ago!)

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  2. This IS a great post. It's something I haven't been able to verbalize, but I realized while reading your commentary what it is. It's what I miss most about art school; the experimentation, the playing with media, the exploration. It is freeing and I think that's why that environment was so good for me, but once out of it, parameters began to rise and before I knew it, I had built a wall of expectation. Expecting things to be done perfectly, expecting every piece to be a marketable product, etc. Thanks for the stepchild idea, maybe I need one of my own. BTW, the sketches are wonderful. We copied many of the masters in art school and I learned so much from them.

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  3. Dan, as usual, your sketches are great. You must have had quite the wait to get so much done with that plant! lol It's wonderful. And your sketches of the masters - wow! I love the little girl. Aren't they fun to do? nancy

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  4. It's always wonderfully informative to see an artist's sketchbook. Your bamboo sketch is great! I like your experiments with figures as well. Wyeth's multiple renderings of Helga are inspirational.

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  5. Dan- I so enjoyed the peek inside!! Your drawings are SOOOO GOOD!! Your artistry is ever present in the way you see and think and process. Very inspirational... and I must check out this moleskine thing. Thank you once again for sharing yourself and your art.

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  6. Such a great post, Dan. Your art as always is fantastic. I like this stepchild moleskine idea. I have a love/hate relationship with mine. I love it for a while and then I hate it and don't ever pull it out. I must say the paper is a pain. But I love the color and the feel of it. Lately though just a plain old blank book from B & N has been my dear friend and today - I used notepad paper! Thank you so much for your recent comments to my blog. I really love this post from you - thank you for sharing your work and your thoughts!

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  7. Oh, gosh. Now I have to order some moleskines (& I just learned to pronounce it). I have the habit of drawing on and in everything--would be nice to have them in one place.

    I always enjoy reading your posts. Thanks for letting us look in your books and keep blogging--your work and words are wonderful.

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  8. I love that drawing of the bamboo plant! And your masters drawings are excellent! Thanks for giving us a peek into your other sketchbook.

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  9. Hilarious way to refer to those kind of moleskines!! I have 2 of them. Great sketches and good thoughts. I think I'll inscribe "I can do anything in this book" in the covers of mine.

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  10. All your sketches show an awareness and sensitivity. Thanks for sharing the drawings and your thoughts.

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  11. Great sketches and a wonderful suggestion: The Moleskine Detour is worth a visit, and from what you say I may give this Moleskine a second chance, to use it with pencil and ink !

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  12. Well, Dan, time for me to de-lurk. You had me at that Our Tilted World post, and thanks to you I've been reading up about Andrew Wyeth as well, and amazed by his technique and passion.

    What a wonderful perspective to adopt a stepchild. I've been puzzling this last while about how to get back to drawing again, and this is the answer. To do it in something that frees you from expectation. I don't have a Moleskine, in fact, they're not available here in South Africa except as diaries, but I do have a garbaged novel I used to draw in - with great freedom from perfectionism. There's something naughty and rebellious about drawing over print. Time to get it out again, methinks!

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  13. I always love looking into someone's sketchbook. It is like being a voyeur! Well, you DO know that Moleskin makes a version with watercolor paper...right? oddly enough, I believe that it is the same price as the drawing versions. I hope to see many more of your drawings. They are a lot of fun to look at.

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  14. This is what I use ALL my sketchbooks for - they are workbooks, places where I learn (and the learning goes on forever) and simply practise like a muscician practices scales - I just share the pages I feel I want to. keep on practising!

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  15. Exactly what a sketchbook is for. I think your drawings are fantastic. Keep doing it! And your writing is as entertaining as ever! Great work, Dan!

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  16. It is always interesting to read about the process of an artist, and you write wonderfully about it. Your bamboo are really good, and I like also the Watteau girl.
    Loved also your heart for Haiti, a beautiful drawing and idea.

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  17. Teehee.. I have one that I use, another watercolor Moleskine that's still wrapped, a leather bound journal, and another sketch journal... I can't really focus on which to use because I love all of them... so they are all my favorites ^^
    Love the post Dan!

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  18. Your sketches are all quite wonderful, Dan! I am smitten by the bamboo!

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  19. It's a great thing to have that kind of journal where you can be free, and I'm thinking of getting one for myself. Beautiful sketches. I like your lines.

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  20. I like reading discussions about the process an artist uses. Most of my drawings are not in journals though (journal challenged here). And I really like your Watteau drawing. All artists copy, it's the way to learn. The key is learn from the technique not the style. Go to any large Museum and you'll see all the students diligently copying away.

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  21. Thank you all for all of your comments. There are so many to respond to, I don't know what to say! I love your input and for me it is not only helpful but motivational. Now I need to break away from the journal! Pippa - thanks for de-lurking, I love your blog! pthaloblue, I sort of am in art school now - only I am the student and the teacher. Thanks, all.

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  22. Dan-- the bamboo image is a favourite of mine and your attitude of playing in your sketchbooks is truly inspirational!

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