Returning to the pencil after over a month of nothing.
I left my path after spending a few days with George Bridgman’s “Drawing from Life”, which more or less gives you tools and expert insight, but basically expects you to experiment with the provided options. It is a great eye opener and what probably pushed me off my high pedistal was the obvious ease with which Mr Bridgman finds his planes, light sources, masses, forms and perspective, rendering these with the seamingly simplest of lines.
My last drawing before the afore mentioned self-inflicted break is the above portrait on the left, the portrait on the right is from today. The was basicall no drawing during th ebreak. Both are about 5 minutes work. The last month I had been realising once more how important the perspecitve question is and also the story each line carries for the observer. If a line has the slightest curl to it, then it will influence the observer. I need to learn to understand and predict these subconcious and pre-programmed reactions of the audience.
Also, before leaving the drawing board for the prolonged break, I made a few attempts at tracing the Classical Masters. I’m not sure if I am infringing on any copyright licenses here. This is a trace of a Carracci and a Michelangelo. These are probably excellent exercises (but expensive, due to the cost of tracing paper nowadays). Here you can learn the different “stories” lines can have. It is also an eye opener which allows me to see the real value of these old sketches, cementing there classification as Masterpieces, at least for me.
To put everything back into perspective, here the G.Bridgman sketching attempts I made before the break:
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