Status Updates From Creative Ink Drawing

“many artists prefer to work from their own or from someone else’s photographs. and, of course, there is certainty no reason why they should not. it is a question, merely, of what an artist personally needs as a point of departure.”

“reading about the social or historical background of architecture can provide the necessary impetus to enable you to go ahead and see the fabric of historical structure with a much deeper sense of excited commitment. if the period is entirely new to you, this research, of course, is particularly essential.”

“perhaps drawing architecture /is/ an acquired taste”

a lot of collating going on in the way he describes landscape drawing. seem to be coming from some notes that are taken alongside at the time of drawing. interesting !

so wait actually i can stop for notes before drawing.

“i often see a subject i feel compelled to draw immediately, without making notes. this is an old urge of mine, born from fear that i may never again see what i am looking at. this habit of drawing on impulse is so strong that i do not have the slightest hesitation in stopping whatever i may be doing and start to sketch, even if it brings a certain amount of temporary discomfort.”

“i always avoid the intense light of midday, which usually eliminates tone and color, as well as flattens the forms of incidental details.”

morning is most consistently the best light for drawing

just sit down and take in what is going on around you. it is a distraction and futile attempt to first go about trying to find “the best view”. three dimensionality can be received neutrally as well as iconically. it’s maybe a harder practice to receive it neutrally and observe it with as much care

“drawings landscaped is a much more leisurely process of discovery than drawing people, and i go about it in a much more relaxed frame of mind. although i find it stimulating to work on location because one is /living/ as well as /working/, i do tire of the noise and tension of the city.”

drawing on location is living as well as working.

“before you attempt to brave such possible outside interest, get thoroughly used to drawing people. start by simply observing them unnoticed. for example, study people through a window. the victorian english draughtsman Charles Keene used to do this continually; he then found he could see even more by using a large mirror fixed at an angle. in this way, unobserved… London Strand… for the journal “Punch”

“i draw people in a much more stylized manner with the medium of ink than i do with pencil.”

AMAZINGG diagram of a separated image for an ernest hemingway cover.

it can be cheaper for an artist to draw in separated layers to prepare the drawing a for reproduction. then the publisher does not need to use photographic separation means when the printing happens in layered processes

very interested to see the chapter framing thoughts on drawing for publication. drawings for a particular printing style (i assume before prevalence of color laser printing or whatever ) needs to be considered when choosing a stylistic or material with which to illustrate.

and great visual description of how to cut a quill. important information of how to prepare a raw feathe ton the page previous. immerse feather in pan of sand and heat to 140 degrees farenheight to prepare and harden the pen.

great diagram of how to cut a reed pen

yes. this is giving me a sense of life. i particularly like the format of a collection of y he artists real illustration practice accompanied by all the thoughts a teacher would share accompanying the process of trying materials and setups.