- Try not to use your eraser unless you're using it to draw with, such as controlling light. Every line you draw in a landscape is important. Your mark-making process is the basis for a unique creative development.
- Try to incorporate blind contour drawing, looking at your subject and letting your pencil follow the lines of your subject. Sometimes trees will look more natural if you don't get caught up in drawing what you think you know about trees, but rather drawing waht you see.
- Drawing negative spaces can make landscape drawing a little less complex than following the lines of positive forms. It also helps to develop stronger observations skills.
- Squint your eyes to see the light and dark patterns.
- Us your pencil to take measurements such as what you did with still life and figure drawings.
- Find ways to respond to the textures of the landscape instead of trying to draw all of those leaves.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
On to Landscape
We're going to be exploring landscape for the final five drawing sessions. The landscape brings in a whole new range of complexities that are quite different from still life and figure drawing. Ultimately, though, its commonality is observation. Some tips that might be helpful:
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ReplyDeleteSunscreen
Large ~55Gal Garbage sack(s) (rain kills art)
Bug spray / wipes
Water
Wet Wipes (fingerprints kill art)
Hat
Cave Hill Google Map
ReplyDeleteThis is the Google Map showing Cave Hill. You can enter your address and get driving directions to/from here.
Cave Hill Map (Inside)
This is an interactive map from Cave Hill's website. It takes a bit to download.
I normally bring my camera too. I know as a rule these should be from direct observation, but if it starts raining half way through it can help to complete the image a bit. Brian didn't have complaints about that last summer.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of fun with the landscape drawing session on Tuesday. I'm really excited to see what I'll be able to put on paper at Cave Hill. I've never been there but I've seen pictures. From what I've seen it's beautiful! Are there areas that are more "drawing-worthy" than others?
ReplyDeleteGreg, I enjoy the area around the lake near area Q on the map. It makes a good starting point. You can walk a very short distance and get a wide variety of scenery. Parking is easy and there is plenty of shade.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the Cave Hill website. There is a lot of history here. The lakes were once quarries for some of the stone markers and mausoleums. Criminals were imprisoned in the "cave." You could change the whole mood of your drawing. Maybe a creepy old tree gets more interesting all of a sudden?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info! I'll definitely check it out.
ReplyDeleteGreg, there's an old section and a new section. The old one is around the neighborhood of the Administration building and the adjacent hills. The monuments in this area are pretty interesting, some amazing. The new section is like most cemeteries with more simplified headstones, although there's some pretty cool contemporary sculpture peppered throughout.
ReplyDeleteI made a point of trying to add value with just complimentary colors today and I simply ran out of time and yes, I had to cheat a bit with black when I found myself rushing.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it was HOT out there. :)
But, I think I'll play more with that on my series with the next 3 I need to do for it since I'm working with pastels.