I mentioned that I’m trying to get myself drawing at home rather than on the street. It sure is a struggle and I’ve definitely got to get a place set up to do it. But I’m pretty good at the clear-the-deck arm sweep that will shove a bunch of stuff out of the way and provide me a place for some paper.
That’s what I did the morning I decided to draw a clump of foliage. Notice that I’m not setting my sites too high. I have to convince my brain that it should be drawing in the morning while I’m having my morning coffee and I don’t want to discourage it. I did upgrade my paper, though. This one was done on Fabriano Artistico CP, which may be a bit to rough for my fine fountain pens but we’ll see.
Platinum 3776 SF, Platinum Carbon Black
One thing is clear. It’s a LOT easier to draw and paint in a studio with the paper resting on a flat surface. Heck, it’s not even windy (grin).
Good for you. This drawing at home became a struggle for me, too.
At least I’m not alone 🙂 What I’ve learned so far is that it’s a lot easier to draw when I’m not sitting on a tripod stool and dealing with the wind. — Larry
That is a lovely drawing. I too struggle with drawing indoors here in cold Swedish Lapland. I try to get to meetings early and draw caféś and places like that, but at home I just feel no inspiration. I have an idea about setting up a still life every evening and drawing it as a “go to bed”- ritual. I am also cleaning out a lot of stuff, so perhaps I should draw all the things that I intend to give or throw away! 🙂
Once I get started drawing at home is fine. But urban sketching initiates sketching with the chase, the hunt, where I discover what I’m going to draw. That’s missing at home. — Larry
I like the idea that you need to change things up! Drawing first thing in the morning….that’s a touch one.
Change that is voluntary is different from change that is forced. My coming off the streets is definitely forced and I suppose that’s part of my problem with drawing in my office. I don’t think I can do the morning thing on a regular basis. My second sketch in this series was done around 10AM 🙂
Sorry Larry… it’s supposed to be tough one.
It may surprise you to know that a lot of my blog sketches are actually done at home, or finished after I get home. I love spending a little of my evening time drawing. … to be honest what really makes it enjoyable is I’m either working from something I started in the field, or I am working from my own photos.
I’ll try to describe my ‘sketch in the evening’ setup (verse serious drawing which is done at a table or my at big easel).
I sit on a couch in front of a way-too-low coffee table on which I’ve added blocks and a new table surface which is still a little lower than a table but higher than my knees. I have a panel that is about 2 feet by 2 1/2 feet which I rest on my lap and the high rise coffee table. Farthest from me sits my laptop with whatever image I want to sketch, and nearer to me is my sketchbook (both on this 2 x 2 1/2 panel. On the couch next to me I have a small board to to provide stability for a jar of water (if I need it), paint, pens ….. etc. I want to sit back and be comfortable while I sketch. Cushy!
It doesn’t surprise me too much because it seems that most artists do some drawing at home. I guess I do too but I’ve never seen it as such. I have a sketchbook and a couple pens in the living room and I doodle constantly while watching TV. It’s nothing that sees the light of day but I consider it my ‘mileage’ and it’s a place where I practice things like hatching, drawing straight lines, ellipses, etc. I draw people from the TV to practice drawing very quickly. I draw the lamps in the room, my wife’s foot and whatever else is around. I’ve just never spent any time trying to produce a ‘finished’ sketch at home.
….’your milage.’ I like that term. All too many people who say they can’t draw, don’t spend time trying. If I quit walking, pretty soon my walking would be wobbly.
Funny how that works, isn’t it? Every experienced artist says you improve by doing and doing some more. Everyone looks for a new pen or brush instead 🙂