Journal Entry

One of this week's assignments is to journal on these thoughts:

Often, when you work over a period of time at drawing -- when you're drawing a lot and engaging deeply in it, you can have a "break through:" one of those wonderful feelings of "getting it," when everything seems to come together.

Have you had any such moments? What activity were you doing, and how did it feel? Conversely, have you felt frustrated and unable to have such a feeling? Why do suppose that has happened?


And here is my submission:

Oftentimes in a drawing, I have this moment when some little piece sparks coherence. By way of an example, in my submission for this week's exercise, when I placed in the blossom end for the middle pear, it cemented the pear's (and the light's) orientation. It got me thinking that just a few promiment points can serve as markers for the viewer. Little pieces that inspire reality.

If I might now go in the other direction, I have been struggling for that gestalt of seeing fine line quality. It seems a place where I need to focus. I can easily get caught up in short and straight lines. Now I'm beginning to see that it's okay during blocking in to square things off before working in the curves and that once that initial work is complete, to then glide effortlesly over the laid out terrain with smooth and confident strokes. Oh, and of course getting that line thickness flowing in and out appropriately.

I think that over time, all the techniques being presented within this course can become more automatic for me. (I forgot all about negative space with the 4.1 exercise!) Right now trying to remember blocking out while staying aware of negative space while observing line quality is a bit of jerky excursion. I am reminded of my first times behind the wheel of a car. All this to me is antithesis of that aha moment and reminds me more of advice along the nature of, “Keep at it, kid, and you'll do just fine.”