Wednesday, March 09, 2011

You Can Draw -- And Probably Better Than Roger Ebert Can

"I began to haunt art supply stores, as if somehow one could purchase what one needed to be an artist. I loved the smell of the paints and papers, the chalks and wooden easels."

Here is an Ebert post I've been mulling over. It brought to mind the first time I joined my wife on one of her working trips to Europe. The first morning in Germany I took my coffee and journal out onto the balcony of our apartment, which offered a spectacular view of the Black Forest. There was no way I could write about it, so I took my black Uni-Ball pen and sketched what I saw. Because I've always preferred blank paper to lined, the page practically invited the activity.

I liked ... no, I'll be honest: I loved what I drew. It was rudimentary, and certainly wouldn't win me any awards. But just looking at those jagged lines immediately evoked a much larger sense of what I was taking in than any of the subsequent photos I snapped. For the rest of the trip I kept the journal close, taking it out at cafes and pretty much following the advice Annette Goodheart gave to Roger: draw in ink, don't erase.

If I ever get a scanner, I'll underwhelm you with some examples. In the meantime, I believe I'll reapply Ms. Goodheart's advice to my life and start sketching again. You should, too. It's what we've been hardwired to do.

6 comments:

DarkoV said...

Scanning your sketches? You are a brave soul, sir. I'll keep my stick figured creatures safely tucked away, thank you very much...

Whisky Prajer said...

All in the name of encouraging others. Mind you, the operative words were, "If I ever get a scanner."

Cowtown Pattie said...

My very own Kave Man is an artiste! I have murals, sketchings, wood burning scenes on nearly every wall.

I leave the drawing to him. I am rather good with mixed media scrap booky kinds of worthless junk.

Cowtown Pattie said...

Wood burning?

I meant drawing done with a wood burning tool. The man is phenomenal with one.

Whisky Prajer said...

Ah, the wood-burning "pencil"! I recall receiving one for Christmas when I was 10 or 11. In hindsight, that was probably not the best "toy" to give a kid. I'm happy to report, though, that my parents' house remains standing, and my fingertips have mostly recovered.

In the right hands, of course, great things can be achieved. Say, some pictures to the old blog might be just the thing, doncha think?

paul bowman said...

Yes, yes, yes.