Art questions

[mycrabface]

1. When you draw something, do you see the image in your head first and draw it, or do you draw away and see what it turns out to be?

2. When you want to colour something, do you pour out all your colour pencils onto the table and pick the colours from there, or do you visualize what colour you want for that object and then mix colours around to get it?

3. Can you function under pressure? Can you draw like mad while you know the dateline is the next day? Or do you get distracted and not manage to draw a good piece? Because I owe my teacher 13 A4 sketches. The dateline was two days ago.

[ada]

1. Try visualising/drawing the negative spaces first

2. Build colour from the bottom up. If you are using good quality pencils this possible and you get a luminous quality and you can control tone etc

3. Drawing is like writing or performing a piano piece you've learnt. You just gotta sit down and free yourself up and go for it without being too precious

good luck. What is the subject of your drawings?

[quantum]

I draw stick people.  Seeing that drawing isn't one of my strongest facets, I'd probably start with some random scratches on the paper.  From there I would react to what is already there, and add to it. 

I never understood why you have to stay within the lines in a coloring book.  Can't the dude have a round head outline with a green coloured square imposed on it?  I'd probably visualize in my head the colours first, then apply.  If I'm stuck for inspiration, maybe I would pick random pencils with my eyes closed from the table. 

I wasn't really able to compose stuff under pressure when taking a university composition course.  I'm really finicky in the respect for quality artwork.  I don't like shabby music so, I tend to be really strict on myself.  However, I have found that improvisation does help.  Ever since I got into improv, artistic ideas seem to have a better flow. 

[rc]

I've taken some attempts at drawing, but I was more into realism.  Nature is my inspiration, I'd love to be able to draw a landscape.  Some of the prarie sunsets are amazing.

My attempts turned out better than I expected, but I had trouble keeping the right perspective, which I think is because I had to look down at my hand too much.  When it comes to drawing from imagination, I'm like quantum, turning random lines into something as it goes.  A friend who's good at drawing from imagination describes it the same, but his lines begin less random, he has a more clear image from the beginning.

I found a lot of parallels between drawing and playing music, the feeling of tracing an object with my eyes is a lot like when I get into 'the zone' in music, playing music with my ears...  Every artist I've talked to knows about 'the zone', I've heard it talked about in sports and I think it even exists in work.

I think drawing from imagination could be related to improvisation, and drawing realism is like learning a composition...  The way the mind works in different creative arts is surprisingly similar.

[imbetter]

1. When you draw something, do you see the image in your head first and draw it, or do you draw away and see what it turns out to be?

2. When you want to colour something, do you pour out all your colour pencils onto the table and pick the colours from there, or do you visualize what colour you want for that object and then mix colours around to get it?

3. Can you function under pressure? Can you draw like mad while you know the dateline is the next day? Or do you get distracted and not manage to draw a good piece? Because I owe my teacher 13 A4 sketches. The dateline was two days ago.

well, it definatly varies on what and why I'm drawing but this is my advice.

1. usually i just draw away
2. usually its a random color
3. the more pressure the bettter i draw

best wishes

[mycrabface]

I've taken some attempts at drawing, but I was more into realism.  Nature is my inspiration, I'd love to be able to draw a landscape.  Some of the prarie sunsets are amazing.

My attempts turned out better than I expected, but I had trouble keeping the right perspective, which I think is because I had to look down at my hand too much.  When it comes to drawing from imagination, I'm like quantum, turning random lines into something as it goes.  A friend who's good at drawing from imagination describes it the same, but his lines begin less random, he has a more clear image from the beginning.

I don't really look at the paper when I'm drawing. I just look at what I'm drawing, and draw. Me too! And I HATE abstract. THERE'S NO PICTURE. NOTHING TO LOOK AT. I apologize if I have hurt anyone's feelings, but I am no fan of abstract. I also notice that many artists are violent or crazy. Weird huh. Must one be mad to produce such marvelous paintings?

What is the subject of your drawings?

Damaged

[quantum]

Must one be mad to produce such marvelous paintings?

Why not try it?  Create a drawing when you are in an emotionally intense state of mind.

[mycrabface]

Why not try it?  Create a drawing when you are in an emotionally intense state of mind.

I've tried it before. I'm sorry, I guess I'm not a prodigy.

[ada]

A couple I did; coloured pencil

[rc]

I don't really look at the paper when I'm drawing. I just look at what I'm drawing, and draw. Me too! And I HATE abstract. THERE'S NO PICTURE. NOTHING TO LOOK AT. I apologize if I have hurt anyone's feelings, but I am no fan of abstract. I also notice that many artists are violent or crazy. Weird huh. Must one be mad to produce such marvelous paintings?

You're probably a much better artist than I am.  I'd like to cultivate being able to draw without looking at the paper so much, but I just don't put enough time into drawing.  Ever do blind contour drawings?  I did a few and was surprised at the progress between them, the first one looked like nothing (abstract art ), but each successive one began to look more and more like something.  I was exstatic when I looked down and saw that the end of the line I was using to draw a fork actually ended withing a few cm of the beginning of the line

I think being insane really helps being an artist.  Having a healthy balanced mind has so many time-constraints - social life, love life, financial stability.  Without those, it'd be so much easier to focus on art

edit: I forgot to comment; those're great Ada!  How long did they take to finish?

[pianistimo]

ada, those are fantastic.  i didn't know you were an artist, too.

my daughter's been using corel draw? on the computer - and it has been a really good tool.  she's in there for hours sometimes just drawing away.

[ada]

Well thank you P and rc. I set out on a career as artist but needed to get a paying job to survive and now time doesn't allow this to be more than a hobby.    Like piano 

Sigh 

Those pieces took insanely long to finish; they are composed of layers and layers of cross hatching. I have a few others but not enough for a show.

[ahinton]

Well thank you P and rc. I set out on a career as artist but needed to get a paying job to survive and now time doesn't allow this to be more than a hobby.    Like piano 

Sigh 

Those pieces took insanely long to finish; they are composed of layers and layers of cross hatching. I have a few others but not enough for a show.

Well, don't stop doing this kind of thing. And do NOT curtail your piano practice time. And, while you're about it, why not also get down to writing a really iffy PM to some goddam' Scotsman who tries on a public forum to tell you what to do and what not to do...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Here is a painting i did last week.

Any constructive comments would be very much appreciated.

Thal

[ahinton]

Here is a painting i did last week.

Any constructive comments would be very much appreciated.

Thal

May one presume that the smoke emanating from the chimney is indicative of the burning of one of those incomparably disgusting cheeseburger sandwich monstrosites that you happened to leave under the gas while answering another post on Pianostreet? - or is there a Pollockesque or Rothkovian nuance that has escaped me?...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Here is a drawing i did in honour of pianistimo.

Thal

[ahinton]

Here is a drawing i did in honour of pianistimo.

Thal

Poor Jesus - poor Lord - poor lamb - poor "evul". Poor Susan...

Pour coffee - I need one - and a strong one at that...

Well, at least you're honouring Susan; I'm sure that she'll be so flattered that she'll send you some red roses for Wednesday...

Best,

Alistair

[rc]

Well thank you P and rc. I set out on a career as artist but needed to get a paying job to survive and now time doesn't allow this to be more than a hobby.    Like piano 

Sigh 

Those pieces took insanely long to finish; they are composed of layers and layers of cross hatching. I have a few others but not enough for a show.

Having well developed hobbies ain't so bad, so long as you aren't too much of a wage slave to continue to practice each art...  You can still be an inspiring artist without being paid for it.

If nothing else I've gained an appreciation for the time and effort that goes into a work of art.  My sketchy dabblings took hours, hahah!

[mycrabface]

A couple I did; coloured pencil

Bravo ada! Bravo! I'll scan some of my pictures one day, when I've got nothing else to do.