I have the good fortune to spend a goodly portion of my work time coloring with kids. Today the sweetest five year old boy and I drew our houses. Here's my rendition--not finished, not accurate, not right.
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This got me thinking. I can copy pretty well. And I think I have potential. But I haven't learned anything about drawing since fifth grade, and Lolo encourages and inspires me because she says there are tricks of the trade.
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For instance: it will be fascinating and interesting to hear what my talented blog-friends and artists have to say about the following. Advice is requested, please keep instruction and suggestions at a sixth grade level.
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1. Perspective: I know I did the roof wrong!! How do you do it right? And look at the base of that chimney. And for that matter, how do you create distance in a winding road?
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2. Shading: When, why, how? And how do you determine and consistently have all the shadows fall in the same direction?
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3. Scale: I don't even know what to ask....
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Is anybody interested in tackling this unfinished house? Coloring, adding background, finishing the yard, anything? Because if you are, I think it would be super to see what a few different people come up with, and I just might have a grand prize in store....
Sorry kj, not a 'drawer' at the best of times other than silly squiggles when I'm bored in meetings. Why not take a class on the technical side of drawing just to get perspective and shading right. Once learned you can wangle it more creatively! Then some of the best artists I know don't give a jot about interpreting the 'real' that's what Cameras are for!
ReplyDeleteooooh! baino, you're back! yay!
ReplyDeleteOh KJ, I love your house.I hate rules and yes, there are ways to draw and make things all perfect, but take a photo then (like Baino also pointed out). I would also love to draw your house, if I had the time, but I won't get to it until Friday, so I think I will have to let this one go. Seriously though, I love it just the way you drew it.
ReplyDeletehahaha annie, why thank you! my ego jumped right at your opinion! i'm liking drawing. i like using a micron pen and adding colors--my favorite for that are watercolor pencils. maybe that's what i'll start doing....
ReplyDelete:)
I think this is a pretty terrific drawing by the way. I like the narrow breezeway where you get your mail and how "recessed" you made the door look. I remember that from a photograph. I don't see anything wrong with this Ms. KJ other than a little angle problem with the chimney base, easily taught in a nanosecond.
ReplyDeleteYour skills are better than you think! Remember, I taught myself and so can you ;)
Actually, I'm so looking forward to doing art in your back yard with you and JB and hopefully Mim and Suki now and then too.
It's not like I'm going to live so close to you that it will be a common occurence, but it will be special when it happens.
Great house rendering!! You get a gold star ;)
xoxo
Lo
I think it's charming. leave it alone. My DH is always telling me NOT to take an art class because my style is unique (to say the least) and he doens't want to see if ruined. I would love to learn some techniques tho - like shadows and perspective. Lolo will be my muse and teacher!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your cheers KJ:)
ReplyDeleteYou are so artistic, even some not right to you but it looks great!
You are so positive, finding ways to improve yourself, keep it up KJ!
You can visit this blog for more:
http://www.freedrawinglesson.blogspot.com
You can also write to the author of the blog!
you see kj, i agree with these experts (and lo is certainly that)...leave it alone...it is terrific, simply done, colourful with quaint features (like that door). art is art! i of all people should know that. no matter how much i do with my art teacher (and i love those lessons to bits), i still have this wacky wierd and woolly style of my own and have learnt through blogging that 'anything goes'...so you GO girl!
ReplyDeleteI suggest you call it complete and tell everyone is is in the "expressionist" school of art.
ReplyDeletethe moment i saw this drawing, i told myself, 'what a beautiful house this is... not bad to live in it for a while!'
ReplyDeletei've seen many artworks that really talk to us but may not observe all the rules...
the best trick is to learn the tricks in the process... go on and express yourself through this medium... you know about the tricks in time...
this one is fabulous!
i am AMAZED that anybody actually likes this. do i have the most polite and supportive cadre of blog friends ever? because i'm not buying it. i admit i have potential. but you guys--be you illustrators or painters or poets: i bow to each of you!
ReplyDeleteso there!
KJ...
ReplyDeleteLeave it alone Darlin...Art is about what you see. I learned a long time ago...nothing is perfect in our own eye. It is beautiful the way it is. As you draw each and everytime you will discover something new. It will be exciting and new everytime. The more you try to perfect the farther away it is from perfection.
Smiles,
Sonia ;)
Seeeeeee????????
ReplyDeleteNanner nanner nanner!!!
I agree with Mim. Art lessons can ruin you. Be who you are and embrace your own style ;)
I think real art happens when you can see the artist in the picture-or at least you think you do. Our great artist friends are great because we would probably know who did each one without seeing a signature.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fun to do an ATC by each of us on the same topic, no sig and have a guessing game. I can imagine how to work into a polling feature one ATC at a time-but will imagine harder and try to figure out how to make it a match up feature and get back to you all on that. If it seems too much, I'll just go with a series of card by card polls.
I'll volunteer to be the clearing and polling house, and I'll shut up about it now and use my own blog space.
KJ-you are an artist being compare-develop your own style so we'll be able to pick you out in the upcoming experiment.
I'm agreeing with everyone too I'm a frustrated doodler at times because I don't know anything about the rules you mention here. Putting down on paper an image or words should come directly from how you are feeling at a certain moment.
ReplyDeleteI like Debra Kay's idea, would be fun to join in with. Smiles*!*
Oh perspective ouch!
ReplyDeleteI know a liitle perspective and light etc.
Your house look fantastic.
If you are sitting in front of your house drawing it.
Better way. hold your drawing arm out in front of you full lenght with pencil in your hand and held straght up no tilting. So arm out straight and no tilting pencil.
Look at the area you wish to draw, say side of house.
|You can place your finger down you pencil to what length you see and keep your finger there while laying your pencil on your paper, mark best you can. the two points (top of pencil to where finger is and draw your line.
You can do this for all your drawing measuring this way and will give you all your perfect portions of anything you draw.
For light? It is easier to have light coming from one direction, so if left of the house. every window door etc have a light shading.
We were taught emagine most things are a tube. It is lighter in the middle and darker towards the edges.
Paint sky in your windows panes. This is an easy and effective result of reflectipon
Happy drawing, sorry if I have confused you more. Hope I haven't?
Forgotten to mention look through one eye only when measuring. shut the other one and keep to same eye on which side you a measuring.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a charming rendition! Your chimney is tilting up as opposed to down but it looks fun! I used to teach children art and we never tell them what to do rather we all must do our own work, just like on ourselves :) They always wanted me to re-draw or fix their images and I would tell them that every one has to do their own work. The best way is to take photos so that you have a static iomage you can learn from and study.
ReplyDeletesonia, i like that you called me darlin. it made me smile. so you and everybody else are telling me just to do it. but wouldn't alittle info on perspective be a good thing? :)
ReplyDeletebaino, annie, lo, mim, soulbrush, walking man, hb, debra kay, annie, with the exception of not calling me darlin, please see my comment to sonia. but thanks thanks thanks for the encouragement. i will take it to heart and just start drawing.
yoon see, you can be sure i am running to that blog you suggest! thank you thank you!
julie-ann, i will try everything you suggest. i hope i'm smart enough to hold the pencil correctly! i'll let you know..
debra kay, i have a separate comment for you... :)
debra kay, THAT IS A GREAT IDEA. COUNT ME IN. I LOVE IT. IF YOU NEED HELP WITH IT, LET ME KNOW.
ReplyDeleteLET'S DO IT!
XOXO
My younger son showed his older brother an intricate drawing adnd said, "I had a little trouble with perspective, I'm still working on that" and my older son assurred him that it takes a lot of pratcice to get that right.
ReplyDeletecs, no easy solution, huh? okay okay, i'll practice. xo
ReplyDeleteYou could qualify as an outsider artist; so don't worry so much about the correct perspective of the roof etc - what does the roof "feel" like -- that is the important question. Draw the roof as it feels. Correct perspective is for photographs. kids have it right -- throw the coloring books away and draw from the inside.
ReplyDeleteWhat's an ATC? Is it fun . .can anyone play?
ReplyDeleteDo you find the tips on the blog helpful kj?
ReplyDelete